Surrogates

What struck me the most in this episode were the parallels between the reaction of Joyce to the murders of the children and the reaction of the governess to the threat the ghosts present to the children. Both figures assume the role of a sort of surrogate mother in response to a menace to the perceived “innocence”; however, while the governess seeks to protect her “children,” Joyce only seeks revenge.

In The Turn of the Screw, the two children, Miles and Flora, almost do seem to represent somewhat of a Hansel and Gretel. Like the unnamed children in “Gingerbread,” they inspire the mothering instinct within the governess as the Hansel and Gretel characters do to Joyce. The peril of the children throws the mothering instinct of each into a twisted sort of overdrive, with each surrogate parent striving desperately to protect, even if that means to kill.

Though the ending of The Turn of the Screw is ambiguous, I’m choosing to interpret it as the governess smothering Miles – perhaps because this ending gives the story its final shock in the most appropriate way, showing how the ghosts finally broke the governess and drove her crazy. In her zeal to protect, the governess kills Miles – perhaps an accident in attempting to protect him, or perhaps intentionally in an attempt to spare him of the horrors she sees, and is convinced that they see. Similarly, Buffy’s mother reacts to Hansel and Gretel in an overzealous way – she kills Buffy, but not out of hatred. Rather, she’s trying to be a good mother: “What kind of a mother would I be if I didn't punish you?” she asks Buffy. And Willow’s mother, too, says “There’s no cure but the fire.” Both want to save their daughters – but the only way they believe they can do this is by killing them. The result is a creepy combination of mothering and murder: Willow’s mother tells her to bring a jacket because it’s chilly, but is taking her to her own burning. The juxtaposition of these two images is horrifyingly comic.

In addition, I just want to elaborate more on my Turn of the Screw theories. During the class discussion where we were forced to defend a specific interpretation of the text, I think Amelia’s and Madeline’s group (can’t remember who else was in it, sorry!) did a really interesting interpretation of the sexual, predatory undertones of the text. I think this is a very interesting angle, especially because of the subtle images I saw in the text that supported it. To me, the ghosts were representative of corruption and sexual deviancy, a threat to the home and a threat to sexuality. The presence of these ghosts forces the governess to assume closer positions to the children she wants to protect. In this way, the ghosts almost force her to assume their position – as is evidenced by her assuming the physical locations of each ghost (Quint at the window, and Jessel at the stairs). In her crusade to protect them, the governess becomes somewhat infatuated with the children, and is tempted to assume the ghosts’ old roles, becoming “too free” with them herself. Just a perspective to think about.

<3 Lisa