Sheila
asked:
Of what evil, exactly, were Miss Kressel and Quint supposed to be guilty of in life? Undue familiarity with each other, and with others, especially the children, I understand. Not staying quietly within their place. But was that tantamount to true evil? Or was more supposed to have passed between them and the children?
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Nola Tillman
There's also an implication that they sexually molested the children, which I first thought as I read and then saw again on wikipedia:
'Poet and literary critic Craig Raine, in his essay "Sex in nineteenth-century literature", states quite categorically his belief that Victorian readers would have identified the two ghosts as child molesters'
'Poet and literary critic Craig Raine, in his essay "Sex in nineteenth-century literature", states quite categorically his belief that Victorian readers would have identified the two ghosts as child molesters'
György
This is addressed in chapter 7, explained by Mrs. Grose. Put shortly, Miss Jessel was upper class, Quint was lower class, and they liked to play it rough (sex) and in fact allowed themselves to be seen in the act by other servants. This behaviour between classes was something unspoken of, something incredibly taboo, but that doesn't mean it never happened in the real world of the 19th century.
If you are analysing it from the point of view of the governess/narrator, it becomes a little more ambiguous because she never explicitly explains what exactly could be 'evil' in their influence over Miles and Flora.
If you are analysing it from the point of view of the governess/narrator, it becomes a little more ambiguous because she never explicitly explains what exactly could be 'evil' in their influence over Miles and Flora.
Thomas
I actually think there was some kind of sexual thing involving the children. Class relations would not explain all the stuff about the children being more grown up then they should be. I suspect they did sexual stuff to each other and the children saw it. Maybe to cover their tracks they convinced the children it was normal behavior between adult friends. hence Miles is so sweet and yet gets expelled. he does stuff he thinks is normal but actually rather inappropriate
Dan
I don't agree there was sexual abuse going on or that most critics think there was either. That smacks too much of a titillating Freudian interpretation. For the characters (and the readers of the time) it would be bad enough that class distinctions between the characters were not being adhered to and that the difference between the stations of adult and child had broken down.
Ericka
Back in that era familiarity between the classes was extraordinarily wrong. Just the familiarity between the children and the servants would be considered terrible and the children were VERY familiar with their servants. Plus the former governess was supposed to be a lady and she had relations with a valet? Quel horreur! I assume she died in childbirth from the non-discussion and that would have been her ruin. We have very little understanding of the breaks between classes back then. Just watch some British shows with current aristocrats being interviewed about showing their property for funding and you can still see this superiority acting in their words and behavior.
Kate
I don't believe the sexual molestation thing either. Ms. Jessell and Quint were having a relationship with each other and the affair is implied to have led to their deaths. It's possible Ms. Jessell had gotten pregnant. In the time the story was set, this was a big deal that could lead to Ms. Jessel's reputation being ruined.
As for the influence over the children, it was simply because Ms. Jessell and Quint were dead. The governess thinks that the reason they stayed as ghosts is that they are damned, and because they are damned, they might harbor malice towards the children for whatever reason -- probably revenge. The governess is a bit on the fervently religious side and comes to believe that it's her duty to protect the children from the allegedly malicious ghosts.
As for the influence over the children, it was simply because Ms. Jessell and Quint were dead. The governess thinks that the reason they stayed as ghosts is that they are damned, and because they are damned, they might harbor malice towards the children for whatever reason -- probably revenge. The governess is a bit on the fervently religious side and comes to believe that it's her duty to protect the children from the allegedly malicious ghosts.
Delia Tannino
I believe other matters are way more open to different interpretations, but it’s fairly obvious that Miles was sexually abused by Quint. The problem is that nowadays we are all used to things being said explicitly, which was usually definitely not the case when talking about anything sexual back then.
Eugenia
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Adina Mamon
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Johnwhite
I seem (seem) to recall Mrs. Grose implying that they had sex in view of the children. Or at least, they didn't care if the children saw it. If true, that would be an 'evil' form of child abuse.
There's also the implication that the children might eventually end up in a physically incestuous relationship if allowed. very disturbing.
There's also the implication that the children might eventually end up in a physically incestuous relationship if allowed. very disturbing.
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