Blog 2: The Turn of the Screw

Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw relies a great deal on ambiguity. As we discussed in class, whether or not the ghosts are "real" is unclear throughout the story. Other events (such as the final scene, the children's intentions, Miles' expulsion from school, etc.) are equally ambiguous. With that in mind, write a few paragraphs addressing the following questions:

1. How did you interpret the events in the story? Do you think the ghosts were "real" or were they a figment of the governess' imagination? Were Miles and Flora innocent children or was their innocence and goodness just a ruse? Support your readings with textual evidence.
2. Why, in your opinion, did James create such an ambiguous story? How does the ambiguity serve the overall purpose and ideology of the narrative?

comments for this post have been closed

Blog 1: Horror/Genre

Fred Botting's article "Future Horror (The Redundancy of Gothic)" explores the ways in which the definition of "horror" has changed in literature (and film) over the past 2 centuries. His argument is that contemporary horror is about the void that lurks beneath the surfaces that define our reality, whereas Gothic horror dealt with the absence of the paternal figure and the resultant chaos of this absence. Based on your previous encounters with the horror genre (in literature, film, television, video games, etc.), what do you think is the reason for society's fascination with the terrifying and monstrous? How would you define the horror genre? What makes something "horror"?

comments to this post are now closed

Introduction to Class Blog--READ THIS FIRST!

First of all, there are no right or wrong answers in these forums. Prompts are designed to encourage critical thinking. Consider the topic, and then think of an interesting and creative way to respond. The blog is a chance to share your insights and thought processes with your colleagues, as well as to experiment with different ideas and forms of writing. Don't be afraid to write creatively

Credit for your posting will be based on your clear attempts to respond to the topic at a meaningful level, on the depth of your thinking on the subject, and on the degree to which your writing experiment and engages with the prompts.

Each week you will need to respond to the discussion question posted. Posts should be a MINIMUM of 200 words in order to receive full credit. Responses need to be posted by Sunday at midnight, and no late posts will be accepted. (Advice: Write your response on your word processor first, and then cut and paste it into the forum blank.) A total of 15 points will be possible for your response each week, and there will be a total of 10 blog posts. An additional 5 points weekly will be possible by posting a "reply" to or comment on any of your classmates' responses. (You may reply to more than one classmate's posting, but you will not earn more than 5 total additional points.) Don't post a reply just to earn extra points--post a reply only if you have something important, insightful, or useful to say; extra points will be based on the quality/depth of your reply. Please note in either your response title or in the first line of the response whose post you are commenting on.

To post a comment, click on the "comment" button underneath the blog prompt that you want to respond to. A screen with a comment box will be displayed. Click on the "Other" choice as opposed to the "Blogger" choice underneath the box. Enter your name or UF username (something so that I know it is you). You do not need to enter a website unless you would like to. Then cut and paste your reply into the comment box and select "Publish Comment."