Gender Roles In The Turn Of The Screw By Henry James

During the Victorian period men and women’s roles became more sharply defined than at any time in history (“Gender Roles” Internet). “Working women” became common, and women made a name for themselves in society (Burnett). At the same time, finding a husband was not supposed to be a young girl’s main priority (“Gender Roles” Internet). The novella The Turn of the Screw gives the meaning of a Victorian woman many interpretations. Henry James, a Victorian author, portrays his opinion of women as being sexually confused and ambitious in his novella, The Turn of the Screw. To begin, the Victorian era, also known as the 19th century, lasted from 1847 until Queen Victoria’s death in 1901. The Victorian era was also during the time of the Industrial Revolution, a time when industries and factories were booming. During the time period the Victorian women’s fashion symbolized their constricted lives. Due to these circumstances, from the 1830’s, women started to adopt the crinoline, a huge bell-shaped skirt that made it virtually impossible to clean a grate or sweep the stairs without tumbling over (“Gender Roles” Internet). Some of the common themes

He was born on April 15, 1843 in New York City and died on February 28, 1916 in London England. James was said to have a liking toward his “feminine side” and possibly an approval for women’s rights (Burnett). It seems that James had a better understanding of his feminine side rather than his masculine side (Ludwig). He was repeatedly encouraged to marry by members of his family, but he refused (“Henry James” Internet). James was a very private and reserved man (“Henry James” Internet). He called his characters his “agitated friends” (Springer) who he made a habit of creating first, then developing the story around them. These characteristics might have been the reason James chose to write a woman protagonist in The Turn of the Screw