Write an introduction to the debate around The Turn of the Screw and the existence of ghosts in the story.

The portfolio resubmission breaks down the standard paper into a series of four tasks, based on the elements of academic writing covered in the course. The word limit for the whole is 1000 words minimum, 1500 maximum; you can divide this up between the sections at your discretion, but aim for balance (e.g. don’t spend 500 words on §1 and just 100 on §2!). Format your text with 1.5 or 2.0 line-spacing. Cite in MLA format, including a single Works Cited list at the end of the whole portfolio.

1. Introduction

Write an introduction to the debate around The Turn of the Screw and the existence of ghosts in the story. Using They Say/I Say chs.1-3 to help you, summarise the main positions in the debate, and quote from at least one representative of each side (i.e. two quotes minimum). At this stage, you are not asked to critique the positions, merely to lay them out.

2. Response

Following on from your previous section (i.e. without recapping), respond to the debate over The Turn of the Screw, either by supporting one side or the other with evidence from the text and argumentation, or by taking a ‘third way’ (synthesising the two, or sidestepping the deadlock by using a different theoretical approach; see slides from the week on ‘inoculation and dialectics’). At this stage, you may well wish to engage in a more detailed manner with the ‘orientation’ of the critics. Use They Say/I Say ch.4 (‘three ways to respond’) for assistance.

3. Inoculation

Develop your argument from the previous section by anticipating possible objections or misunderstandings of your position, and provide counterarguments or clarification. Using They Say/I Say chs.6+10 for guidance.