This book is an examination of the problem of child abuse as illustrated in one of the most famous 'ghost' stories, Henry James' novella, "The Turn of the Screw". It examines the culture in which James was writing, an historical analysis of child abuse, and a different interpretation of what the story really depicts, in contrast to what other literary critics have suggested. It also examines the 1961 film version of the story, "The Innocents".