Comparing The Narrator In Turn Of The Screw And Jane Eyre

So far, we have examined the role of secrets and narrators in “Turn of the Screw”, and now the focus will shift towards the contrast with Jane Eyre.

Whereas, Jane’s experiences with the entities Bertha and Grace Poole are humanised on four occasions by Mrs Fairfax and Rochester. First, Grace’s laugh “repeated in its low, syllabic tone [and] odd murmur” has Mrs Fairfax respond with “perhaps Grace Poole” (108) which drains Jane’s paranoia and fear. On the event where Rochester leaves Jane with Richard Mason’s injury, it is clear her paranoia and fear are restored with: “I hope it is…not something worse” (151). And so, keeping secrets can have this affect Eugenia Delamotte explains that “[gothic heroines] tremble in fear of the unknown” (205).

However, Jane has both male and female confidantes as Rochester and Mrs Fairfax make her feel accepted at Thornfield. Something the governess never felt at Bly as her only confidante escapes the horrors. Rochester does not feel guilt on lying to Jane about Bertha. He blames Grace Poole on Jane’s suspicions (“why he kept her wickedness a secret” 157). Jane is perceptive and questions her surroundings which challenge Rochester. Alice Hall Petry reinforces this idea as:

Jane is adequately stable, and has a sufficiently accurate self-image, to know when she is not to take seriously the questionings of her sanity. (66)

This “accurate self-image” shatters when the secret of Bertha is revealed to Jane on her wedding day.

The discourse change from first to the third person (“where was the Jane Eyre of yesterday?” 293) demonstrates displaces her away from reality. The fact that she does not feel that Rochester has betrayed her indicates a mental blocking warps the concept on truth and

lies.
Kermode argues that “first-person-narration…gives eyewitness credibility and the authority of spoken voice” (91).

Therefore, the reader can understand how secrets can affect another as Jane’s sadness of “May you never feel what I felt!” (318) reinforces this impact. Further on, as we learn of St.John's inability to tell Rosamund Oliver his true feelings, we see another way how secrets can cause harm. Bronte amplifies this as her ending focuses on St. John's solitude:

St.John is unmarried: he will never marry now. Himself has hither-to sufficed to the toil, and the toil draws near its close: his glorious sun hastens to its setting. (447).

Nevertheless, both Jane and Rochester keep their love a secret. Their time at Thornfield develops their love for each other. Something that should seem harmful in fact damages Jane especially when Rochester prioritises Blanche Ingram over Jane (“the nerve was touched and teased” 175). She questions why Rochester plays these games but cannot help but feel that she loses him to Blanche Ingram. One particular scene, Rochester dressing as a gypsy demonstrates the lengths one will go to preserve a secret:

You have seen love: have you not? – and, looking forward, you have seen him married, and beheld his bride happy?

Humph! Not exactly. Your witch’s skill is rather at fault sometimes.

(199)

Therefore Jane challenges Rochester’s fate and feels she must go (251). To which this spur of the moment lead to Rochester to say “My bride is here... my equal is here” (252). Reinforces this idea of secrets having ways of coming out.

I began this discussion on exploring the psychological role of secrets that affect Jane and the governess. It is important to note that keeping secrets is a human virtue. What we are unaware of is the psychological impacts they have on those that keep them and those who want to know about them. As Jane completes her story, we question if the governess’s ever began. Anthony Curtis states: “Turn of the Screw is one of those works like Hamlet (another ghost story) which will continue to inspire widely differencing interpretations” (23). And so, the beauty of James’s novella relates to Bennet & Royale ending this discussion on how “literature is about [the untold]” (277).