Analyses of Miss Jessel’s significance in The Turn of the Screw
Choose one of the following minor characters from the second and third novels in the course, and write an essay analysing his/her significance. The point is to understand how characters that seem peripheral or even “flat” might in fact contribute to the narrative in important ways. You may explore anything you like, such as the character’s personality traits, actions, complexities, symbolic purpose, and relation to or influence on others, but be sure to organize your thoughts into three distinct points. This will form your central thesis— an argument or debatable statement that will take the essay beyond a simple discussion.
Remember that your essay must follow the conventions of English essays and use MLA Format. Guidelines are provided for you in a separate file under “Syllabus and Administrative Information.” Your personal information and the essay’s title should be placed on the first page of the essay, not on a separate title page, and quotations are cited using page numbers in parentheses. You will need to include a Works Cited page, even if the only work you cite is the primary text. No secondary sources are necessary for this assignment. If you choose to use a source, ensure that it is both reputable and scholarly, and cautiously document all borrowed quotations, arguments, and ideas with parenthetical citations and Works Cited entries.
See the syllabus for instructions on how to submit your essay. If you have any questions or would like help, please let me know.
1. Dunstan Cass in Eliot’s Silas Marner
2. Nancy Lammeter in Eliot’s Silas Marner
3. Miss Jessel in James’s The Turn of the Screw
4. Douglas, who tells the governess’s tale, in James’s The Turn of the Screw
