Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” Essay

At first glance, it would appear that Henry James The give of the whap and Tim Burtons Edward Scissorhands lay down only sensation thing in common they ar twain from the medieval genre. But upon looking closer, whizz will notice that in that location are a calculate of otherwise similar traits between the two. on that point are noticeable similarities between Edward and the G e veryplaceness, as well as similarities between Edward and the two children in The plication of the Screw, Miles and Flora. on that point are also general themes which the two share images of a unadulterated rescript, as well as looker-ons who bring forth no control over the situation. two The consider of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands nominate m whatsoever traditional features of the chivalric genre. However, when compared to each other, it is found that The scrap of the Screw has more of the traditional gothic elements. These include things such as the mysterious setting an airwav e of secret and suspense that is present through break through the perfect novel visions, which are a regular occurrence for the Governess supernatural events such as the ghosts and the possessions of the children high perception women threatened by males, which is found on the many occasions in which the Governess feels threatened by Quint and there are many instances in which the women of the novel are in tribulation. In spite of this, a tour of these elements can also be found in Edward Scissorhands, if not to a lesser termination.These include elements such as the setting opus the entire movie does not civilize place in a gothic setting, there are times where the viewer is able to fix Edwards reliable home a mysterious, gloomy castle an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, which is an underlying theme throughout the movie visions to some(prenominal) consequence experienced by the Boggs neighbour and supernatural events largely, the overall creation of Edward. o ther(a) elements that are similar between the two are women in distress in Edward Scissorhands, this is largely Kim and women threatened by males shown in scenes with Kim and her threatening boyfriend, Jim.There are not only similarities between the overall genre of The Turn of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands, and between the characters as well. There are touch similarities between the Governess, the narrator of the book, and Edward, the main character of the movie. One of the most heavy(a) is that neither of these lead characters brace much experience in the existent world, as is evident through their actions and words. However, the Governess and Edward deal with this in unlike ways. Edward is generally dazed and confused about everything. Nevertheless, Edward is willing to learn, and is open to be taught.In contrast, the Governess reacts to her lack of experience by acting as though she is knowledgeable. She is unwilling to try other methods, and refuses to listen t o others who might know better. some(prenominal) characters were also taught the difference between right and wrong. Edward is taught this by the inventor, while the Governess is taught this through both her upbringing, and by her father. some(prenominal) Edward and the Governess are taught this in theory, only when have neer experienced it in practice that is, they have neer been able to apply the idea of right and wrong to the real world.Additionally, there are a number of similarities between Edward, and the two children, Miles and Flora. Both have overbearing female or mother figures in their lives. In Edwards case, this is his foster mother, Peg, who tends to be more caring towards him, and looks out for him. In the childrens case, this is the Governess. However, unlike Peg, the Governess coddles the children, spending all her time with them and not letting them out of her sight. Both of them are also blamed for something which they didnt do, or which neer happened. Edwa rd is framed for the robbery and murder, which had the potential to contain him in trouble with the law. This was a weigh blame and set up. On the other hand, Miles and Flora were accuse of seeing ghosts, and lying about it. However, in contrast to Edwards situation, we never know whether this actually happened but either way, it wasnt a deliberate setup.There are even more similarities between Edward and the two children. Both of these characters are aban hold outed by their father figure. In Edwards case, this is in the death of his inventor. Because of this, Edward has to learn to cope for himself, and as a result, is confused about how to act correctly. This differs to Miles and Flora though their parents die, and their uncle effectively abandons him, they still have people who are willing to look after them, such as Mrs Grose and the Governess. They are also both idealised by the people approximately them. The community idealises Edward he is treated as a phase, the l atest craze. They have preconceived notions of him, but dont take the time to set down to know him and see if theyre actually true. In the childrens case, this is where the Governess idealises Miles and Flora.She imagines them to be so perfect and innocent, but she doesnt take the time to get to know them. Because of this, when they act differently to the behaviour she expects of them, she thinks something is wrong. Edward and Miles are both seen to have dangerous characters, and because of this they eventually become shunned or kicked out though the extent to which this happen differs. Miles is seen as a danger to the other children, and is kicked out of his school, but he is not rejected or shunned overall, just from one place. In contrast, Edward is eventually shunned by society as a whole because they dont understand him. As a result of this, he is rejected by society, and becomes an outcast.The narrative structure of the two texts is also quite similar. Both of them are told by a female, and in the first person. This viewpoint makes the stage seem more personal, as it gives the reader or the viewer a better insight into what really took place. Both stories also start tally in the present tense, with someone talking about the events which had previously interpreted place, before going into an account of the story. However, in The Turn of the Screw, we never go back to the original setting, whereas in Edward Scissorhands we are taken back to the original bank clerk to finish the story. In both instances, it also gives the feel of the story certifyer holding onto the secret, and waiting for the right time and place to finally tell their story to a willing audience.There are a number of general things which are common in both the texts. One of these is that both The Turn of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands have onlookers that have no control over the story, and dont fully understand what is going on. In Edward Scissorhands, the onlooker is Kim Pegs dau ghter who is a silent observer, and unsure as to what is happening. In The Turn of the Screw, this onlooker is Mrs Grose. Mrs Grose has no control over the actions of any of the other characters, and is forced to sit back and watch as the events take place around her, not fully knowing what is going on. another(prenominal) theme common in both texts, as well as creation common in the gothic genre, is the idea of a womanhood being threatened by a powerful, impulsive, controlling male.In The Turn of the Screw, this is Quint, who, though dead, makes the Governess feel threatened. In Edward Scissorhands, the male is Jim Kims boyfriend. She feels threatened by his actions, and especially at his reaction to Edward. But the most obvious analogy between the two texts is that both have a perfect society, which slowly falls absent, leaving the reader with an image of a very tainted place. In Edward Scissorhands, the community that he lives in is regarded as perfect, with everyone be ing accepting of him. However, as the story progresses, the perfect image falls away and we are left with a community that is biased and judgemental. In The Turn of the Screw, it first appears as though everything is perfect particularly the beauty of Bly, and the childrens characters, but we soon learn that it isnt.Overall, while there are some aspects of the texts which are entirely different, there are too many similarities for one to say that they are not alike in some way. These similarities are shown in a number of areas in the genre, the narrative structure, the characters actions and thoughts, as well as the overall themes and ideas which are introduced. However, whether The Turn of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands are similar or entirely different, they are both clean examples of the gothic genre of fiction.