The Turn of the Screw is a novella (short novel) written by Henry James. Published originally during 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story. Due to its ambiguous content, it became a favorite text of New Criticism authors. The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive. Many critics have tried to determine the exact nature of the evil hinted at by the story. | THE TURN OF THE SCREW by Henry James Prepared and Published by Ebd THE TURN OF THE SCREW The story had held us round the fire sufficiently breathless but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome as on Christmas Eve in an old house a strange tale should essentially be I remember no comment uttered till somebody happened to say that it was the only case he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child. The case I may mention was that of an apparition in just such an old house as had gathered us for the occasion an appearance of a dreadful kind to a little boy sleeping in the room with his mother and waking her up in the terror of it waking her not to dissipate his dread and soothe him to sleep again but to encounter also herself before she had succeeded in doing so the same sight that had shaken him. It was this observation that drew from Douglas not immediately but later in the evening a reply that had the interesting consequence to which I call attention. Someone else told a story not particularly effective which I saw he was not following. This I took for a sign that he had himself something to produce and that we should only have to wait. We waited in fact till two nights later but that same evening before we scattered he brought out what was in his mind. I quite agree in regard to Griffin s ghost or whatever it was that its appearing first to the little boy at so tender an age adds a particular touch. But it s not the first occurrence of its charming kind that I know to have involved a child. If the child gives the effect another turn of the screw what do you say to TWO children We say of course somebody exclaimed that they give two turns Also that we want to hear about them. I can see Douglas there before the fire to which he had got up to present his back looking down at his interlocutor with his hands in his pockets. Nobody but me till now has ever heard. It s quite too horrible. This naturally was declared by several .
