Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Debate: Did the Governess Truly Encounter Supernatural Elements at Bly?”

In this activity, students will participate in a debate on the validity of the governess’s claims within the novella.

In the article “American Gothic: From James to Jackson” by Melbourne Theatre Company, author Melanie Sheridan raises the question: “Is [James’s story] a ghost story or a psychoanalytic portrait of mental illness?” For this Activity, you will participate in a debate where you argue for one of the contrasting sides of the above question. Working with your partners, be sure to develop a cohesive argument that supports your team’s position, including opening and closing statements and rebuttals. Have students rehearse their statements beforehand, then hold the debate where other students can observe. Finally, in a post-debate in-class discussion, consider how the themes of Ambiguity and The Limits of Knowledge, Sexuality and The End of Innocence, and The Social Control of Female Identity link into the central argument, particularly in the representation of the governess of a mentally unstable and “hysterical” woman.