Many would say at first glance, children can't be scary; they are so innocent, pure, and incorruptible. However, just think about any truly scary movie. Although I would consider myself a fan of suspenseful psychological films, rather than gore, there are some children that are just not right. For example, The Ring, or The Grudge: both have the haunted little girl. Or The Shining, when the small child repeats "redrum...redrum". Have you ever wondered where the archetype of scary children came from?
This must be a 1900s idea, because The Turn of the Screw features some seriously scary children. As far as plot goes, you are introduced to a new nanny who is to be a governess for a young girl, and a young boy who is dismissed from school for making trouble with his teachers and classmates. At first, everything seems to be going well, until she discovers that these children have been gallivanting with the ghosts of two former workers: Miss Jessel, a former governess and Quint, a former valet. The relationship between these two characters is not entirely clear, but somehow they became companions of these children in the afterlife.
My first impression of this text seemed to be from the point of view of a disturbed governess, that is, the narration seemed to me that all of the events were constructed in the mind of our main character. However, there are some exchanges and unexplained events between the boy, Miles, and our narrator. I personally am still concerned as to why the child was dismissed from school. I understand that the technique of mystery allows him to create an ethos of terror, but then again, that is also an unlimited vehicle for supernatural activity that I hope the author utilizes later in the text.
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