The Incapable Governess In The Turn Of The Screw By Henry James

Incapable Governess
Make sure to check and see if your house is haunted before you hire a governess. The governess is overwhelmed by obstacles she can not overcome. In The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the governess of the house of Bly seems to go crazy from ghost encounters. She in the end is not capable of keeping the children safe because she is more of a danger to them. The governess is disturbed because of two ghosts continuously showing themselves just to her.
The governess does not at first become or seem crazy but soon her actions show how she becomes crazy from the ghosts. The first encounter is with a man called Peter Quin. He is a man described by Mrs. Grouse as a person who had died after slipping while drunk walking around. She sees this

apparition in a tower while she is exploring the grounds thinking about the uncle of the children who hired her to the governess’ position. She describes him as an “ Extraordinary man. Looking in.”(21) When she sees this man she knows that the uncle is not there and the man was not a servant because she did not recognize him. But the second time she sees this apparition she is much more aware that something is not right about his presence. She starts to think that he is after Miles the oldest child of the two children she cares for at the age of 10. This is the beginning of her craziness.
Since the apparition appearing is what is driving the governess mad it does not help when she sees another that Mrs. Grouse also identifies for her as Miss. Jessel the previous governess of Bly, the estate they live on currently. The governess sees Miss. Jessel from across the Sea of Azof a lake on the estate. The apparition is in a black dress just standing by a tree watching the distance. The governess is certain Flora was aware of the ghost’s presence but intentionally kept quiet. When the governess later returns to Bly she talks to Mrs. Grouse about the happening and says “ They know- it’s too monstrous: they know, they know.” (29) She is trying to make Mrs. Grouse realize the children know about the apparitions but they will not tell her. The more the governess sees the apparitions, the more crazy she becomes.
The children finally come to a point where if they do not get away from the governess, they could be harmed.

Flora, the youngest of the two children at age 8 becomes sick after the governess’ latest encounter with Miss. Jessels apparition. The governess explains that Flora is not alone by telling Mrs. Grouse “ shes not alone, and at such times shes not a child: shes an old, old woman.” (68) She describes Flora as an old woman because earlier in the story Miles distracts her while Flora goes to the Sea of Azof, to what the governess thinks see Miss. Jessels apparition. When Flora goes on this adventure she paddles a boat all the way across the pond and hides it. Which the governess thinks a young girl could not do on her own. By this point she is so crazy trying to prove that the apparitions are real and she is not crazy that she kept Flora out all night for what Flora just thought was a joke. Causing the young girl to get very ill. The governess is a clear danger to the children so Mrs. Grouse takes Flora to her uncle for safety and so she can get better but leaves Miles behind to fend for himself. In the end the governess’ craziness overwhelms her and the final time she saw an apparition she kills

Miles.
In The Turn of the Screw, the governess of the house goes crazy from ghost encounters. In her mind she is helping the children and trying to save them from the apparitions but ends up making one of the children seriously ill and killing the other. She is not an ideal governess and figures that out for herself eventually.