Where It All Goes Down
Bly, a country home in England
After the Prologue, the entire story takes place on the grounds of Bly, a remote and extensive country estate.
The house is old and creepy, and from the very beginning has the air of a haunted place. We go back and forth with the Governess in finding Bly both a comforting and disorienting space; the Governess feels more comfortable outside, where she actually gets to escape and have some alone time, but, as the story goes on, the whole estate feels more and more claustrophobic. The isolation of the characters contributes to the story's heightened sense of constant tension, since they have very little contact with the outside world, except for church on Sundays.