Has anyone read Turn of the Screw and know it quite well?

[nkf]

Is James suggesting that the governess fears sexual abuse of the children or does that interpretation seem likely to me because of modern day fears about paedophiles. Sorry it sounds a bit like an essay title. Wasn't meant to. That's me trying to be precise.

[OrmIrian]

It's never stated clearly. Just some sort of terrible immorality and evil.

I'm not sure that he would have specifically meant paedophilia. I didn't assume that the first time I read it when I was in my early 20s, but I have done since.

[nkf]

Same here OI. I didn't think that the first time I read it but this time it seems to be all over the text. Thanks for your views.

[policywonk]

I was going to answer this and then realised that I was thinking about The Yellow Wallpaper instead. Please ignore this post

[blackrock]

The whole idea within the story is left open for interpretation. Is she mad? Or is some sort of evil about the place.

The film adaptation 'The innocents' is terrifying!

[nkf]

Yes although it seems less ambiguous this time.She seems mad to me. Quite clearly whereas when I first read it, I was less sure. On the other hand, I wasn't aware of the evil being sexual and now I think it's a possibility.

[Bink]

Oh, absolutely it's sexual. James is very bodily (a term invented by a dear friend to mean passionately interested in flesh) - but his whole schtick is creating a meaning without spelling out the words. (The figure in the carpet ...)

But it's not sexual abuse - no, it's worse - it's that having died, whatever there is left of Quint & Miss Jessel ("ghosts" is a bit too cosy a term in this context) are possessing the children, to do, well whatever Q & J did. Which is, however, not necessarily actually to consummate things - more to sort of obsess insanely about each other (remember Quint is notoriously cruel to women) - but who knows - and who knows what may go on to happen -

And, yes, of course the profound further point is that all that above is what the governess thinks - and she is quite clearly not balanced (& maybe worse than that). So the whole thing goes round and round itself. Until she takes it on herself to force a confrontation

(I love the opera, you know. A bit of fearsome Britten. But perhaps I do like Deborah Kerr more.)