Meanwhile, Douglas is a past romantic interest of the speaker. Furthermore, even as the story is told by a female, and the setting is a mostly feminine populated country estate the male characters are ever present and oppressive! The Governess’s choices and actions are dictated by her desire to honor her responsibility to the Master. Even little Miles grows increasingly demanding and even bossy. Finally, this is a woman’s account written by a man, so is there even a female voice here at all? How might the story have been different if it had been written by a woman? If we were to imagine what, if any portion of the story would most resemble a woman writing possibly the closest example is the description of the Governess “battling” the male ghost, Quint, and her attempt to protect Miles from being taken by evil, “What does it matter now, my own?- what will he ever matter? I have you,’ I launched at the beast, ‘but he has lost you for ever!” (James 85). Markedly, this battle is ultimately lost because it ends with Miles death. Therefore, even this small victory, this one instance of female power is robbed from the
Meanwhile, Douglas is a past romantic interest of the speaker. Furthermore, even as the story is told by a female, and the setting is a mostly feminine populated country estate the male characters are ever present and oppressive! The Governess’s choices and actions are dictated by her desire to honor her responsibility to the Master. Even little Miles grows increasingly demanding and even bossy. Finally, this is a woman’s account written by a man, so is there even a female voice here at all? How might the story have been different if it had been written by a woman? If we were to imagine what, if any portion of the story would most resemble a woman writing possibly the closest example is the description of the Governess “battling” the male ghost, Quint, and her attempt to protect Miles from being taken by evil, “What does it matter now, my own?- what will he ever matter? I have you,’ I launched at the beast, ‘but he has lost you for ever!” (James 85). Markedly, this battle is ultimately lost because it ends with Miles death. Therefore, even this small victory, this one instance of female power is robbed from the