Discuss how Henry James’ novella, The turn of the screw and Alejandro Amenabar’s film, The Others

(2001) employ a range of 

prose fiction and film techniques to elucidate gothic themes.  
 
Theme: ​Appearance Versus Reality 
 
The early 20th century novella, ​The Turn of the Screw​ written by Henry James and published in 1907 integrates gothic tropes 
through the recurring theme of Appearance vs Reality. It is through Appearance vs Reality in which James manipulates ambiguity, 
blurring lines through the depiction of the characters, the governess and the two children (Miles and Flora), language as well as the 
plotline. Pushing the audience to question the governess’ mental stability. As the novella progresses, James’ alterations on the 
characterisation as well as structure of his works, leads the audience to question what is real and what is merely a facade. Similarly, 
the film, ​The Others (2001)​, a supernatural thriller directed by Alejandro Amenabar applies various film techniques to convey 
apprehension and terror among the audience highlighting the film’s gothic tropes. The film’s gothic nature is mostly demonstrated 
through the film’s characterisation of the main characters, Grace (The mother), Anne and Nicholas that brings forth ambiguity in 
relation to the supernatural elements of the film. 
 
Both Henry James’ novella ​The Turn of the Screw​ and Alejandro Amenabar’s film, T ​ he Others​ provides a deep investigation of the 
recurring theme, Appearance vs Reality to elucidate gothic themes of the fictional story. Henry James’ depiction of the children as 
well as Bly is drawn upon their exterior elucidating Victorian ideals which presume one’s physical appearance conveys purity and 
innocence. James challenges this concept through the manipulation of juxtaposition of the Governess’ perspective of the children 
and the perspective of Mrs. Grose. This is evident during the conversation between Mrs. Grose and the Governess, ​"Why, of the very 
things that have delighted, fascinated, and yet, at bottom, as I now so strangely see, mystified and troubled me. Their more than earthly 
beauty, their absolutely unnatural goodness. It's a game," I went on; "it's a policy and a fraud!" "On the part of little darlings—?" "As 
yet mere lovely babies? Yes, mad as that seems!" The very act of bringing it out really helped me to trace it—follow it all up and piece it 
all together. "They haven't been good—they've only been absent. It has been easy to live with them, because they're simply leading a life 
of their own. They're not mine—they're not ours. They're his and they're hers!" "Quint's and that woman's?" "Quint's and that 
woman's. They want to get to them."​ James utilises ambiguity to bring forth the idea of how the Governess cannot depict the 
children as their own people, she characterises Miles and Flora as objects, contributing to her weak grasp on reality and her role as an 
unreliable narrator. This passage demonstrates how the governess’ incompetence in comprehending the children as independent 
individuals. She further goes to state “​"They haven't been good—they've only been absent. It has been easy to live with them, because 
they're simply leading a life of their own. They're not mine—they're not ours. They're his and they're hers!" T​ his demonstrates her 
overly-obsessive behaviour over control, as she depicts righteousness and propriety is viewed through obedience. As the novella 
progress, the Governess’ opinion continuously goes through alterations. It is here that that the governess confesses a substantially 
major change of perspective to Mrs. Grose, she explains that the children's have hidden away their true appearance and are 
deliberately trying to appear as children of purity and virtue when they had been corrupted by Quint and Miss Jessel, explaining 
their “unnatural” obedience and lovely nature. She proceeds to state that the children do not belong to the Governess and Mrs. 
Grose but to the two supernatural beings. This pivotal stage in the novella is when the Governess’ innocence is corrupted by her 
suspicion and paranoia. Here, the Governess’ perspective of the children is contrasted with her initial assertion that Flora was “​the 
most beautiful child I had ever seen…​” .​ The Governess’ inability to comprehend between appearance from reality as well as her 
clashing views with Mrs. Grose conveys the thought that not everything is what meets to the eye. Likewise, Alejandro Amenabar 
explores the theme of Appearance vs Reality through ambiguity and the depiction of the children Anne, Nicholas and Victor. This 
is exemplified during the scene in when Anne wakes up Nicholas complaining about Victor who had been messing with the curtains 
and first introduced Victor to her younger brother Nicholas, a child who was thought to be a ghost. Amenabar manipulates several 
close up shots of Nicholas’ face as well as low-key lighting that obstructs the audience’s view of the set, shrouding the scene in 
ambiguity. Amenabar further expresses this idea through the utilisation of obscure camera angles, specifically the over-the-shoulder 
shot. The manipulation of the over-the-shoulder shot covers the scene in ambiguity as it is never clear who is speaking in response to 
Anne’s statements, although both the audience and Nicholas can hear a strange voice, due to the camera angle, responders are 
unable to distinguish whether Anne is faking the voice or not. This pushes the audience to question their perception reality in 
relation to the supernatural elements of the film. Responders are in a dilemma whether to side with Nicholas who is convinced his 
sister is teasing him or Anne, who is certain that Victor exists. Thus, it is evident in both the novella, ​The Turn of The Screw a​ s well 
as the film, T​ he Others t​ heme Appearance vs Reality is thoroughly explored through the manipulation of ambiguity, pushing 
responders to question the line between appearance from reality.