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The Turn of the Screw
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Plot Summary of The Turn of the Screw
"The Turn of the Screw is one of the finest ghost stories ever written - but of course, since it is by Henry James, it would be. His steady building of psychological and physical pressure on the governess through the medium of the ghost and the children interacting with it is terrifying and lives up to the title as every new phase gives the story's pressure "another turn of the screw.""
Kelly Whiting, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Turn of the Screw
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - scarey (primal ax-wielding fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Somewhat obvious
Time/era of story: - 19th century
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - cooped up in spooky house
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror Story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the ghost chased me!

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - servant
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - mind control - invisibility - can read emotions
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
Motive of antagonist - revenge
Monster of some sort? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Misc setting - fancy mansion

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 3-4
Unusual forms of death - fright - drowned
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - little dialog
Most similar books to The Turn of the Screw
The Wizard's Daughter by Barbara Michaels
Dark Assassin by Anne Perry
American Gothic by Robert Bloch
The Terror by Dan Simmons
The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte by James Tully


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