Folklore in James's Fiction: Turning the Screw

Abstract

Henry is not commonly studied for his folkloric debt. Out of volumes of scholarship devoted to James, relatively few consider his incorporation of or reliance on folkloric materials and conventions Jones, Folklore and Literature in United States, 1984). For example, while there have been well over one thousand publications concerning Turn of making it one of most studied works of all time (see Peter Beidler, A Critical History of Turn of Screw, 1995), only a handful discuss folklore elements in that text. This critical neglect of folklore connection is misleading, however, for was an astute observer of cultural phenomena, and he frequently employed folk paradigms, conventions, and motifs in his art. In particular, understanding use of folklore in Turn of Screw is crucial to unraveling Gordian Knot that constitutes that text. Unfortunately, previous folkloristic studies of Turn of while pointing audiences in right direction, have not fully aided our understanding of that novella. Robert Gale in 1959 notes briefly that frequently refers to numerous fairy tales and cites certain correspondences to traditional narratives. George Knox (1963) discusses use of incubi and succubi in story, linking it to tales of supernatural. Eleanor Gornto in her dissertation, A Study of Influence of Fairy on Fiction of Henry James (1973), presents view that fairy tale offered an exaggerated fictional reality against which to measure his essential realism in Turn of Screw as well as in other works. Joseph Firebaugh (1975) points out that man from Harley Street resembles God of Old Testament. Mary Hallab notes in The Turn of Screw Squared (1977) parallels to fairy tales in Arabian Nights and Grimms' collection, and resemblance of activity of ghosts to fairies of legendary lore, which traditionally try to possess or to spirit away children. She suggests further that Miles's death, which occurs in fall, corresponds to traditional sacrifice of myth and vegetation gods, and that taboo not to call uncle and Governess's attempt to name ghosts (cf. Rumplestiltskin) are also folkloric motifs. She sees a Jungian psychic function in these folkloric allusions, symbolically portraying Governess's rebirth into a fully integrated personality, as reflected in relationship of characters in resolution. In her subsequent contribution The Governess and Demon Lover: Return of a Fairy Tale (1987), Hallab revises her assessment and, based on parallels between James's tale and two fairy tales concerning a young woman engaged to look after children of a fairy master, as well as resemblance to tale of Cupid and Psyche (AT 425), suggests that Turn of Screw is itself essentially a fairy tale in which the truth is psychological and universal rather than material and particular (114). Rather than interpreting ghosts as fairies coming to spirit away children, she claims the children and ghosts can be seen as already inhabiting fairy or 'other' world, into which governess enters (106). She then reads tale as if it were a true fairy tale that uses symbolic imagery of ghosts to depict psychological development of heroine concerning her own dark animus and her relationship with a prospective mate. Hers is an ingenious Jungian reading that would make great sense if this were indeed a true folktale or fairy tale, rather than an imitation or literary parody of fairy tale genre. While her documentation of parallels is very persuasive, Hallab overlooks some significant differences between traditional tales and James's tale that call her reading into question: specifically, fact that it is a written document (see Kauffman, 1981), that it is told in first person (see McElroy, 1982), that it is much longer than a traditional tale, that characterization and style are much more elaborated than traditional tales (see Luthi, 1970 and 1982), and, finally, that Miles's death does not fit mold nor does it make sense if he were truly a fairy child, since a fairy child would not be mortal. …