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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.)