Who Is The Anti-Heroine In Turn Of The Screw

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Throughout the topics in literature, Turn of the Screw by Henry James is usually the most discussed. James had written this novel as merely a conventional ghost story, although many theses can be interpreted. One that sticks out the most is that the governess was, in fact, an insane anti-heroine.

The only evil delusions that inhabit Bly are those in the corrupted governess’ mind. The governess is obsessive, self-righteous, and self-serving. The ghosts that she perceived were not there to prey on the children, Flora and Miles. The governess creates a supernatural battle to show her own worth, to herself and her employer. This was done by showing her attempts to save the children’s souls from the ghosts, Miss Jessel

and Peter Quinn. Through the governess’ exertions, she caused Miles’ death and Flora to mentally break down. The governess found joy in proving to be better than any other governess, to herself and to her employer.
It was a pleasure at these moments to feel myself tranquil and justified; doubtless, perhaps, also to reflect that by my discretion, my quiet good sense and general high propriety, I was giving pleasure – if he ever thought of it! – to the person to whose pressure I had responded. What I was doing was what he had earnestly hoped and directly asked of me, and that I could, after all, do it proved even a greater joy than I had expected. I daresay I fancied myself, in short, a remarkable young woman and took comfort in the faith that this would more publicly appear. (1)
Although the governess never comes out and intentionally says she has a liking for the employer, there is a lot of speculation in the “pleasure” she is supposedly giving him. These misdirected intentions were far worse than any ghost.
The story is told in the first-person through the governess.

Unintentionally, this shows the governess’ true character. She is hardly sympathetic. Henry James says she is a young woman who is concerned, over-dramatic, snobbish, and trapped in her obsession over her employer. Upon arriving at Bly, she begins to take over the household and after meeting Flora, she pompously exclaims, “I felt quite sure she would presently like me. It was part of what I already liked Mrs. Grose herself for, the pleasure I could see her feel in my admiration and wonder” (2). The self-obsessed governess takes advantage of her elevated position that to her it seems only right that she reins the lives of the children. She becomes caught up in the fathomed idea that she is to be responsible for Flora and Miles. Later, after she envisions the evil spirits, the governess believes she is the one who is solely able to save the children from the spirits’ intentions. In point of fact, by saving them, she asserts the image of her responsibility that she has placed upon herself.

The fact that the governess is able to take Mrs. Grose completely into confidence has less to do with the governess than it does Mrs. Grose. The evidence the governess introduces to Mrs. Grose is not persuasive, however Mrs. Grose is an illiterate woman who’s deeply invested in Miles and Flora. In general, she's an uncomplicated, caring, unquestioning woman; that the Governess uses her both as a confidante and an informational tool,

but Mrs. Grose does not ever act on her own.
"He was looking for someone else, you say—someone who was not you?"
"He was looking for little Miles." A portentous clearness now possessed me. "That’s whom he was looking for."
"But how do you know?"
"I know, I know, I know!" My exaltation grew. "And you know, my dear!” (3)
At this point, the governess is exclaiming reasoning for the figment she is seeing without having evidence for her explanation. Terrified, Mrs. Grose does not know how to react, which leads to her decision to agree with the governess. Mrs. Grose respects the governess’ supremacy and intelligence, and when the governess tells her that she believes there are spirits with evil intentions on the children, Mrs. Grose is taken in believing that the children might be in some sort of danger.
The behavior of the children cannot be considered abnormal. Miles and Flora are still at a young age and engage in innocent mischief. That being said, no child is perfect. This upsets the governess who is expecting them to act angelic. Her soul intention is to protect the children and does not understand why they act indifferently.
It made me, the sound of the words, in which it seemed to me that I caught for the very first time a small faint quaver of consenting consciousness – it made me drop on my knees beside the bed and seize once more the chance of possessing him.

"Dear little Miles, dear little Miles, if you knew how I want to help you! It's only that, it's nothing but that, and I'd rather die than give you a pain or do you a wrong – I'd rather die than hurt a hair of you. Dear little Miles" – oh, I brought it out now even if I should go too far – "I just want you to help me to save you!" But I knew in a moment after this that I had gone too far. (4)

The governess is acting possessive over the children. They, in turn, find her bizarre and delusional; this causes them to try to make effort in finding ways to escape the governess. "Take me away, take me away—oh, take me away from her!" (5). Flora admitted to not seeing any of the apparitions that the governess was accusing her of knowing. This led to Flora leaving Bly to stay with her uncle. In the attempt of pleasing her employer and finding worth in her, the governess is unable to control her impulses. In the end of it, she drives herself and everyone around her

mad.
The fantasy the governess has is that the children see the ghosts and this is driven by her unhealthy yearning to be a heroine, which in the end leads to the children’s downfall. This ultimately leads to her not being as blameless and flawless that she was framed out to be. Her insanity is the reasoning for the manifestations that only she was able to see. As her lunacy further progressed, her wrong-doings were at fault for many of the events that had occurred in Turn of the Screw.