The Painted Veil - Literature review Example

? Literary Analysis: The Painted Veil Introduction W. Somerset Maugham’s novel the Painted Veil is today recognized as a 20th century ic. The novel itself takes its title from a Percy Bysshe Shelley sonnet that states, “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life" (Maugham, ix). One considers that both the sonnet and the title hold a great degree of insight into the novel’s inter-workings. Specifically, the novel follows a variety of characters through personal challenges and foibles that are revealed after removing the metaphorical ‘painted veil’. This recognition carries with it a number of direct questions for the novel. For instance, is the work a bildungsroman -- a novel of development – or is it merely a critique of human weaknesses? This essay argues that the novel functions to demonstrate that life is the continual negotiation between moments of development and human weakness, and as such the central theme is one of adaptation and change. Analysis Throughout the novel tremendous periods of change occurs, most notably in Kitty Fane’s life. The most notable developmental change in Kitty’s life occurs in direct relation to the specific places she lives and the people she encounters. One considers Kitty Fane’s life throughout the early stages of the novel as largely seeking a more firmly established identity or purpose. In the early stages of the novel Kitty’s weak identity is established as she faces pressure from her mother to marry. The text notes that, “Mrs. Garstin was a hard, cruel, managing, ambitious, parsimonious, and stupid woman" (Maugham, p. 19). This cruel and managing influence becomes a central area of concern in the novel as it drives much of Kitty’s decision-making. Not being able to recognize her mother’s social ambitions, Kitty rushes herself into an unhappy marriage with Walter Fane. Of course a notable shift in Kitty’s life occurs as she moves to Mei-tan-fu. Upon moving here, Kitty states, “I feel like one of those old sailors who set sail for undiscovered seas…and I think my soul hankers for the unknown” (Maugham, p. 153). This is a highly significant statement within the text as it indicates that Kitty has achieved a new purpose in life. To an extent the notion of this area as contributing to Kitty’s new purpose in life is directly attributed to her becoming involved with the French nuns; these individuals work with the poor and take care of the orphans in the area. One considers that throughout a great portion of Kitty’s life her actions have been motivated out of self-interest and her mother’s irrational expectations. Her move to Mei-tan-fu then has allowed her to remove herself from her dysfunctional and ineffective adulterous affair with Charlie Townsend, as well as discover and throw herself into a life-pursuit that extends beyond her immediate self-interests. These are both things that she could not achieve in London or in colonial Hong Kong. While Mei-tan-fu largely represents a period of awakening and stability for Kitty one recognizes that this peace is soon punctured by further moments of human weakness and strife. Despite Kitty’s new sense of purpose, her relationship with Walter is still recognized as containing considerable strife. Even Kitty’s newfound purpose and stability is not able to rectify the situation with Walter. It is not long before he gains cholera. It seems that to an extent Maugham implements Walter’s cholera as a sort of symbolic comment on the nature of their relationship as sick of dysfunctional. The text states, “I do not know what Walter has in that dark, twisted mind of his, but I’m shaking with terror. I think it may be that death will be really a release” (Maugham, p. 220). While Kitty is vague as to whose death would be a release it seems clear that the cholera in this instance functions outside of the direct realms of a plot device and more in terms of a symbolic comment on the nature of the relationship. From the perspective of the novel as one of development it seems that the characters were potentially motivated towards moving to this region out of an innate death wish that would free them from their bonds of matrimony. Even while Kitty’s relationship with Walter has been strained throughout their existence the novel Charlie Townsend’s death is positioned as a negative occurrence in her life. In this spectrum of understanding Kitty has not achieved a higher stage of development, but merely realized a moment of stability and respite. Again she is thrown into many of the challenges of her past-life, as she must leave Mei-tan-fu and head back to Hong Kong and then England. One of the central considerations Kitty must now face is the life of her daughter. She states, “Let me be frank just this once, father. I've been foolish and wicked and hateful. I've been terribly punished. I'm determined to save my daughter from all that. I want her to be fearless and frank. I want her to be a person, independent of others because she is possessed of herself, and I want her to take life like a free man and make a better job of it than I have" (Maugham, p. 245). One considers that within the context of the text this is a significant concern as it directly contrasts Kitty’s desire for her child with her own mother’s desire for her. While her mother had embraced a singular mode of development that forced Kitty into a dysfunctional marriage, Kitty instead wishes that her child become independent. This is significant as it demonstrates Kitty’s – and the novel’s – recognition of life as a series of adaptations and choices rather than a singular line of development that can be uniformly adopted and applied. One considers that as Kitty is forced to return to Hong Kong she encounters Dorothy. This is a significant occurrence as she has hoped to avoid Charles Townsend, but again has been forced to re-enter his life. The perspective of the novel as one of personal development is largely disrupted by this occurrence, as it demonstrates that while Kitty achieved a sense of stability and purpose in Mei-tan-fu she must once again adapt her life to past challenges. While one would otherwise consider that Kitty would be able to resist Charlie Townsend’s advances as she has developed throughout her experiences, the text reveals that she ultimately capitulates. This capitulation is largely a cynical and nihilistic perspective account of human nature as victim to the aforementioned cyclicality of human weakness. Rather than operating as a natural stage of development, Kitty instead must adapt to this change and leave. The concluding scenes, where she encounters her mother and father, seem to operate as a means of ultimately exploring the vagaries of human experience. While Kitty is unable to ever fully rectify her relationship with her mother, through love she can work towards a higher degree of connection with her father. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has examined W. Somerset Maugham’s novel the Painted Veil. Within this spectrum of investigation the essay has examined the novel as functioning to demonstrate that life is the continual negotiation between moments of development and human weakness, and as such the central theme is one of adaptation and change. This is most prominently witnessed in the life of the main protagonist Kitty Fane. While Kitty experiences moments of stability and purpose these moments are quickly punctured by hardship that Kitty must adapt to. Ultimately the novel achieves its heightened realism and literary merit through this insight into the human condition. References Maugham, W. Somerset. The Painted Veil. New York: Penguin Classics. 1999. Read More