Victorian Gender Roles in Henry James’s
“The Turn of the Screw”
by Emily Sherman
In Henry James’s “The Turn of the Screw,” the female characters mirror the women of Victorian Era Great Britain, while the male characters oppose the chivalry of the Victorian gentleman. In the Victorian Era, women began to gain more rights, and forged their way as prominent members of the labor force. “Working women” became common, and women made a name for themselves in society. (Burnett 1) Meanwhile, men were expected to be “gentlemen” and were held to the chivalric moral code. (Cody 1) In the novella, female characters such as the governess and Miss Jessel exemplified the image of the “working woman” in their dedication to their job. However, the male characters Peter Quint and the Master of Bly were anything but chivalrous. Quint had numerous affairs with little regard to the people he hurt, and the Master of Bly ignored his responsibilities to his niece and nephew. James might have written his characters this way to insinuate that Victorian men weren’t as chivalrous as they claimed to be, or to imply that women deserved the rights they were earning while men did not deserve to be seen in high moral standing.
James uses his two most significant female characters, the governess and Miss Jessel, to exemplify the Victorian image of “working women.” While the position of governess was a more traditional one for women, the two characters still showed a drive to earn money themselves. This was one of the most important qualities of the “working woman” as the drive to work often accompanied the drive to earn more rights. In the novella, the governess accepted her job mainly for its high pay, which demonstrates her dedication to make a name for herself as a breadwinner. The governess chose to support herself as an independent woman, instead of choosing the more common Victorian path and settling down with a husband. This dedication is shown in the governess’s interview. While towards the beginning of the interview the governess had doubts about accepting the position, when she realized that “the salary offered much exceeded her modest measure” she took the job. (James 10) This choice shows the governess’s drive as a “working woman” due to the fact that it was the salary that influenced her decision. She wanted to earn a living for herself rather than emphasize the “natural femininity” that comes with caring for children. After securing the position for themselves, the governess and Miss Jessel worked hard to perform the job to the best of their abilities. For example, the governess fought to keep the ghosts that haunted her away from the children in order to prevent their corruption. She desired to protect the souls of the children, which demonstrates her devotion to her work. Miss Jessel also worked hard as governess. While the current governess had doubts about the intentions of Miss Jessel’s ghost, the children’s good condition upon the governess’s acceptance of the position shows that Miss Jessel performed her job well.
While the females in the novella mirrored Victorian women, the men opposed Victorian gentlemen. In this time period, men, especially upper-class men, were held to a high moral standard. A gentleman was expected to be chivalrous, and maintain “gentleness and sympathy, or kind disposition and fine imagination.” (Cody 1) Men in the novella such a Peter Quint and the Master of Bly did not meet these standards. The Master of Bly ignored his moral responsibilities to the children, even though they were his own niece and nephew. He disregarded the high moral standard of the time and focused on himself rather than helping others. Instead of helping to raise the children, the Uncle put all duties onto the governess, playing little to no role in the children’s upbringing. He also takes advantage of the governess, as she has to raise the children with no help from their only family. Quint was hardly chivalrous, as he was known to have had many affairs. He is described as a “hound” and paid little regard to the people he offended with his actions. (James 55) It is so obvious that Quint is this way that the governess notices after just a brief encounter with his ghost. When the governess recounts her story to Mrs. Grose, Grose asks, "Was he a gentleman?" and the governess “had no need to think” before saying "No." (James 38) Both Quint and the Master of Bly opposed the image of what a man was supposed to be in the Victorian age.
By writing his characters this way, James insinuates that men of the time period weren’t as chivalrous as they were made out to be. There is evidence in literature of many instances when this was true. John Ruskin said "Gentlemen have to learn that it is no part of their duty of privilege to live on other people's toil," but this seemed to be the most common way men strayed from the “gentleman’s” way. (Cody 1) In fact, this is exactly what the Master of Bly did. He used the toil of the governess to live freely with no responsibilities to his niece and nephew. It seems James used the children’s uncle to exemplify a common controversy the same way he used his women to exemplify a proper “working woman.” James creates an even more negative connotation with the men by writing them as antagonists. The novella uses female protagonists and male antagonists to strengthen the idea that Victorian men are not as respectable as they seem.
James’s opinion of the feminine role could have influenced his decision to create characters that were strong “working women.” James had a very refined view of the woman’s role for a man at the time. He was said to have an affinity for his “feminine side” and possibly an approval for women’s rights. These characteristics might have been the reason James chose to write a woman protagonist in “The Turn of the Screw.” Many believe that James’s feminine affinity stemmed from James’s love for his cousin Minny. Minny was a independent woman, who was described to have a "precociousness, [a] brashness, [and] independence of spirit.” (qtd. in Ludwig 1) James’s love for Minny caused him to model his female characters after her personality. Since Minny exemplified the image of the Victorian “working woman,” James’s female characters did as well.
In “The Turn of the Screw” the governess embodies the essence of a Victorian “working woman,” but Miss Jessel also contains characteristics not conducive to the Victorian feminine role. While Miss Jessel took the initiative to earn a living for herself, she was involved sexually with Quint, a man well below her social class. A Victorian woman having sexual relations was quite the scandal. Viola Klien said that “in the whole Western world during the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth century it would have been not only scandalous to admit the existence of a strong sex urge in women, but it would have been contrary to all observation.” (qtd. in Degler 2) James’s decision to write a female character who slept with a man below her class implies that James supported women’s rights, but only when the women were chaste. Instead of writing a woman who was simply sexually active, James insinuates that Jessel is promiscuous, which was a disgrace to Victorian women.
While the idea that women should be chaste was a common one when James lived, this opinion might have been strengthened by James’s pining for a woman he could never marry. James was passionate for Minny, but any relations between them would have been condemned. Because he loved her this way and knew “that a marriage them between them could never exist,” he did not want to see her with anyone else, especially if she was not married to them. (Ludwig 1) These opinions of women are obvious in James’s female characters. In the novella, the governess feared that Flora would become like Miss Jessel. The governess does not want the child she looks after to stray from the way a Victorian woman should be, which reflects James’s own views.
In “The Turn of the Screw,” Henry James created female characters who mirrored the Victorian “working woman” and male characters who opposed the chivalry and morals of a Victorian gentleman. His male characters Quint and the Master of Bly took advantage of others and lived their lives focused on personal gain with no regard to people they might hurt or offend. This was the opposite of how a man in the time period was expected to act, which made the men’s flaws more pronounced. Contrary to this difference from the norm, James’s female characters Miss Jessel and the governess reflected the Victorian “working woman.” Both worked hard to earn money and a name for themselves. Miss Jessel complicates this image slightly with her promiscuity, which shows James’s independent views on how women should act. These character traits show that James supported women’s rights and the “working woman” but believed Victorian gentlemen were not as good as they were described. These views might have been influenced by James’s love for his cousin Minny, which gave him an affinity for his feminine side and a dislike of sexually active women. Overall, the similarities and differences between his characters and people of the time give insight into James’s opinions of gender roles in the time period.
Works Cited
Burnett, John. "Appendix — The Author's Autobiographical Reminiscences." Appendix The Author's Autobiographical Reminiscences. Victorian Web, 22 July 2002. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.
Cody, David. "The Gentleman." The Gentleman. Victorian Web, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.
Degler, Carl N. “What Ought To Be and What Was: Women’s Sexuality in the Nineteenth Century.” The American Historical Review. Vol. 79, No. 5 (Dec., 1974), pp. 1467-1490. Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Historical Association.
Ludwig, Meredith. "HENRY JAMES AND HIS WOMEN." NKU Home: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region. Web. 2 May 2013. <http://www.nku.edu/~emily/ludwig.html>
James uses his two most significant female characters, the governess and Miss Jessel, to exemplify the Victorian image of “working women.” While the position of governess was a more traditional one for women, the two characters still showed a drive to earn money themselves. This was one of the most important qualities of the “working woman” as the drive to work often accompanied the drive to earn more rights. In the novella, the governess accepted her job mainly for its high pay, which demonstrates her dedication to make a name for herself as a breadwinner. The governess chose to support herself as an independent woman, instead of choosing the more common Victorian path and settling down with a husband. This dedication is shown in the governess’s interview. While towards the beginning of the interview the governess had doubts about accepting the position, when she realized that “the salary offered much exceeded her modest measure” she took the job. (James 10) This choice shows the governess’s drive as a “working woman” due to the fact that it was the salary that influenced her decision. She wanted to earn a living for herself rather than emphasize the “natural femininity” that comes with caring for children. After securing the position for themselves, the governess and Miss Jessel worked hard to perform the job to the best of their abilities. For example, the governess fought to keep the ghosts that haunted her away from the children in order to prevent their corruption. She desired to protect the souls of the children, which demonstrates her devotion to her work. Miss Jessel also worked hard as governess. While the current governess had doubts about the intentions of Miss Jessel’s ghost, the children’s good condition upon the governess’s acceptance of the position shows that Miss Jessel performed her job well.
While the females in the novella mirrored Victorian women, the men opposed Victorian gentlemen. In this time period, men, especially upper-class men, were held to a high moral standard. A gentleman was expected to be chivalrous, and maintain “gentleness and sympathy, or kind disposition and fine imagination.” (Cody 1) Men in the novella such a Peter Quint and the Master of Bly did not meet these standards. The Master of Bly ignored his moral responsibilities to the children, even though they were his own niece and nephew. He disregarded the high moral standard of the time and focused on himself rather than helping others. Instead of helping to raise the children, the Uncle put all duties onto the governess, playing little to no role in the children’s upbringing. He also takes advantage of the governess, as she has to raise the children with no help from their only family. Quint was hardly chivalrous, as he was known to have had many affairs. He is described as a “hound” and paid little regard to the people he offended with his actions. (James 55) It is so obvious that Quint is this way that the governess notices after just a brief encounter with his ghost. When the governess recounts her story to Mrs. Grose, Grose asks, "Was he a gentleman?" and the governess “had no need to think” before saying "No." (James 38) Both Quint and the Master of Bly opposed the image of what a man was supposed to be in the Victorian age.
By writing his characters this way, James insinuates that men of the time period weren’t as chivalrous as they were made out to be. There is evidence in literature of many instances when this was true. John Ruskin said "Gentlemen have to learn that it is no part of their duty of privilege to live on other people's toil," but this seemed to be the most common way men strayed from the “gentleman’s” way. (Cody 1) In fact, this is exactly what the Master of Bly did. He used the toil of the governess to live freely with no responsibilities to his niece and nephew. It seems James used the children’s uncle to exemplify a common controversy the same way he used his women to exemplify a proper “working woman.” James creates an even more negative connotation with the men by writing them as antagonists. The novella uses female protagonists and male antagonists to strengthen the idea that Victorian men are not as respectable as they seem.
James’s opinion of the feminine role could have influenced his decision to create characters that were strong “working women.” James had a very refined view of the woman’s role for a man at the time. He was said to have an affinity for his “feminine side” and possibly an approval for women’s rights. These characteristics might have been the reason James chose to write a woman protagonist in “The Turn of the Screw.” Many believe that James’s feminine affinity stemmed from James’s love for his cousin Minny. Minny was a independent woman, who was described to have a "precociousness, [a] brashness, [and] independence of spirit.” (qtd. in Ludwig 1) James’s love for Minny caused him to model his female characters after her personality. Since Minny exemplified the image of the Victorian “working woman,” James’s female characters did as well.
In “The Turn of the Screw” the governess embodies the essence of a Victorian “working woman,” but Miss Jessel also contains characteristics not conducive to the Victorian feminine role. While Miss Jessel took the initiative to earn a living for herself, she was involved sexually with Quint, a man well below her social class. A Victorian woman having sexual relations was quite the scandal. Viola Klien said that “in the whole Western world during the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth century it would have been not only scandalous to admit the existence of a strong sex urge in women, but it would have been contrary to all observation.” (qtd. in Degler 2) James’s decision to write a female character who slept with a man below her class implies that James supported women’s rights, but only when the women were chaste. Instead of writing a woman who was simply sexually active, James insinuates that Jessel is promiscuous, which was a disgrace to Victorian women.
While the idea that women should be chaste was a common one when James lived, this opinion might have been strengthened by James’s pining for a woman he could never marry. James was passionate for Minny, but any relations between them would have been condemned. Because he loved her this way and knew “that a marriage them between them could never exist,” he did not want to see her with anyone else, especially if she was not married to them. (Ludwig 1) These opinions of women are obvious in James’s female characters. In the novella, the governess feared that Flora would become like Miss Jessel. The governess does not want the child she looks after to stray from the way a Victorian woman should be, which reflects James’s own views.
In “The Turn of the Screw,” Henry James created female characters who mirrored the Victorian “working woman” and male characters who opposed the chivalry and morals of a Victorian gentleman. His male characters Quint and the Master of Bly took advantage of others and lived their lives focused on personal gain with no regard to people they might hurt or offend. This was the opposite of how a man in the time period was expected to act, which made the men’s flaws more pronounced. Contrary to this difference from the norm, James’s female characters Miss Jessel and the governess reflected the Victorian “working woman.” Both worked hard to earn money and a name for themselves. Miss Jessel complicates this image slightly with her promiscuity, which shows James’s independent views on how women should act. These character traits show that James supported women’s rights and the “working woman” but believed Victorian gentlemen were not as good as they were described. These views might have been influenced by James’s love for his cousin Minny, which gave him an affinity for his feminine side and a dislike of sexually active women. Overall, the similarities and differences between his characters and people of the time give insight into James’s opinions of gender roles in the time period.
Works Cited
Burnett, John. "Appendix — The Author's Autobiographical Reminiscences." Appendix The Author's Autobiographical Reminiscences. Victorian Web, 22 July 2002. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.
Cody, David. "The Gentleman." The Gentleman. Victorian Web, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.
Degler, Carl N. “What Ought To Be and What Was: Women’s Sexuality in the Nineteenth Century.” The American Historical Review. Vol. 79, No. 5 (Dec., 1974), pp. 1467-1490. Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Historical Association.
Ludwig, Meredith. "HENRY JAMES AND HIS WOMEN." NKU Home: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region. Web. 2 May 2013. <http://www.nku.edu/~emily/ludwig.html>
