Insane Or Sane

Insane or Sane?

By Paul Erekuff

In every story ever written there is a problem, a struggle of some kind. In The Turn of The Screw there are several problems, however the most confusing and complex problem has to be whether or not the Governess is Insane or sane? The author, Henry James, throughout most of the book leaves a lot open to the reader, and in regards to the Governess’ mental state, his continues the pattern. Did she really see the ghosts, are Flora and Miles lying, or is the Governess just making things up? Is she trying to prove to herself she is sane or is she trying to make the Uncle notice her? Since James left the interpretation up to the reader, the conclusion is, that the Governess is Insane. She never really saw the ghosts. She was trying to get attention from the Uncle whom she was attracted to. This was her first job she was nervous. There is nothing more to it than she lied.

The Ghosts were never seen by anybody. The bias narrator, the Governess, is the only person who saw them. Flora and Miles the ones that were supposedly under the ghost’s control never saw the ghosts. Mrs. Grose, who The Governess convinced quite well of the ghosts stories, never truly saw them. Even when the Governess was positive that she had proof when supposedly she saw Ms. Jessel in the presence of both Flora and Mrs. Grose, the governess was the only one who saw her. The governess even drove Flora to tears to prove herself right. “I don’t know what your mean. I see nobody. I see nothing. I never have. I think you are cruel. I do not like you!” Even after tormenting Flora and having her sent away she still wanted to prove herself right and next turned to Miles. After being left alone with Miles, she confronts him and makes him think that he is seeing ghosts, this time Peter Quint. Screaming at Miles, “There, There!” she causes him such grief and mental pain she literally scares the poor little boy to death. “We were alone with the quiet day, and his little heart, dispossessed, had stopped.” Causing such havoc on the children was the worst thing the governess but even still there is one question raised about the ghosts, the question being about the Governess’ actually seeing the ghosts. The Governess in good detail knew what Ms. Jessel and Peter Quint, the hypothetical ghosts looked like. However, this small fact does not over ride all the other ones, which continues to prove that she is hallucinating.

The Governess’ and her lies have a similar relationship to another story, the Boy who cried Wolf. This famous moral story about the effects of lying rings true throughout The Turn of The Screw. The Governess likes the Boy claims again and again to see something repeatedly but it cannot be seen. Although the Boy meant it with a more obvious ridicule to the people who believed him then the governess, the same effect took place. Weather or not the wolf or the ghosts were real the boy and the governess had claimed it so much that no one would believe them even if what they were protesting about was true.

When the Police are investigating a crime, one of the main things they look for is a motive, and in this case, there are a couple motives. This was the governess’ first job, she had never had the responsibility of not only taking care of kids on her own, but also having full task of everything they do and making all the decisions. Anyone would feel pressure under these kinds of circumstances. This stress caused her to make up and fabricate the entire story. Another motive would be that the Governess appeared attracted to the Uncle when she met him. She wanted so much to get his attention that she made up the ghosts. She knew that if she could convince herself and others around her that there was an emergency to big to handle by herself, that she would be able to contact and see once again the Uncle.

The facts show the beyond probable cause the Governess was Insane. She completely fabricated, lied, and made up the story. For such reasons as wanting to see the Uncle to whom she was attracted to and because she was under a lot of stress this being her first job and being placed with full responsibility. Other facts that prove the Governess was insane is the fact that no one else saw the ghosts. Even when she forced to the children to see the ghosts, they could not. Her effort caused fright and death, but this was still not enough for the children to see the ghosts. The only person she managed to convince was the weak minded Mrs. Grose. All of these reasons show and prove the Governess’ Insanity.