Modern Language Studies
Jamesian Parody, "Jane Eyre," and "The Turn of the Screw"
Author(s): Alice Hall Petry
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Modern Language Studies, Vol. 13, No. 4, Henry James Issue (Autumn, 1983), pp. 61-78
Published by: Modern Language Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3194215 .
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Jamesian
and'The TurnoftheScrew"
JaneEyre,
Parody,
Alice Hall Petry
Ever sinceitwas firstpublishedin 1898,HenryJames's"The Turn
oftheScrew"has receiveda phenomenalamountofcriticalattention
and
popular acclaim; and no smallportionof thisperennialinterestis due to
thefactthatthereare basicallytwowaysinwhichtoreadthestory:(1)that
theghostsofPeterQuintand MissJesselreallydo appear to thegoverness
(and that,consequently,she is indeed a reliablenarrator);or (2)thatthe
ghostsdo not exist,and the governessis deluded-perhaps insane.' I
withtheimportant
happen to agreewiththesecond interpretation,
qualificationthatI do notbelievethegovernessis insane.Rather,I would argue
thatthegoverness,a basicallynormalalbeitsensitiveand impressionistic
younglady,has been undulyinfluencedbyherreadingofone ofthemost
popular books of the nineteenthcentury,JaneEyre; more specifically,
that the tragic events which occur at Bly are the directresultof her
heremployer,hersituation,
and ofBlyitselfhaving
perceptionsofherself,
been hopelesslydistortedby her patheticattemptto emulateCharlotte
Bronte'sfamousheroine.In supportofthisinterpretation,
I would further
in
arguethatJamesborrowedheavilyfromBronte'snovel:thesimilarities
narrativetechnique,and even phraseologyare so
plot,characterization,
thatit is impossibleto believe thattheyare purelyfortuitous.
In
striking
I
would
are intentionaland conscious;
fact,
argue thatthesesimilarities
thatJamesexpected his readersto perceive parallelsbetween Bronte's
novel and his tale; and that,in the final analysis,James is utilizing,
theliterarytraditionof thepluckyEngexploiting,indeed undermining
lish governess:thatin "The Turn of the Screw" he is, in fact,writinga
parodyof JaneEyre.
It is a matterofcommonknowledgethatJameswas well aware of
theworkof CharlotteBronteand her siblings,and in particularof Jane
Eyre, forhe refersto the book several timesin his reviews and in his
autobiographicalwritings.In A Small Boy and Others,he recallsAnne
King,"youngand frail,but notless firm,understress,thantheothersof
herblood," who remindedhimof"a littleBronteheroine... thoughmore
indeeda Lucy Snowe thana JaneEyre,and withno shadeofa Brontehero
withinsight."2
In an 1866issueoftheAtlanticMonthly,
he praisesthe"very
good poetry"oftheMoorHouse chaptersinJaneEyre,and a yearlater,in
a reviewofMrs.R. H. Davis's "WaitingfortheVerdict,"he notesthatMrs.
Davis had "evidentlyread" Bronte'snovel,one of the"greatauthorities"
forMrs. Davis's typeof fiction.3
Buthis referencesto JaneEyre are not
altogetherlaudatory;indeed, in 1905 he speaks, less wistfullythancuttingly,of the "luckybox" in whichthe Brontesistersfoundthemselves,
a sentimentalized
viz, "a case of popularity. . ., a beguilded infatuation,
vision,determinedlargelyby theaccidentsand circumstancesoriginally
of the genius-- . ." In fine,the reading
surroundingthe manifestation
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betweentheBronte'sown remarkable
public'sblurringof thedistinction
privatelives and the equally remarkablelives of the charactersthey
created was generating"the most complete intellectualmuddle,if the
termbe nottoo invidious,ever achieved ... by our wonderfulpublic."4
That thereadersof Bronte'sdurable novel were somehow blurringthe
distinction
betweenrealityand fictionseemstohavestruckJames'sfancy:
and whatbetterway to develop thisbizarrenotionthantowritea parody
in whichtheheroineconfusesherown lifewiththatof Bronte'sheroine
and becomes,as itwere,a flesh-and-blood
parodyofJane-withhorrible
consequences?
That James was familiarwith Jane Eyre is, then,a matterof
have notedsimcommonknowledge;and indeed,severalcommentators
ilaritiesbetween Bronte'sbook and "The Turn of the Screw." Oscar
Cargill and Robert Kimbroughhave pointedout thatthereis a blatant
referenceto JaneEyre in thepassage "Was therea 'secret'at Bly- ... an
insane,an unmentionablerelativekept in unsuspectedconfinement?"
(179).5 Walterde la Mare pointsout thatJames'sgoverness,"withher
recallsno less
herimpassionedself-dedication,
faintly
queer littleflutters,
thatJames
Vaid-notes
than
Krishna
a
JaneEyre."6
delightful prototype
of
the
"the
fictional
convention
been
have
English
drawing
upon
may
governess,"and Leon Edel, in his prefaceto his editionof Storiesof the
theGhostlyTales) remarksthat"'The Turnofthe
Supernatural(formerly
Screw' is in the Brontetradition;much of itsatmosphereand even laninhisstory.Itis
guagerepresents
James'sattempttoenshrinethattradition
to theBrontes,ratherthanto themodernpsychologicalmovementin its
nascentstatein Vienna,thatthisstorymustbe referred.. ."7Butnoneof
thesecritics-not even Edna Kenton,who remindsus thatthestorywas
designedto "catch"us8-has perceivedthatJameswas notsimplydrawing upon the literarytraditionof the Englishgovernesspopularizedby
Bronte,but ratherwas brilliantly
parodyingit; and not merely,I must
emphasize,forthesake of comedy.
I believe thattheprocessof parodyingJaneEyre beginswiththe
generalstoryline of-thetwo works:a youngwoman goes to a remote
countryestateto serveas governess.In each case, herimmediateconfias thehousedante and associate at theestateis a widow who functions
keeper: Mrs. Fairfaxand Mrs. Grose. The childreninvolved do have
bothAdele Varensand Flora are eight-year-old
notablesimilarities:
girls,
to MilesinJaneEyre,9all the
and althoughthereis no boy corresponding
double situation:theyhave no parents,and
childrensharean unfortunate
in them.Celine Varenshad abandoned
theirguardianshave littleinterest
makesclear,although"'shewas lefton
as
Rochester
theillegitimate
Adele;
his
she
is
not
hands,"'
daughter("'Pilot [hisdog] is morelikeme than
my
withheris chilledat best ("'I
she"' [chaps. 17, 15]),10and hisrelationship
am notfondoftheprattleofchildren'"[chap. 14]). Likewise,thebachelor
at HarleyStreetacquiredFloraand Milesuponthedeathoftheirparentsin
India,and although"heimmenselypitiedthepoorchicks,"Jamesmakesit
clear thattheyweighed "veryheavyon hishands.It had all been a great
worryand, on hisown partdoubtless,a seriesof blunders.. ." (153-54).
Each guardian is a man in early middle age who is understandably
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in part
resentful
aboutbeingforcedintotheroleof surrogate
father,
becauseeachissomething
ofa ladies'man:Rochester
haslefta
apparently
of sexualconquestson theContinent
string
(chap.27), and theHarley
Streetbachelorhas,accordingto Mrs.Grose,"carriedaway"numerous
damsels(162).Infine,
thetwomenarebothessentially
sociableurbanites,
so theykeeptheirwardsattheircountry
estateswhich,presumably,
are
soundenvironments
forgrowing
children:
and
Blyissaidtobe "healthy
secure"(154),andAdelelivesatThomfield,
whichRochester
declaresis
healthier
thanhisotherhome,FerndeanManor(chap.27).Finally,
both
men are positedas eligible:everyoneat Thomfield-evenRochester
himself-callshima bachelor(e.g.,chap. 14),eventhoughhe is very
muchmarriedto BerthaMasonRochester;
and theemployer
at Harley
Streetis repeatedly
referred
to as a bachelor(e.g.,153).Likewise,each
manis repeatedly
spokenofas "themaster."
Whatwe have,inessence,isthis:twobroadstory
linesanda series
of characters
whichareso similarthatitis doubtful
thattheycouldbe
attributed
to anything
otherthanconsciousartifice
on James's
part.But
whatofthespecific
line
of
the
the
and
immoral
story
governess
corrupting
love affairbetweenservants,
and whatof thegovernesses
themselves?
Variousscholarshave attempted
to pindowntheoriginsof theseelements:Jameshimself
hisstoryto an anecdotetoldtohimby
attributed
EdwardWhiteBenson,
ofCanterbury,
theArchbishop
Benson's
although
oftheaccount."RobertLee Wolff
sonsweredubiousoftheveracity
has
thatJamesmayhaveseenthepainting
"TheHauntedHouse,"
suggested
inthe1891Christmas
issueoftheLondonreviewBlack
byTomGriffiths,
and White.'2Oscar Cargillhas suggestedthatJamesmayhave been
drawinguponthecase studyof"MissLucyR." inFreud'sStudienuber
tobe considered
atsomelength
(a matter
Hysterie
below),andFrancisX.
severalothercasestudieswhichmayhaveinspired
Roellinger,
Jr.,offers
noonehasrecognized
another
James.13Buttothebestofmyknowledge,
lineof"TheTurnoftheScrew":the
possiblesourceforthespecificstory
accountgivenbyRochester's
ofthe
supposedfiancee,BlancheIngram,
loveaffairbetweenherbrother
Tedo's tutor(Mr.Vining)andherown
tenderglancesandsighs
governess
(MissWilson):"'we surprised
sundry
whichwe interpreted
as tokens
of"labellepassion"...DearMama,there,
as soonas shegotan inkling
ofthebusiness,
foundoutthatitwas ofan
immoral
AsBlanchepointsout,withsucha liaisonthereisthe
tendency."'
ofchildhood.'"
So muchismadeof
"'dangerofbad exampletoinnocence
thisextended
accountinJaneEyrethateventually
anunidentified
characterdeclares"'.. . no moreneedbe said:changethesubject"'(chap.17).
Granted,bothViningand Wilsonare verymuchalive,but the fact
remains
thattheyareteachers
whosequestionable
(indeed,a
relationship
whichmayhavebeen "immoral"
relationship
onlyin themindsof the
childrenand Mrs.Ingram)maybe corrupting
theinnocenceof their
students-andPeterQuint,as Mrs.Groseemphasizes,
behavedas ifhe
wereMiles'"'tutor-anda verygrandone"' (213).
Even if one caresnotto entertain
thepossibility
thatBlanche's
anecdotemighthaveinspired
orinteracting
with
James(either
byitself,
Benson's
Griffiths'
or
I
think
one
Archbishop
story,
painting, whatever),
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stillmust acknowledge that the similaritiesbetween his and Bronte's
and
governessare reallyquite remarkable:in background,personality,
alike-so much so that I believe James
behavior they are strikingly
expectedhisreadersto perceivehis governessas modelingherselfupon
Bronte'sheroine,and withlamentableconsequences.
Whatlittlebackgroundinformation
we have ofJames'sgoverness
squaresnicelywithwhatwe knowofJaneEyre.Janeis 18whensheleaves
Lowood School forThorfield (chap. 10), and James'sgovernessis 20
when she arrivesat Bly (152-53).The fatherof Bronte'sheroinewas "a
poor clergyman"(chap. 3), and James'sgovernessis the daughterof "a
shire" (chap. 10);
poor countryparson" (152). Jane Eyre is from"
James'sgovernessis fromHampshire(153). Finally,each woman comes
childhoodat Gatesfroman unhappyfamilysituation:Jane'sunfortunate
thefirsttenchaptersof
head withthe Reeds and at Lowood constitutes
Bronte'snovel,and althoughJamesrevealslittleof lifeat theHampshire
vicarage,he does notethatthegovernesshad been receiving"disturbing
lettersfromhome,wherethingswere notgoingwell" (183).
However muchone mightarguethatthesecommonbackground
elementsare rathersuperficialorinconclusive,one mustatleastacknowledge the possibilitythatJameswas drawingupon JaneEyre in writing
"The Turn of the Screw"-or, more to the point,thathe wishes us to
realizethathisgovernessperceivedhersituationas similarto thatofJane
Eyre,and began to ape her:even to thepointof locating-or creating-a
horriblemysteryat Bly withwhichshe could heroicallydeal.
That James'sgovernessperceivedherselfas a JaneEyre figureis
supportedby thebluntfact(mentionedabove) thatherimmediatereaction to Quint's appearance on the tower is to draw upon her reading
experience:"Was therea 'secret'at Bly-a mysteryof Udolpho or an
insane,an unmentionablerelativekept in unsuspectedconfinement?I
can'tsayhow longI turneditover..." (179). ThroughherreadingofAnne
Radcliffe and Charlotte Bronte,James's governess is familiarwith
and she (notJames)autoheroinescaughtin harrowingcircumstances,
own situationat Bly.In
to
her
vicarious
this
experience
maticallyapplies
effect,I believe James'sheroineis a flesh-and-blood
governessattemptingto act outthepartofa fictionalone,JaneEyre;and shesucceeds (up to
an optimalpoint)so well thatitis impossibleforthereaderto determine
how much of her character(includingher personalityand behavior) is
"real" and how much of it is simplyan uncannyimitationof Bronte's
governess.At some point,in otherwords,James'sgovernesscrossesthe
line between consciouslyemulatinga positiverole model whose backherin
resembleshers,and subconsciouslyimitating
groundsuperficially
circumstancesfarmoremundanethanthosefoundat Thorfield. Andat
the moment she crosses that line she becomes, as it were, mentally
unstable:she hallucinatesghosts.
Now, as notedabove, thereare simplefactsof backgroundwhich
and James's heroine have in common. But theirpersonal
Eyre
Jane
alike.Each womanisa voraciousreader.As a
charactersarealso strikingly
Bewick's
reads
Historyof BritishBirds,"some Arabian
child,JaneEyre
offacts,"
tales,"and Gulliver'sTravels,whichsheperceivesas "a narrative
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and in heradulthoodcontinuesto indulgeherpassion forliterature
with
Sir WalterScott'sMarmion (chaps. 1, 4, 3, 33). As I have pointed out
earlier,James'sgovernesshas read Radcliffeand Bronte,and what she
findsparticularly
attractiveabout Bly is theavailabilityof books: books
whichwere denied herin heryouth,and whichshe reads whenfatigued,
overwrought,and, presumably, particularlyreceptive to the ideas
encounteredin her reading.The followingpassage tellsof the circumstancesimmediatelyprecedingherthirdencounterwithPeterQuint,on
thestaircaseat Bly:
I hadnotgonetobed; I satreadingbya coupleofcandles.Therewas a
roomful
ofoldbooksatBly-last-century
fiction
someofit,which,tothe
ofa distinctly
extent
butnevertoso muchas thatofa
renown,
deprecated
hadreachedthesequestered
homeandappealedtothe
strayspecimen,
unavowedcuriosity
ofmyyouth.I remember
thatthebookI hadinmy
handwas Fielding's"Amelia";also thatI was whollyawake. I recall
botha generalconviction
further
thatitwashorribly
lateanda particular
objectionto lookingat mywatch.(221)
As Oscar Cargillhas pointedout,Fielding'snovel is especiallyappropriate forJames'stale inasmuchas it focusesupon a pursuedwoman who
caresfora littlegirland boy,14 butI would liketotakethisone stepfurther
and say thatbothgovernessestendto preferrathersensationalistic
reading matter.Indeed, JaneEyre'sinitialinterestin Johnson's"Rasselas" (a
title"thatstruckme as strange,and consequentlyattractive")is cooled
whenshe findsthatitcontains"nothingaboutfairies,nothing
significantly
about genii"(chap. 5). Whatthissuggestsis thatJane,as well as James's
governess,have an unusualinterestin thesupernatural,
parapsychology,
and thedead-an interestwhichowes muchto theirreadingand which
affectstheirway of perceivingand dealingwiththeworld.
significantly
and beliefinghosts.
Jane,forexample,has an apparentlygenuineinterest
Locked in the "red room" at Gateshead when a child,she fanciesshe is
visitedby thespiritofheruncleReed (chap. 2), and one ofthefirstthings
she asks of Mrs. Fairfaxis ifthereare any ghosts-or even "traditions,"
"legends or ... stories"of them-at Thornfield(chap. 11); her disappointmentthatthereare none is palpable. Indeed, Jane'spersonalityis
such thatRochesterconsistently
associatesherwiththenetherworld,
not
onlyof themoon (e.g., chap. 24), but of thedead:
[Jane:]"I have been withmyaunt,sir,who is dead."
[Rochester:]"A trueJanianreply!... She comes fromtheother
world-from theabode ofpeople who are dead; and tellsme so whenshe
meetsme alone hereinthegloaming!If I dared I'd touchyouto see ifyou
are substanceor shadow, you elf! .. ." (chap. 22)
Janehas, as it were, a preoccupationwithspirits-a striking
personality
traitwhichcould verywell have been absorbedby a young,15impressionisticgovernesswhose backgroundis similarto thatof Bronte'sheroine.
Partand parcelwithbothgovernesses'sensitivity
to other-worldly
phenomena is thatotherpeople tend to perceive these two women as
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unusual-evenabnormal.The servantBessieLee (one of Jane'sfew
friendsat Gateshead)regardsJaneas "queer,"and even her fiance
her"strange,"
Rochester
terms
"almostunearthly"
(chaps.4,23).Indeed,
in
characters
Bronte's
novel
many
perceiveJaneas evilor insane.The
thatonceJanespoketoher"'likesomething
mad,
dyingMrs.Reedasserts
or likea fiend"'(chap.21); Rochester
termshera "witch,"
"sorceress"
to fathomherrelationship
withthe
(chap. 15); and Jane,attempting
masterof Thomfield,notesthat". .. theevil-if evil existentor prospectivetherewas-seemed to lie withme only;. . ." (chap. 23). That those
aroundherperceiveJaneas queer,demonic,or mentally
unstabledoes
notseemtobotherher;indeed,sheseemsonlymildlyannoyedthather
confidante
Mrs.Fairfax,
whowasso "glad"toseeherarriveatThornfield
avoids
her:"Theanswerwasevasive...;butMrs.
(chap.11),occasionally
Fairfax
information"
either
couldnot,orwouldnot,givememoreexplicit
aboutRochester's
"trials"
similar-albeit
(chap.13).A strikingly
horribly
"TheTurnoftheScrew,"
existsatBly.Throughout
magnified-situation
ofthegoverness's
bothbyhertherearevariousquestionings
normalcy,
selfandothers.
Sheinstinctively
infers
thatMrs.Grose(whoalso,signifiwas "glad"tosee herarriveat Bly[160])perceivesheras "mad"
cantly,
newsto be sent[to theHarleyStreet
and remarks"'That'scharming
andwhoseprimeundertakhisconfidence
bya personenjoying
bachelor]
Bronte's
technique
ingwastogivehimnoworry'"(239);and,intensifying
intheeyesofthosearoundher,Jamesshowsnot
ofreflecting
herheroine
tothegoverness
reactions
("'I think
you'recruel.I don't
onlythechildren's
likeyou!'... oh takeme awayfromher!"'[281]),butalso thoseofthe
anonymousservants:"... I could see in theaspect of othersa confused
causedthemall to
ofthecrisis.Whathad happenednaturally
reflexion
between
distinction
is
an
there
But
JaneEyre's
important
stare;..."(293).
Whereasin JaneEyrethe
and thatof James'sgoverness.
personality
Reed
thatJaneis evilorinsanecomesfromtheantagonistic
implication
affection
and
and thatsheis a "witch"stemsfromRochester's
family,
reactions
of
forher,in"TheTurnoftheScrew"thenegative
admiration
othersseemgroundedina genuinebeliefon thepartofnon-prejudiced
is unstable.SinceJaneperceivesherrelathatthegoverness
individuals
in
andequal,sheisbeingrhetorical
withRochester
as wholesome
tionship
it
"seemed
thatiftherewereany"evil"intheir
herassertion
relationship,
shedoesnotreallydoubthersanity
toliewithmeonly."Similarly,
when,
shedeclaresthatsheis "'insane-quite
"lawsandprinciples,"
upholding
insane"'if she doubtstheirworth(chap. 27). But James'sgoverness
what
forevil ("ifhe wereinnocent
genuinely
questionsherpropensity
thenon earthwas I?" [307])anddoeshaverealdoubtsabouthersanity:
so I was neither
shewas there,
MissJessel"wasthere,so I was justified;
cruelnormad"(278).AndMrs.Grose'savoidanceofher,established
early
ratherthanan isolatedincident
in thetale (168),is a recurrent
pattern
about
torevealinformation
disinclination
inthehousekeeper's
grounded
ofher
In fine,Jane'sandothers'
themastertoa newservant.
perceptions
butJaneis adequately
in James'sgoverness;
do seem to be reflected
toknowwhensheisnot
accurateself-image,
stable,andhasa sufficiently
As a
ofhersanityand her"evilness."
thequestionings
to takeseriously
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sheisabletomaintain
heremotional
healthanddealwiththeworld
result,
ina constructive
her
In contrast,
notwithstanding.
way, superaturalism
seems
to
in
the
most
extreme
negative
embody reality
James'sgoverness
she sometimesgivesthatshe is
aspectsof Jane(viz, the impression
and accurateself-image.
In other
abnormal)withoutJane'sstability
be evil,insane,orstrange
seems
words,thatJames's
governess
might
truly
infact,rather
thaninprejudiceorrhetoric.
If"TheTurnofthe
grounded
Screw"isindeeda parodyofJaneEyre-if,infact,James's
is
governess
heroine-then
herfailure
toreactnormally
to
actingthepartofBronte's
thedecidedlynegative
feedbackwhichshereceivesfromMrs.Grose,the
and theservants,
beliefthat,like
children,
maybe due tohererroneous
is
she
to
her
as
odd:
infact,the
have
JaneEyre,
supposed
peopleperceive
odder(read"themoreJanian")
thebetter.
isthatJames's
isa quitepale
WhatI amtrying
tosuggest
governess
nota reflection
of
copy of JaneEyre.The palenessis mostassuredly
but ratherhis deliberateattemptto
James'sinadequacyas a writer,
horrible
mistakein emulating
Bronte'sfictional
conveyhisgoverness's
heroine.
Itisimpossible
toactas a fictional
intherealworld;but
character
James'sgoverness-whoseonlyexperienceof theworldhas been the
vicariousexperience
of reading-failsto realizethisuntil,I wouldsurmise,manyyearsaftertheeventsat Bly,whenshewritesherstoryfor
of Bronte's
heroineis seenin
Douglas.Be thisas it may,heremulation
morethanjustsuchelements
as their
loveofreading,
background,
preocwiththesupernatural,
andthewaysinwhichtheyareperceived.
cupation
I believethatJames's
andmotivations
also
behavior,
governess's
attitude,
arestrikingly
similar
tothoseofBronte's
heroine-somuchsothatattimes
itis impossible
notto believethatsheis actingthepartof "JaneEyre,
governess."
Themostnoticeable
inthetwowomen'sbehavior
isthat
similarity
onadversity.
Bothwomen,although
moreorlessbeset
theythrive
initially
as governesses
inremote
bydoubts,takeup challenging
responsibilities
romantic
inclinations
towardsemployers
locales;arefacedwithfeeling
whoaresubstantially
theirsuperiors;
and findthemselves,
unsupported
by familyor friends,dealingwithratherknottyproblems,real or
imagined-aninsanewomanin theattic,and two evil ghosts.Lesser
womenwould crumbleunderthe stressof even a fraction
of these
butJaneis-and, I wouldargue,James'sgoverness
fancies
challenges,
herself
tobe-made ofthesortofstuff
whichallowssomepeopletomeet
suchadversity
andemergeshining.
AsRochester
pointsouttoJane,"'not
threein threethousand"'governesses
coulddeal withhimas she does
whosetoneof self-congratulation
(chap. 14), and James'sgoverness,
(whichI feelreflects
retrospective
irony)permeates"The Turnof the
Screw,"notesthat"... I couldsucceedwheremanyanothergirlmight
havefailed....I confess
I rather
as I lookback!..." (199).
applaudmyself
welcomechallenges,
notonlyas an
Indeed,bothgovernesses
positively
to showtheirstrength
of character,
butalso becausethey
opportunity
derivea sortof excitement
frompotentialdanger.WhenRochester
threatens
she
Janewith"violence"ifshedoes notbecomehismistress,
notes:
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... I was notafraid:notintheleast.I feltan inwardpower;a senseof
whichsupported
me.The crisiswas perilous;butnotwithout
influence,
itscharm:suchas theIndian,perhaps,feelswhenhe slipsovertherapid
inhiscanoe.(chap.27)
Compare theinitialreactionofJames'sgovernessto theevilghosts:"... I
was in thesedays literallyable to finda joy in theextraordinary
flightof
heroismtheoccasiondemanded of me" (198-99).These two passagesare
so similarin content,tone,and stylethat,were theytakenoutof context,
one could not readilydeterminewhich passage was writtenby which
of JaneEyre and "The Turn
governess;indeed,thetechnicalsimilarities
of the Screw" are so pronouncedthatI will deal with themat length
somewhatlater.For now, let enoughbe said thatthe two women welcome adversityand, to an extent,thriveon it.
I say "to an extent"because the two governessesalso share a
distinctivehabit:when a givensituationbecomes too intense,theyhave
what are charitablyreferredto as "fits."As was indicatedabove, one of
theearliesttraumasofJaneEyre'slifewas beinglocked inthe"redroom"
ofGatesheadwhereshewas (apparently)visitedbytheghostofheruncle
Reed, who had died there.Having screamed forhelp, she is rescued
(temporarily)by servants,but her aunt "abruptlythrustme back and
locked me in ... soon aftershe was gone,I suppose I had a species of fit:
thereafclosed thescene."Chapter3 beginsimmediately
unconsciousness
ter:"The nextthingI rememberis,wakingup witha feelingas ifI had had
a frightful
nightmare"(chaps. 2, 3). A very similarfitoccurs in the
fromchapters26 to 27, whereinthetroubledJaneresolvesto
transition
leave Thorfield. Now, James'sgovernessreactsin thesame way to the
traumaof Flora's demand thatMrs.Grosetake heraway:
Ofwhatfirst
happenedwhenI wasleftaloneI hadnosubsequent
thatat theendof,I suppose,a quarterofanhour,
I
knew
memory.only
and piercingmytrouble,
an odorousdampnessand roughness,
chilling
onmyface,to
thatI musthavethrown
hadmademeunderstand
myself,
thegroundand givenwayto a wildnessofgrief.I musthavelainthere
longandcriedandwailed,forwhenI raisedmyheadthedaywasalmost
gone.(282)
The similaritiesbetween the quoted passages-similaritiesnot only in
content,but also in phraseology-are simplytoo pronouncedto have
been fortuitous.
Likewise,thetwo governesses,when"fits"are notfeasito
run
decide
ble,
away. Jane,havingforgivenRochesterforattempting
to enterintoa bigamousmarriagewithher,butnewlydistressedoverhis
fleesThomfieldat theinsistenceofa light
to makeherhismistress,
efforts
which proves to be "not a moon,but a whitehumanform"(chap. 27),
withSt. John
travelsto Whitcross,and entersintoa tenuousrelationship
for
love
Rochester.
her
to
confirm
which
serves
a
Rivers, relationship
only
runaway
to
decides
in
moment
an
too,
governess,
opportune
James's
betweenherescape and Jane's:
fromBly,butthereare certaindistinctions
Janeleaves at thesuggestionof a spirit,whereasJames'sgovernesswants
senseofhelplessness;Jane'scompulsionto
to fleeoutofa self-originating
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leave is so powerful that she escapes at night,givingno thoughtto
practicalmatters,whereasJames'sgovernessis overwhelmedrathereasily: ". . . the question of a conveyance was the great one to settle.
and obstacles,I remembersinking
Tormented,inthehall,withdifficulties
down at the footof the staircase.. ." (256). Finally,James'sgoverness
MissJesselintheschoolroomcauses
neverdoes escape Bly:encountering
an abruptchange of plans. One mightquestionwhetherthegoverness's
once again,of thethrill
decisionto stayat Blyis theresultof thetriumph,
of adversity,or simplya paradoxicalexpressionof weakness:a matterof
immatureinertiaratherthanmaturedetermination.
in this
Whateverthe case may be, what is especiallynoteworthy
regardis notthatbothJaneEyreand James'sgovernessoccasionallyhave
fitsor feelthedesireto runaway, but thatthesehighlydramaticways of
reactingto stressare so atypicalof bothwomen. The factis thatthetwo
governessesare positedas beingrationaland remarkablyself-analytical:
each tendsto probe and to testherselfand othersto a significant
degree,
and each recognizesfromthe outsetthatthe immediatesource of her
motivationis herbachelor/employer.
as she ponders
Jane,for example, is particularlyself-analytical
whetherto stay at Thornfieldafterlearningof Rochester'swife. She
decides she cannotleave, "But,then,a voice withinme averredthatI
could do it; and foretoldthatI should do it. I wrestledwith my own
resolution:I wanted to be weak thatI mightavoid theawfulpassage of
I saw laid outforme; and conscience,turnedtyrant,
further
held
suffering
passionby thethroat.. ." (chap. 27). However one choosesto reactto the
battlebetween the personifiedaspects of Jane'smind,the factremains
thatJaneanalyzesherselfto a striking
degree:indeed,almostas muchas
James'sgovernessdoes:
[TheHarleyStreetbachelor]neverwrotetothem-thatmayhavebeen
butitwas a partoftheflattery
ofhistrust
ofmyself;...So I held
selfish,
thatI carriedoutthespirit
ofthepledgegivennottoappealtohimwhenI
letouryoungfriends
thattheir
ownletters
understand
werebutcharming
exercises.... Thereappearsto me moreover
as I lookbackno
literary
noteinall thismoreextraordinary
thanthemerefactthat,inspiteofmy
tension
andtheirtriumph,
I neverlostpatiencewiththem.Adorablethey
mustintruth
havebeen,I nowfeel,sinceI didn'tinthesedayshatethem!
Would exasperation,
however,if reliefhad longerbeen postponed,
havebetrayedme? (247)
finally
In addition to theirtendencyto be highlyself-analytical,
both
women are inclinedto probe and test.Janespends an inordinateamount
of timeinlane Eyre observing,cross-examining,
and askingothersabout
Grace Poole, the village woman hired to guard the insane Bertha,and
whomJane(inherignorance)believesto be responsibleforsettingfireto
Rochester'sbed. Janestatesexplicitlythatshe will "put [Grace] to some
test,"and she marvelsat Poole's abilitynot only to field her probing
questions,but also-as Janeincorrectly
perceivesmatters-to ascertain
herlifestyle
inorderto attackthegovernessat night:"'Fiend! shewantsto
know my habits,thatshe may lay her plans accordingly!"'(chap. 16).
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AlthoughJane'sappraisalofthebehaviorofGrace Poole is (significantly)
isaccurateinrecognizingthatthereis indeed"a
shenevertheless
incorrect,
in thatmystery,
I was
at Thornfield;and thatfromparticipation
mystery
from
It
is
but
a
short
excluded"
step
Jane'srecogni(chap. 17).
purposely
at Thornfieldand hermisguidedattemptto
tionof a horrible"mystery"
fathomit,to James'sgoverness'sautomatic,immediateassumptionthat
at Bly-goings-onwhichshe
theman on thetoweris partof a "mystery"
and observingthechildrenand
attemptsto unravelby cross-examining
Mrs.Grose considerablymorevehementlythanJanequestionedGrace
Poole or Mrs.Fairfax:
Lord,howI pressedhernow!"So thatyoucouldseeheknewwhat
was betweenthetwowretches?"
"I don'tknow-I don'tknow!"thepoorwomanwailed.
I replied;... "ButI shallgetitout
"Youdo know,youdearthing,"
ofyouyet!.. ." (214)
Once again,James'sgovernessemergesas a pale copy of JaneEyre;but
herpaleness,paradoxically,seemsto be thedirectresultofherexaggerating certainsalientfeaturesof Jane: and exaggerationis a hallmarkof
parody. Perhapsthe mostnotable instanceof thisis seen in the governesses' relationshipswiththeirrespectivewards. Jane'srelationshipwith
AdbleVarensis notgreatlydeveloped inBronte'sstory:thegovernessis a
bit criticalof Adele's materialismand her precocious concernforher
"toilette"("therewas somethingludicrousas well as painfulin thelittle
Parisienne'searnestand innatedevotionto mattersof dress"[chap. 17]),
but generallyspeakingthe two seem to get along well: Jane is neither
The onlytimeJanedoes reveal more
overly-laxnor overly-protective.
maternalimpulsesis in herdreamsjustpriorto theabortedwedding.In
thefirstdream,she is "burdenedwiththechargeof a littlechild:a very
smallcreature,too youngand feebleto walk,and whichshiveredin my
cold arms,and wailed piteouslyinmyear."In thesubsequentdream,"the
childrolledfrommyknee,I lostmybalance,fell,and woke" (chap. 25). It
is in herdreams,then,thatJaneemergesas a heroine,protectinga child
in theprocess.James'sgovernessalso is heroicin regardto
and suffering
but
her
inclinationtowardsheroismis quite self-conscious:"I
children,
thatI shouldsee again whatI had alreadyseen
had an absolutecertainty
[i.e., ghosts],but somethingwithinme said that by offeringmyself
bravelyas thesole subjectof suchexperience,by accepting,by inviting,
itall,I shouldserveas an expiatoryvictimand guardthe
by surmounting
restof thehousehold.The childrenin especial I should
of
the
tranquillity
thusfenceabout and absolutelysave" (195). Thissenseofa compulsionto
tosave themfrom-is
save thechildren-whetherornotthereis anything
it
one mayattribute
and
the
of
"The
Turn
in
note
thepredominant
Screw,"
to James'sgoverness'sattitudetowardsthe children'suncle. From the
beginningof thestory,itis evidentthatshe is in love withheremployer,
even though,as Douglas pointsout,she had seen him"onlytwice" (150,
156); and it is evident throughoutthe tale that her relationshipwith
him-asexual and unrequitedas itis-is herprimarysourceofmotivation.
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tothegoverness,
Mrs.Grosecouldnotappreciate
herrefusal
to
According
enlisttheuncle'said because"She did n'tknow-no one knew-how
proudI had beento servehimand to stickto ourterms"(240);buther
determination
todealwiththeghostsherself
wasnotsimplya matter
of
"his
for
she
his
his
derision,
amusement,
principle,
vividlyimagined
ofmyresignation
atbeingleftaloneandfor
forthebreakdown
contempt
I had set in motionto attracthis attention
thefinemachinery
to my
is notable,forJaneEyre
charms"(239-40).The word"charms"
slighted
feelssecureinherrelationship
withRochester
becauseBlancheIngram
"couldnotcharmhim"(chap.18,Bronte's
andeachgoverness
emphasis),
feelsa specialcloseness
andobligation
toherbachelor/employer
because
ofhiswarmly
inthecaseofJaneEyre,for
holdingherhandingratitude:
hersavingRochester
from
hisburning
bed (chap.15),andin"TheTurnof
theScrew,"forheragreeing
to careforFloraand Miles(156).
Each governess
with
has,as itwere,a quasi-romantic
relationship
herbachelor/employer,
butinthecase of"TheTurnoftheScrew,"the
doesnotseemtobe rootedinreality;
infact,I wouldargue
relationship
thatitisgrounded
inthereadingexperience
ofJames's
andin
governess,
in herreadingof JaneEyre. Note,forexample,how our
particular
ofhimis filtered
thegoverness's
consciousness:
"He
knowledge
through
struckher,inevitably,
as gallantand splendid.. ."-whetheror nothe
"Shefigured
himas rich,butas
reallywas gallantandsplendid;similarly,
him
all
in
a
of
of good
fearfully
extravagant-saw
glow highfashion,
ofcharming
looks,ofexpensive
habits,
wayswithwomen"(153,emphasis
as had
mine).In fact,hewas"a bachelorintheprimeoflife,sucha figure
neverrisen,
saveina dreamoranoldnovel,beforea fluttered
anxiousgirl
outofa Hampshire
vicarage.One couldeasilyfixhistype.. ." (153).In
issomething
outoffiction-out
oflane
fine,thebacheloratHarleyStreet
Eyre,perhaps,forhe soundsmorethana littlelikeEdwardFairfaxde
Rochester
ofcourse,thegruff
OrsonWellesexterior).
Itisnotable
(minus,
in thisregardthatJames'sgoverness
seemsalmostdisappointed
at the
of
"I
I
had
or
had
somecheeryaspect Bly: suppose
dreaded,
expected,
thingso drearythatwhat greetedme was a good surprise"(158).
in
"Expected"?"Dreaded"?"Dreary"?Sincethereis absolutely
nothing
toindicate
frame
thattheHarleyStreet
bacheJames's
all-important
story
lorgaveheranyconcrete
indication
ofwhattoexpectBlytobe like("his
in
home,an old family
country
place Essex"[153]),thenherdistinctive
reaction
thatherpreconceived
notions
ofBlymaypossibly
have
suggests
comefromherreadingofJaneEyre.Theonlything
thatBlyandThornfieldhaveincommon(asidefrombeinglargeand old) is theflocksof
cawingrooks(JE,chap.11;TS, 158);buttoa womanwhosebackground
isakintothatofJaneEyre,andwhosesubjective
superficially
impressions
ofherbachelor/employer
arenotably
likesomething
outofa novel,then
theBly/Thornfield
connection
isvirtually
cemented
minor
bytherather
sharedelementof cawingcrows.Underthecircumstances,
it should
comeas no surprise
to findJames'sgoverness
to
apparently
expecting
hearodd soundsinthehouse:shelistened"whileinthefadingduskthe
first
birdsbegantotwitter,
forthepossiblerecurrence
ofa soundortwo,
lessnatural
andnotwithout
butwithin,
thatI had fanciedI heard.There
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had been a momentwhenI believedI recognised,faintand far,thecryof
a child; therehad been anotherwhen I foundmyselfjust consciously
as at thepassage,beforemydoor,ofa lightfootstep"(160). Since
starting
thesesoundsneverrecurand are neverexplained,one may surmisethat
and deal
theyreflectthegoverness'sexpectationthatshe would confront
witha BerthaMason-likemystery
at Bly;indeed,itis a significant
partof
thisself-fulfilling
prophecythatforeleven nights("theywere all numbered now" [227]), she "sat up tillI did n'tknow when ... stealingout"
whenFlora slept;"I even pushedas faras to whereI had lastmetQuint,"
and met Miss Jesselsittingon the stairs(226-27).In effect,she seems so
determinedto locate a mysteryat Bly comparable to the mysteryof
BerthaMason at Thornfieldthatitis entirely
possiblethatshe did indeed
imaginethe ghosts:a viable approach to thestorywhichsuch criticsas
and whichJaneEyre
Edna Kentonand Edmund Wilsonhave offered,16
"It
is
in
vain
to
herselfwould certainly
sayhumanbeingsought
appreciate:
to be satisfiedwithtranquillity:
theymusthave action;and theywillmake
it iftheycannotfindit" (chap. 12).
That James'sgovernessperceivesheremployeras Rochester,Bly
as Thornfield,and herselfas Jane Eyre is furthersupportedby other
notableparallelsbetweenthetwo stories.As RobertHeilmanhas argued
convincinglyin his classic essay "'The Turn of the Screw' as Poem,"17
James'sstoryis laced withimageryof pre-and post-lapsarianEden; and
CharlotteBrontealso presentsthegardenat Thornfieldas Edenic:
moresheltered
... I wentapartintotheorchard.No nookinthegrounds
a very
andmoreEden-like;itwas fulloftrees,itbloomedwithflowers:
highwall shutitoutfromthecourt,on one side;on theother,a beech
avenuescreeneditfromthelawn.... Hereone couldwanderunseen.
XWhile
such honey-dewfell, such silence reigned,such gloaming
I feltas ifI coulldhauntsuchshadeforever:... (chap.23)
gathered,
Whatis especiallynotable in thisregardis thatboth governessestake a
special pleasure in walking in the Edenic gardens of theirrespective
estates.Butitis quite clear thatJames'sgovernesswalksin thegardenof
Bly musingon the possibilityof encounteringher bachelor/employer
there:
nowfromnoting,
One of thethoughts
that,as I don'tintheleastshrink
wasthatitwouldbe as charming
usedtobe withmeinthesewanderings
tomeetsomeone.Someonewouldappear
as a charming
storysuddenly
thereat theturnof a pathand wouldstandbeforeme and smileand
approve.I didn'taskmorethanthat-I onlyaskedthatheshouldknow;
andtheonlywaytobe sureheknewwouldbe toseeit,andthekindlight
ofit,inhishandsomeface.(175,first
emphasismine)
Since thereis nothingin the importantframestoryto indicatethatthe
HarleyStreetbachelorcould reasonablybe expectedtovisitBly,letalone
seek out the governessin the garden,thenthe governess'shope thathe
mightbe thereis obviouslyfoundedupon somethingelse-in fact,perbehaviorwhichshe
haps upon theknowledgeof a bachelor/employer's
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acquired fromreadinglane Eyre.Afterall,RochesterproposestoJanein
an unforgettablescene in the garden at Thorfield; indeed, perhaps
sensingthe proposal coming,Janeattemptedto leave the gardenwhen
she realized thatRochesterwas nearby.To continuethe passage cited
above:
... I feltas ifI couldhauntsuchshadeforever:butinthreading
theflower
... mystepis stayed-notby sound,notby sight,
and fruit-parterres
but... by a warningfragrance.
Sweetbriarandsouthernwood,
jasmine,
pink,androse,havelong
beenyielding
theireveningsacrifice
ofincense:thisnewscentis neither
of shrubnorflower;it is-I knowit well-it is Mr. Rochester's
cigar.
(chap.23)
Two elementsoftremendousimportancemustbe discussedat this
juncture.First,Rochesteris associated with a cigar. I do not care to
belabor thepointthata cigaris one of themostblatantsymbolsof male
sexualityever noted by clinicalpsychology;however,I do wish to note
Oscar Cargill'ssuggestionthatJamesmay have based "The Turnof the
Screw" on the case of thegoverness"Miss Lucy R.," one of thepatients
discussed in Freud's classic Studienuber Hysterie.As Cargill explains,
MissLucy R. sufferedfromchronicpurulentrhinitis;
inparticular,
shewas
obsessedwiththeidea thatshesmelledburnedpastry.Aftersheconfessed
thatshehad falleninlove withheremployeraftera singleinterview,
there
came about "a strangesymbolicsubstitution
in her subjectivesense of
smell-that ofthearoma of a cigar;.. ."18WhatCargillfailsto noteis that
both James'sand Bronte'sgovernesseshave unusuallyacute senses of
smell:James'sgoverness,forexample,speaks of the"fragrant
faces"of
Flora and Miles (210). More to the point,one of Jane Eyre's earliest
impressionsof Lowood School is thesmellofburnedporridge,"an odour
farfrominviting"(chap. 5). WhatI would suggestis thatifindeedJames
were inspiredby thestoryof MissLucy R., thentheinspiration
mayhave
gone deeper thanhas previouslybeen recognized-that,infact,itwentto
his recollectionsof theburnedporridgeand cigarin JaneEyre.
A second point.My previousremarkshave indicatedthatI believe
Jame'sgovernesswas blurringthe identitiesof her bachelor/employer
and ofBronte'sRochester.Now, severalcriticshave surmisedthatshewas
blurringthe identitiesof Peter Quint and the Harley Streetbachelor;19
afterall, Quintwas hisvalet and wore hisclothes,and mostimportantly,
the governesssaw Quint on the tower at the very momentshe was
broodingabout meetingher employerin the garden-indeed, she mistook Quint forhim (175). I would like to suggestthatJames'sgoverness
was confusingQuintnotonlywithheremployer,butalso withRochester.
It is noteworthy,
forexample,thatboth men are seriouslyinjuredwhile
slippingon ice. JanemeetsRochesterin a memorablescene whereinhis
horseMesrourhas lostitsfootingon icyHay Lane (chap. 12); PeterQuint
ostensiblydies afterfallingon a "steepishicy slope" (198). If indeed
James'sgovernessis sensitiveto similaritiesbetween herselfand Jane
Eyre,thenthe associationof "ice" with"lover"would be instantaneous,
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even if subconscious.
association
would
Indeed,thisQuint/Rochester
remarks
to Mrs.Grose
rather
explainwhyJames'sgoverness
illogically
thatQuintlookslikean "actor"-"'I'veneverseenone,butso I suppose
them"'(191).After
as anactor
talent
all,throughout
JaneEyreRochester's
isreiterated:
heisthestarofthecharadesathishouseparty,
andfoolseven
ofan old gypsywoman(chaps.18,19).20
Janeinhisportrayal
the identities
of her
If indeed James'sgovernessis blurring
if
if
Thornand
she
reacts
as
it
were
to
employer,
Bly
Quint, Rochester;
fieldand createsa "mystery"
to completethepicture;if,in fine,she
as a JaneEyrefigure
and actsaccordingly,
thenonecan
regardsherself
thesimilarities
inthetwotales'narrative
bettercomprehend
techniques.
isidentical:
eachstory
ispositedas a first-person
Theunderlying
premise
written
andrecordedseveralyears
narration,
involved,
bythegoverness
ornotsheis
whether
aftertheeventsdepicted.Each governess/author,
even chatty:forexample,JaneEyre
reliable,tendsto be intrusive,
him"(chap.38),andJames's
heroine
declareshappily,
"Reader,I married
towitness"
howunusualitistomake
calls"thesisterhood
[ofgovernesses]
fresh
"constant
discoveries"
aboutone'spupils(181).Andeachgoverness/
becausesheis writing
author,
perceivesher
retrospectively,
apparently
tomaturity.
IfshesawBlytoday,James's
oldselfwiththeclarity
granted
heroine's
"olderand moreinformed
eyes"wouldmakeitseemof"very
a
reducedimportance"
(163), phenomenon
JaneEyrewouldappreciate:
". . . what is so headstrongas youth?What so blind as inexperience?"
becauseofhermaturity,
that,
James's
(chap.22).Indeed,I wouldsurmise
shewas
is retrospectively
able to perceivehow pathetically
governess
whichwould
hersojournatBly-a situation
emulating
JaneEyreduring
the
events
at
after
met
her
Bly)sawher
years
explainwhyDouglas(who
sheconveys
whereas
the
and"agreeable"
as "charming"
(149),
impression
insane.
inthestoryproperis thatsheis strange-perhaps
and Jane
As notedearlierin thispaper,bothJames'sgoverness
and
self-conscious,
e.g.,theyareself-analytical
Eyreseemextraordinarily
attainsa
tendto questionand testothers.But thisself-consciousness
is
in"TheTurnoftheScrew."Indeed,James's
governess
specialintensity
that
andthoughts
aboutherpersonality,
so oddlyself-conscious
behavior,
sheseemsto be actinga part.She imaginesthatheractions"musthave
had therebeenanyoneto admire"them(221),and
seemedmagnificent
theeventual
torehearse"
sheevengoesso faras toshutherself
up "audibly
withFloraand Miles(245).Whatthistheatricality
show-down
suggests
ofJaneEyreis
imitation
dramatic
tomeisthatJames's
highly
governess's
oftherebeingmanypassagesin
so completethatitisnotsimplya matter
bothstorieswhichare so similarin content,
style,diction,and even
to
itwouldbe impossible
cadencethat,iftheywerepulledoutofcontext,
ofJames's
itisa matter
from
whichtaletheyweredrawn;rather,
ascertain
of the plucky
tradition
governessbeingso imbuedwiththeliterary
evento
that
it
extends
work
Bronte's
popularizedby
Englishgoverness
is
not
herstory.
theactofwriting
drawing
upon
simply
governess
James's
thatbothsheand
sheislivingit,andso completely
convention:
a fictional
names:"thegoverthanChristian
aregivengenericrather
heremployer
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ness"and "themaster"or "thebachelor."She is,infine,a flesh-and-blood
parodyof JaneEyre.
Atthispoint,itwould seem thatnarya stonehas been leftunturned
in thisattemptto enumeratetherelationships
whichexistbetweenJane
evidence
Eyreand "TheTurnoftheScrew."On thebasisofthetextual
alone,it seems clear thatJameswas consciouslyutilizingand parodying
theliterary
conventionof theEnglishgoverness,and morepreciselyJane
Eyre.ButI do wishtomaketwomorepointsinsupportofmythesis.First,
itis entirelypossible that,as Cargillsuggests,Jamesmayhave reviewed
theworkof theBrontesat approximatelythetimehe began to formulate
"The Turnof theScrew,"simplybecause ClementShorter,editorof the
LondonNews(forwhichJameswroteTheOtherHouse)had
Illustrated
justpublishedCharlotteBronteand Her Circle (1896).21Mysecond point
is closelyalignedwiththis.In an entryinhisNotebooks,comingbetween
18November1894and 12January1895,Jamesapparentlycastaboutfora
surnameforthecharacterwho came to be knownas Mrs.Grose.22In the
processof doodling,he wroteseveralnameswhichare of special significance: "Blanchett"may verywell have originatedin thename "Blanche
Ingram";"Shirley"is the titleof CharlotteBronte's1849 novel; "Nettlefield" and "Nettlefold"are remarkablysimilarto "Thorfield"; and
echoes "Grace Poole." If one may attributeany"Glasspoole" strikingly
at theveryleastitmaybe statedthatJameshad Jane
thingtosuchjottings,
Eyre on his mind-subconsciously or otherwise-as he began to write
"The Turnof theScrew."
If "The TurnoftheScrew"is indeed"a piece ofingenuity
pureand
simple,of cold artisticcalculation,an amusetteto catch thosenot easily
not to theghosts
caught"(preface,xviii),thenmightJamesbe referring
(realorimagined),and notto thementalstateofthegoverness,butrather
to thesimplefactthathe iswritinga remarkablycleverparody?Certainly
parody-and the idea thata real person mightbehave as if he were a
fictionalcharacter-was somethingin whichJamesindulged.Consider,
forexample,the case of Mrs. Lavinia Sloper Pennimanof Washington
to uniteherniece withMorrisTownsendarehighly
Square,whose efforts
melodramatic:
Mrs.Penniman
started
forchurch;butbeforeshehadarrived,
she
minutes
had elapsedshe
stoppedand turnedback,and beforetwenty
re-entered
thehouse, ... and knockedat Catherine's
door.She gotno
ascertained
thatshewasnotin
answer;... and Mrs.Penniman
presently
thehouse."Shehasgonetohim,shehadfled!"Laviniacried,claspingher
hands... ButshesoonperceivedthatCatherine
hadtakennothing
with
her... andthenshejumpedatthehypothesis
thatthegirlhadgoneforth,
notintenderness,
butinresentment.
"Shehas followedhimto hisown
door-she has burstuponhimin hisown apartment!"
It was in these
termsthatMrs.Penniman
herniece'serrand,
depictedtoherself
which,
viewedinthislight,gratified
hersenseofthepicturesque
onlya shade
lessstrongly
thantheidea ofa clandestine
To visitone'slover,
marriage.
75
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athisownresidence,
withtearsandreproaches,
wasanimageso agreeable to Mrs.Penniman's
mindthatshefelta sortofaesthetic
disappointof
mentat its lacking,in thiscase, theharmonious
accompaniments
darknessandstorm.A quietSundayafternoon
appearedan inadequate
settingforit; . ..23
That Mrs.Pennimanacts,feels,indeed thinksas ifshewerea characterin
a melodrama is, to my mind, the same as James'sgovernessacting,
is thatMrs.
as ifshewereJaneEyre.The difference
feeling,even thinking
Penniman'sconfusionof her realityand her readingis amusing(albeit
occasionallyannoying),and she apparentlylacks theintelligenceand the
retrospectiveacuityto ever realize thatshe was a livingparody of the
duenna of melodrama. In the case of "The Turn of the Screw," the
governess'sconfusionof herrealityand theJaneEyre model is ghastlyto
and itis all themoreghastlyinthatshe comes to realize (and ultimately
writedown) exactlywhatwas happeningto her at Bly.
If indeed "The Turnof theScrew" is a parodyof JaneEyre-and
thereseemslittledoubtthatthisis thecase-then itis a remarkablyclever
one. Indeed, perhapsitis too clever,ifithas notbeen noticedfornearly
ninetyyears.
Rhode Island School of Design
NOTES
"TheTurnofthe
1. Fora goodbriefoverviewofthecontroversy
surrounding
Screw,"see ThomasMabryCranfilland RobertLanierClark,Jr.,"Introof
duction,"An Anatomyof The Turnof theScrew(Austin:University
Texas Press,1965),pp. 3-15.Severalof themostnotedarticlesregarding
ed.
intwocollections:
RobertKimbrough,
James'stalehavebeenreprinted
Norton
TheTurnoftheScrew,NortonCriticalEditions(NewYork:W.NW.
& Company,Inc., 1966)and GeraldWillen,ed. A Casebookon Henry
James'sThe TurnoftheScrew(New York:ThomasY. CrowellCompany,
1960).
Notesofa Sonand
A SmallBoyandOthers,
2. HenryJames,Autobiography:
W. Dupee (New York:Criterion
TheMiddleYears,ed. Frederick
Brother,
Books,1956),p. 222.
18(October,
3. HenryJames,"TheNovelsofGeorgeEliot,"Atlantic
Monthly,
5
for
the
21,
1867),410.
Nation,
Verdict,"
(November
491;
"Waiting
1866),
96 (August,
1905),
4. HenryJames,"TheLessonofBalzac,"Atlantic
Monthly,
168.
5. I followtherevisedversionof"TheTurnoftheScrew"publishedin The
AspernPapers/TheTurnof theScrew/TheLiar/TheTwo Faces (New
tothistext,
Allreferences
York:CharlesScribner's
sons,1908),pp. 145-309.
inthe
willbe indicated
volume12ofTheNewYorkEdition,
parenthetically
bodyofthepaper.
See OscarCargill,"TheTurnoftheScrewandAliceJames,"
PMLA,
78 (June,1963),238-49;and Kimbrough
(above,note1), p. 17,note1.
inthe
6. Walterde la Mare,"TheLessonoftheMasters,"
originally
published
TimesLiterary
(above,note
May13,1915;citedinKimbrough
Supplement,
1), p. 177.
Harvard
7. VaidKrishna,
TechniqueintheTalesofHenryJames(Cambridge:
76
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UniversityPress,1964), p. 272, note 18; HenryJames:Storiesof theSupernatural,ed. Leon Edel (New York:TaplingerPublishingCompany, 1970),
p. 433.
8. Edna Kenton, "Henry James to the RuminantReader: The Turn of the
Screw," The Arts,6 (November, 1924), 245-55;reprintedin Willen(above,
note 1), pp. 102-14.
9. The only littleboy in Jane's care in Bronte'sstoryis the son she has by
Rochester(chap. 38). However, he is bornat theend of novel and does not
reallyfunctionin the tale.
10. I followtheeditionofJaneEyre withan afterwordby ArthurZeiger (New
York: New American Library,n. d.). References to this edition will be
indicatedparenthetically(by chapternumber) in the body of the paper.
11. For James'saccount of Benson's anecdote, see The Notebooks of Henry
James,ed. F. O. Matthiessenand KennethB. Murdock (New York:George
Braziller,Inc., 1955),pp. 178-79.Benson'ssons' reactionto James'saccount
is discussedin RobertLee W'olff,
"The Genesisof 'The Turnof theScrew,'"
AmericanLiterature,13 (March, 1941), 1-8.
12. Griffiths'
paintingis reproduced in Wolff'sarticlein AmericanLiterature
(above, note 11).
13. Cargill (above, note 5) pp. 244 ff.;Francis X. Roellinger,Jr.,"Psychical
Researchand 'The Turn of the Screw,"' AmericanLiterature,20 (January,
1949), 401-12.
14. Cargill (above, note 5), p. 248.
15. MurielG. Shine'spointis well takenthatthegovernessinJames'staleis quite
young:". .. she is a notable,ifheightened,portraitof an adolescent,"and, I
would argue,as suchshe is particularlyreceptiveto thetypesofrolemodels
she would encounterinherreading.Shine,The FictionalChildrenofHenry
James(Chapel Hill: The Universityof NorthCarolina Press,1969), p. 132.
16. Kenton(above, note8); Edmund Wilson,"The Ambiguityof HenryJames,"
in The Triple Thinkers(New York: Harcourt,Brace and Company, 1938).
17. Robert Heilman, "'The Turn of the Screw' as Poem," The Universityof
Kansas City Review, 14 (Summer,1948), 277-89;reprintedin Kimbrough
(above, note 1), pp. 214-28.
18. Cargill (above, note 5), p. 244.
19. See, forexample,Edmund W'ilson(above, note 16): "One day whenhisface
has been vividlyinhermind,she comes outinsightofthehouse and sees the
figureof a man on the tower .. ." (123).
20. It may be noted in passing thatMiles bears certainresemblancesto John
Reed, Jane'scousin in lane Eyre: Johntypicallycalls his mother"old girl"
(chap. 2), muchas Miles addressesthegovernessratherprecociouslyas "my
dear" (249). Likewise, both boys are dismissedfromschool (JE, chap. 10;
TS, 165) and both die young-although JohnReed apparentlycommits
suicide (chap. 21). Althoughthe similaritiesexist,I do not thinkit would
to pursue the matterany furtherthanto make
prove particularlyfruitful
note of them.
21. As Cargill writesof Jamesand Shorter,"Since his editorwas new to him,
whatwould have been morenaturalto Jamesthanto read thebiography...
of theBrontesistersinorderto post himselfon Shorter'staste?"As a matter
of fact,thereisno questionwhatsoeverthatJamesread Shorter'sbiography,
forhe mentionsit at the end of an articledatelined "London. January15,
1897" in Harper's Weekly,41 (February6, 1897), 134-35.James'spositive
reactionto thebiographywas temperedby the factthathe apparentlydid
notthinkShorterhad consideredsufficiently
theunfortunate
situationofthe
Brontes:theirpersonalunhappiness"was themakingoftheirfame" (135)77
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inotherwords,thepublictendedtoblurthedistinctions
betweenthereality
oftheBrontes
and thefiction
theycreated.
I maynoteinpassingthatCargillpointsoutthecommonreferences
in jane Eyreand "The Turnof theScrew"to (l)sunkfencesand (2)the
David/Saulallusion(p. 243,note24).However,Cargilldoesnotpursuethe
ofthesesharedelements.
implications
22. Notebooks(above,note11),p. 178.
23. HenryJames,Washington
Square,ed. GeraldWillen(New York:Thomas
Y. CrowellCompany,1970),p. 143.
78
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