The Flying Dutchman

Description: 

This painting depicts a ghost ship that is doomed to sail the seas for all eternity. The dark colors and waves create a sense of despir and give it a haunting feeling, contributing to the macabre theme. The theme of "The Macabre" is prevalent in the novella through the haunting presence of ghosts, trapped in a state of unrest, haunting the grounds of Bly Manor.

The novella states, "The very breath of the creature in my face was, in this early day, as the very breath of the corruption in the atmosphere. This quote emphasizes the dread and decay portrayed by the ghosts, contributing to the theme of "The Macabre" within the novella and the painting.

 Alexander Jones states in their article, "Point of View in the Turn of the Screw," "After corrupting the young children entrusted to their care, wicked servants had died. Their ghosts had then returned to haunt the house and the children, whom they attempted to destroy. "So long as the children are kept from them, they are not lost; but they try and try and try, these evil presence, to get hold of them." This quote emphasizes with the corruption, decay, and supernatural prevalence within the novella and the painting. It further expresses the feeling of uneasiness and fear within the novella and the painting.

Works Cited

“The Turn of the Screw Quotes by Henry James.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/990886-the-turn-of-the-screw. Accessed 3 May 2024.

“Flying Dutchman.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Dutchman.

“Albert Pinkham Ryder.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pinkham_Ryder.

Jones, Alexander E. “Point of View in the Turn of the Screw.” PMLA, vol. 74, no. 1, 1959, pp. 112–22. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/460392. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Associated Place(s)

Artist: 

  • Albert Ryder

Image Date: 

1887