To compare them, both novels have the protagonist as a governess who looks for a job at a household. Moreover,these two stories constantly create a suspense as the chapters continue. However, they are suspenseful stores, each have a different way to illustrate the suspense. The Turn of the Screw is a 'ghost' story which illustrates the Governess either actually experiencing the sight of the ghosts or deemed crazy by the reader. In Jane Eyre, the Governess experiences events that causes the reader to have suspense. Moreover, a foreshadow is constantly seen in both stories which forces the reader to 'guess' what is going to happen in the future chapters. Some examples would be in The Turn of the Screw, the Governess sees the children lying to her but in Jane Eyre, a tall dark figure comes into her room and splits her veil in half.
This question is interesting because I actually read an article which talks about the strong possibility that Henry James used Jane Eyre as a model for the governess in his novel. According to the article it is a matter of common knowledge that James was well aware of the work of Charlotte Bronte and her siblings, and in particular of Jane Eyre. The article even said that James refers to the book several times in his reviews and in his autobiographical writings. There are numerous parallels between the two books. Jane is 18 when she leaves Lowood school for Thornfield, and James' governess is 20 when she arrives at Bly. Jane's father was a "poor clergyman" and James' governess is the daughter of "a poor country parson." Also, both of these women come from unhappy family situations. The two governesses enjoy reading and have a passion for literature. Both of the women also develop strong feelings for their employers. Both Rochester and the Uncle are men of mystery. Both men seem to be hiding secrets and add to the suspense of the novels. Jane befriends Mrs. Fairfax when she begins working at Thornfield, while the governess develops a companionship with Mrs. Grose. There are also supernatural/strange unexplainable events in both novels. However, The Turn of the Screw serves as a ghost story and its purpose is to keep you in suspense. Jane Eyre is not a ghost story. While there may be a few strange events, Jane Eyre serves as more of a romance novel and as an autobiography of Jane Eyre's life. One very important similarity that tends to make both of the stories more relatable is that they are both told from the point of view of the governesses. We see everything from their perspectives.
To compare them, both novels have the protagonist as a governess who looks for a job at a household. Moreover,these two stories constantly create a suspense as the chapters continue. However, they are suspenseful stores, each have a different way to illustrate the suspense. The Turn of the Screw is a 'ghost' story which illustrates the Governess either actually experiencing the sight of the ghosts or deemed crazy by the reader. In Jane Eyre, the Governess experiences events that causes the reader to have suspense. Moreover, a foreshadow is constantly seen in both stories which forces the reader to 'guess' what is going to happen in the future chapters. Some examples would be in The Turn of the Screw, the Governess sees the children lying to her but in Jane Eyre, a tall dark figure comes into her room and splits her veil in half.
ReplyDeleteThis question is interesting because I actually read an article which talks about the strong possibility that Henry James used Jane Eyre as a model for the governess in his novel. According to the article it is a matter of common knowledge that James was well aware of the work of Charlotte Bronte and her siblings, and in particular of Jane Eyre. The article even said that James refers to the book several times in his reviews and in his autobiographical writings. There are numerous parallels between the two books. Jane is 18 when she leaves Lowood school for Thornfield, and James' governess is 20 when she arrives at Bly. Jane's father was a "poor clergyman" and James' governess is the daughter of "a poor country parson." Also, both of these women come from unhappy family situations. The two governesses enjoy reading and have a passion for literature. Both of the women also develop strong feelings for their employers. Both Rochester and the Uncle are men of mystery. Both men seem to be hiding secrets and add to the suspense of the novels. Jane befriends Mrs. Fairfax when she begins working at Thornfield, while the governess develops a companionship with Mrs. Grose. There are also supernatural/strange unexplainable events in both novels. However, The Turn of the Screw serves as a ghost story and its purpose is to keep you in suspense. Jane Eyre is not a ghost story. While there may be a few strange events, Jane Eyre serves as more of a romance novel and as an autobiography of Jane Eyre's life. One very important similarity that tends to make both of the stories more relatable is that they are both told from the point of view of the governesses. We see everything from their perspectives.
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