Henry James’ seminal novella, The Turn of the Screw, has been adapted countless times since its initial publication in 1898.
The novella’s ambiguity lends itself to multiple interpretations – be it for stage, television, or film (perhaps most notably in 1961’s The Innocents).
It’s a deceptively simple story – a governess, tasked to care for two orphaned children, discovers they may be haunted by malevolent spirits… Yet within this seemingly run-of-the-mill ghost story, James and subsequent adaptors have instilled the piece with commentaries on sexual repression, male toxicity, and women’s limited roles in the 19th …
Read full article