<P> In the century following its publication, The Turn of the Screw became a cornerstone text of academics who subscribe to New Criticism . The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive . Many critics have tried to determine the exact nature of the evil hinted at by the story . However, others have argued that the brilliance of the novella results from its ability to create an intimate sense of confusion and suspense within the reader . </P> <P> The novella has been adapted numerous times in film, stage, and television, including a 1950 Broadway play, and the 1961 film The Innocents . </P> <P> On Christmas Eve, an unnamed narrator listens to Douglas, a friend, read a manuscript written by a former governess whom Douglas claims to have known and who is now dead . The manuscript tells the story of how the young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents . He lives mainly in London but also has a country house, Bly . He is uninterested in raising the children . </P> <P> The boy, Miles, is attending a boarding school, while his younger sister, Flora, is living at a summer country house in Essex . She is currently being cared for by Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper . Miles and Flora's uncle, the governess' new employer, gives her full charge of the children and explicitly states that she is not to bother him with communications of any sort . The governess travels to her new employer's country house and begins her duties . </P>

When was the turn of the screw set