Henry James’s Ghost Stories: The Turn of the Screw and The Jolly Corner

Aims

This course aims to:

• consider James’s ideas on “ghosts” and ghost stories
• investigate a variation of themes and techniques through close textual analysis of two of his stories
• explore the narrative methods with which James achieves his effects

Content

Those of us familiar with Henry James’s psychological novels, all of which explore human consciousness and seem preoccupied with ways of representing it, may be surprised to find that he was interested in ghosts and ghost stories. How can such a sophisticated writer lower himself to crude supernatural effects? He did call The Turn of the Screw a “shameless pot-boiler”! Yet the ambiguity of his narrative is such that debates about the meaning of this story have not ceased since it was first published. The governess actually tries to employ a detective’s techniques, using logical inference in response to what she considers evidence in order to determine the nature of the crimes and the identity of the criminals. But James appears to be showing her perception of what she believes is happening in front of her eyes to be unreliable because of her own problematic psyche. Or does he?

The course will begin with a discussion of the ghost story genre, the question of how and why James came to be interested in the supernatural, and what it means for his writing. The ambiguous relationship between a traditional notion of "the supernatural" and an emergent modern conception of "the unconscious" in James's fiction has generated a great deal of critical debate about the ghost stories. As we have seen in relation to The Turn of the Screw, their interpreters have frequently attempted to show that James's apparitions are products of the psychology of the person who encounters them. Spencer Brydon in The Jolly Corner is so obsessed with the alternative life he might have led, had he stayed, that he virtually conjures up the ghost of his”other self.” At least, this is one possible reading!

But while the stories often turn on questions about evidence of supernatural visitations and thus raise the issue of "the reality of the unseen," James never investigates the “real” origins of the apparitions. As he said in his 1908 Preface to The Turn of the Screw: “Only make the reader’s general vision of evil intense enough . . . and his own experience, his own imagination, his own sympathy (with the children) and horror (of their false friends) will supply him quite sufficiently with all the particulars.” This is a reminder of how these stories force us readers to engage with the process of interpretation.

Presentation of the course 

The course will consist of informal lectures with Powerpoint slides and some close analysis of the stories with an emphasis on class discussion.

Course sessions

1. Introduction: the origins and development of the ghost story
2. The Turn of the Screw
3. The Turn of the Screw
4. The Jolly Corner
5. The Jolly Corner

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• to gain a wider knowledge of Henry James’s specific approach to an established genre
• to demonstrate skills of close reading in response to different passages
• to articulate an informed response to the texts and some of the issues covered on the course

Required reading

*James, Henry, The Turn of the Screw

*James, Henry, The Jolly Corner

In: James, Henry, The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories, edited and with an introduction and notes by Susie Boyt (Penguin Classics, Penguin Random House 2017)

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.