“Psychical Research and ‘The Turn of the Screw’”
by Francis Roellinger Jr.
Summarized by Emily Sherman
In this article, Roellinger questions the true origin of ideas in “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James. James claimed that the story of origin was an anecdote told to him by Edward White Benson. Roellinger, on the other hand, gives several examples of why this is unlikely, and why several other stories are more likely the foundation of James’s famous novella.
One suggestion of an alternate base to the story is a picture called “The Haunted House” that was published in a magazine that contained one of James’s other stories. Many details of the picture match details in the story, but while it is highly likely that the picture played a role in the story, Roellinger admits that it does not disprove the use of Benson’s anecdote. Another possible source of inspiration is found in “publications of the Society for Psychical Research.” (Roellinger 403) James was known to have a marked interest in psychical phenomena and was friends with many members of the Society. Roellinger further explains how James’s ghosts conform more to the Society’s picture of apparitions rather than the more widespread idea of what ghosts were. In the preface of “The Turn of the Screw” James refers to “the ‘new’ ghost” and mimics the format of Society reports, which shows his familiarity with them. (404) As the preface was written several years after the publication of the story, the inclusion of these facts might have been a response to criticisms of the novella. It addresses one other possible inspiration, an account of and Irish governess, to show differences between Benson’s anecdote and the novella, mainly in the anecdote’s lack of specific details.
The article points out a few differences between the novella and Benson’s anecdote but focuses mainly on the similarities between other stories of the time and “The Turn of the Screw”. Roellinger describes significant parallels between “The Turn of the Screw” and other stories of the time. She also acknowledges notable differences between the novella and its supposed inspiration of Edward White Benson’s anecdote to James. The article gives evidence to suggest that James’s true base to his famous novella was significantly more complex than he admitted to the public.
Works Cited
Francis X. Roellinger, Jr. “Psychical Research and ‘The Turn of the Screw’” American Literature, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Nov., 1948), pp. 401-412. Web. 16 April 2013.
One suggestion of an alternate base to the story is a picture called “The Haunted House” that was published in a magazine that contained one of James’s other stories. Many details of the picture match details in the story, but while it is highly likely that the picture played a role in the story, Roellinger admits that it does not disprove the use of Benson’s anecdote. Another possible source of inspiration is found in “publications of the Society for Psychical Research.” (Roellinger 403) James was known to have a marked interest in psychical phenomena and was friends with many members of the Society. Roellinger further explains how James’s ghosts conform more to the Society’s picture of apparitions rather than the more widespread idea of what ghosts were. In the preface of “The Turn of the Screw” James refers to “the ‘new’ ghost” and mimics the format of Society reports, which shows his familiarity with them. (404) As the preface was written several years after the publication of the story, the inclusion of these facts might have been a response to criticisms of the novella. It addresses one other possible inspiration, an account of and Irish governess, to show differences between Benson’s anecdote and the novella, mainly in the anecdote’s lack of specific details.
The article points out a few differences between the novella and Benson’s anecdote but focuses mainly on the similarities between other stories of the time and “The Turn of the Screw”. Roellinger describes significant parallels between “The Turn of the Screw” and other stories of the time. She also acknowledges notable differences between the novella and its supposed inspiration of Edward White Benson’s anecdote to James. The article gives evidence to suggest that James’s true base to his famous novella was significantly more complex than he admitted to the public.
Works Cited
Francis X. Roellinger, Jr. “Psychical Research and ‘The Turn of the Screw’” American Literature, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Nov., 1948), pp. 401-412. Web. 16 April 2013.
