Throughout The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, ambiguity is deliberately used in relation to the reality of ghosts. Without certainty, the reader must guess and assume in order to determine whether the ghosts are real or conjured up in the governess's mind. In this book, there is more evidence of the imagination of ghosts. One source of evidence is the governess's preparation. At the beginning of the book, the governess is thrust into a situation for which she is not prepared. This lack of preparation was due to the life she led before going to Bly. This life gave him few applicable experiences and left him always in need of attention, especially from men. Additionally, the governess feels the need to discredit the children's perfection and by creating these ghosts, this goal could be achieved. This need to attract a man's attention and discredit the children suggests that the governess was never of sound mind and imagined the ghosts. When the governess entered Bly, she was a naive country girl. Until then, she had led a “stifled little life” (chapter 3, page 1), which was not the kind of life she wanted. This type of life had its insecurities. She always cared about appearances, especially her own. The governess “always expects to come across” (chapter 13, page 2) a man who will immediately judge her by her appearance. This belief leads the governess to always worry about how she is perceived. Whether from Mrs. Grose, the children, the ghosts or the master, she wants to know their opinions. In particular, the master offers the governess something she desires so much. He offers her company. In her life with her "brothers and sisters and... her cat and... her dog at home" (Chapter... middle of paper ...... self-esteem of the mistress, because she was of the same sex that the governess Miles, on the other hand, experienced things that the governess could not have because of the difference between the sexes. Once the ignominious nature of the ghosts is applied to the children, they become less and less perfect to the children. eyes of the governess "The governess was not fit to take care of the children. Her life did not prepare her for this job, especially the stress that it entailed, the additional pressure to which she was not accustomed, that being a governess made her "unprepared" (Chapter 3, page 2). Her desire to make herself look better than the children also creates doubts about the governess's sanity. In all this, the desire for attention from the men and the need to discredit the children imply that the governess is driven to create the ghosts in her head. Works Cited Turn of the Screw