The Turn of the Screw

Summary

The Turn of the Screw is a fireside tale of evil and mystery. Filled with extraordinary drama, Henry James' story has been widely popular ever since its publication in 1898. It also inspired a film, a play, and an opera. A governess has been hired to care for two orphaned young children in their uncle' s English country home. But soon after she meets the boy and his sister, the governess begins to see fearful apparitions. With growing alarm, she must wonder about the target of the ghostly presences. Are they haunting her, or the sweet, innocent children? Henry James gives no answers to this question. Instead, he leaves the listener to ponder the relationships between evil and horror, imagination and reality.