Hi Dr. Davis! I know this is an older vid, but I hope you still keep up with comments. I wanted to say your string of YT lectures on the Victorian Supernatural, and The Turn of The Screw in particular, have been very enjoyable and enlightening for me. I recently read TToTS for the 1st time. I have some interest in literary criticism, especially writers of the Weird (although I know genre fiction is usually ignored by critics as "not legit" literature). As soon as I finished TToTS I went straight out and tracked down the "Casebook of The Turn of the Screw," 2nd Ed. I am working through it currently. But I found your lectures around the subject to be VERY much worth the time. I consider them to be de riguer for anyone looking for a deep dive into the story. HOWEVER.... I am a retiree living in VA and there is no chance I'll be attending your course, alas! Also, when I google ENGL 4470 some hits cite it as a film & litt sequence? Would you be willing to comment on that? What are the critical sources you are using and can I access when I am a mere "dilettante"? How could I pursue my own path through some of the materials you are using? Any ideas? TIA!
I just finished the audio book and was so lost as to what happened. Thank you so much for disecting it and putting it in a cultural context! I finally understand what happened😆
Just read the book and went looking for a video to discuss the theme and found one from my alma mater! I live down the street from the uni as well so this was such a great surprise
I read the story, but also listened to Emma Thompson's narration on Audible. Emma's adult voice and reading leans heavily in one direction, and that strongly influenced my own interpretation.
Agree I also just finished that audio book and did not understand the double meaning due to her performance, which was admittedly very good but did sway the listener in my opinion.
One point lecturer makes about the book which I think is untrue. The claim is that the governess who is the narrator doubt herself and thinks that perhaps she only imagined that she saw the ghosts and she considers the possibility that the entire supernatural experience is in her own mind. I do not think she ever does that. She does realize the housekeeper and anybody else she tells might believe that. But in her own mind she dismisses the possibility that she is imagining. She does at times have questions in different ideas about what the effect is on the children and what the children are saying honestly and what they are concealing, but she never seriously accept the theory the her experience is not real.
Disagree on some points. (1) There is actually quite a bit of evidence that the ghosts are real, if the text is evidence, and not just because she sees them; (2). When she comments about being at the helm of a lost ship, she is not fantasizing about power; she merely acknowledges that the master has placed her in charge, as was explained in the prologue. (3) If the narrator in unreliable, we need a very specific theory of what her issue is and where she goes wrong -- otherwise the entire text is reduced to gibberish.
I kinda feel like these children were actually abused by the "ghosts" when they were people and she goes mad trying to protect the kids and creates a whole new abusive relationship. I cannot ignore the implications and sexual untertones. I think the reason she has gone mad is not only because she wants to be a hero and be seen by her employer.
I to fill the implication that the children might have been sexually abused by the couple since died and became ghosts. It also occurred to me that the children perhaps it only witnessed the sexual misconduct between the couple, which would have been enough to warp them. However I am not sure if these possibilities would be as likely to occur Victorian readers of the novel when it was first published, or if you off it would think these possibilities would occur to his readers. When I say "I am not sure if " I mean that literally.
Also seems at first no evidence for the for the a governess to suspect the children were abused when she first arrives. That she should not have been inspired to imagine terrible things ghosts or otherwise. Mrs. Gross at first withholds any negative comment or evaluations of Quintin and Jessup. The governess has no basis to judge them negatively. If we assume in the last scene, that Miles is telling the truth, then Miles offense at school was purely in terms of what he said rather than what he did. Since these claims that he only said things to people he liked, it might be that he was making sexual overtures or just describing sexual affection. He might do this as a result of either sexual intimacy or being subject to sexual abuse.. but like everything else, this is left ambiguous
Not even in your class/lecture series but absolutely loving this lecture
Just finished this novella and was looking for a good lecture on it. Thanks for the great content and discussion! Much to think about
Glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Hi Dr. Davis! I know this is an older vid, but I hope you still keep up with comments. I wanted to say your string of YT lectures on the Victorian Supernatural, and The Turn of The Screw in particular, have been very enjoyable and enlightening for me. I recently read TToTS for the 1st time. I have some interest in literary criticism, especially writers of the Weird (although I know genre fiction is usually ignored by critics as "not legit" literature). As soon as I finished TToTS I went straight out and tracked down the "Casebook of The Turn of the Screw," 2nd Ed. I am working through it currently. But I found your lectures around the subject to be VERY much worth the time. I consider them to be de riguer for anyone looking for a deep dive into the story. HOWEVER.... I am a retiree living in VA and there is no chance I'll be attending your course, alas! Also, when I google ENGL 4470 some hits cite it as a film & litt sequence? Would you be willing to comment on that? What are the critical sources you are using and can I access when I am a mere "dilettante"? How could I pursue my own path through some of the materials you are using? Any ideas? TIA!
I just finished the audio book and was so lost as to what happened. Thank you so much for disecting it and putting it in a cultural context! I finally understand what happened😆
Thank you, Professor, for the excellent summary!
Just read the book and went looking for a video to discuss the theme and found one from my alma mater! I live down the street from the uni as well so this was such a great surprise
I read the story, but also listened to Emma Thompson's narration on Audible. Emma's adult voice and reading leans heavily in one direction, and that strongly influenced my own interpretation.
Agree I also just finished that audio book and did not understand the double meaning due to her performance, which was admittedly very good but did sway the listener in my opinion.
One point lecturer makes about the book which I think is untrue. The claim is that the governess who is the narrator doubt herself and thinks that perhaps she only imagined that she saw the ghosts and she considers the possibility that the entire supernatural experience is in her own mind. I do not think she ever does that. She does realize the housekeeper and anybody else she tells might believe that. But in her own mind she
dismisses the possibility that she is imagining. She does at times have questions in different ideas about what the effect is on the children and what the children are saying honestly and what they are concealing, but she never seriously accept the theory the her experience is not real.
Thank you from France for that fabulous lecture 🖤
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
PERFECT interpretation. Thanks a lotttt❤
Disagree on some points. (1) There is actually quite a bit of evidence that the ghosts are real, if the text is evidence, and not just because she sees them; (2). When she comments about being at the helm of a lost ship, she is not fantasizing about power; she merely acknowledges that the master has placed her in charge, as was explained in the prologue. (3) If the narrator in unreliable, we need a very specific theory of what her issue is and where she goes wrong -- otherwise the entire text is reduced to gibberish.
Great Content!
Thank you!
I kinda feel like these children were actually abused by the "ghosts" when they were people and she goes mad trying to protect the kids and creates a whole new abusive relationship. I cannot ignore the implications and sexual untertones. I think the reason she has gone mad is not only because she wants to be a hero and be seen by her employer.
I to fill the implication that the children might have been sexually abused by the couple since died and became ghosts. It also occurred to me that the children perhaps it only witnessed the sexual misconduct between the couple, which would have been enough to warp them. However I am not sure if these possibilities would be as likely to occur Victorian readers of the novel when it was first published, or if you off it would think these possibilities would occur to his readers. When I say "I am not sure if " I mean that literally.
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Also seems at first no evidence for the for the a governess to suspect the children were abused when she first arrives. That she should not have been inspired to imagine terrible things ghosts or otherwise. Mrs. Gross at first withholds any negative comment or evaluations of Quintin and Jessup. The governess has no basis to judge them negatively.
If we assume in the last scene, that Miles is telling the truth, then Miles offense at school was purely in terms of what he said rather than what he did. Since these claims that he only said things to people he liked, it might be that he was making sexual overtures or just describing sexual affection. He might do this as a result of either sexual intimacy or being subject to sexual abuse.. but like everything else, this is left ambiguous
Power - well, she was the adult in charge.
From india
Too olde worded for me. Good but i like The Innocents better