The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Why does a person change? Because he or she wants to change?
Because he or she needs to change? Or, as in the case of Kitty Fain, the
protagonist in the novel The Painted Veil, because her very life depends
on it. Written by W. Somerset Maugham and published in 1925, this novel
explores yet another twist on an archetypal love triangle.
Dr. Walter Fain marries Kitty Garstin even though he is
aware that she doesn’t love him. Living in London in the 1920’s when women had
limited opportunities for education or employment, Kitty’s primary purpose is
to find a husband. So when Kitty’s younger sister becomes engaged, Kitty agrees
to marry Walter Fain, a British civil servant who has fallen in love with her. The
newlyweds move to Hong Kong where Walter will work for the British Government
as a bacteriologist. Kitty treats Walter with disdain and disrespect, behaviors
she learned by observing her mother talk to her father. Kitty is pretty, vapid
and self-centered. She lacks a moral
compass and possesses little regard for other people’s feelings. It may be possible that Maugham imagines her as a metaphor for British Colonialism.
Kitty begins an affair with Walter’s boss, Charles Townsend.
When Walter learns of her betrayal, he is devastated. Kitty deludes herself
into believing that Charles is in love with her and will divorce his wife; however, she learns quite quickly that Charles has no such intention. With her
options narrowed, Kitty has little choice but to travel with her husband to a rural
and isolated part of China where he will begin work on solving the cholera
epidemic.
Unmoored from the rigid class structure of British society,
Kitty must rely on her own innate traits and characteristics. Watching her
awareness develop makes the book feel suspenseful. As each chapter unfolds, the
reader senses that Kitty and Walter might come to a mutual understanding about
their shared past. But Walter’s hurt over Kitty’s betrayal is so deep that he jeopardizes
his own happiness to secure Kitty’s suffering. Walter wishes he could forgive
Kitty, but he is unable. His equilibrium is the tragic victim of Kitty’s
carelessness.
The novel’s power derives from the uncertainty of how Kitty and
Walter will deal with this new set of circumstances. Though Walter and Kitty are both victims of
their own limitations, Kitty is able to grow.
In the jungle, she reflects on her foolishness, her vanity, and her
self-centered behavior. Kitty’s growth
inspires and provides hope to Maugham’s readers. She does arrive at an understanding of
herself and the choices she has made, but not through the luxury of a therapist’s
couch. Instead, her understanding is gained through witnessing the suffering and cruelty experienced by her
fellow human beings. She leaves her narcissistic bubble and and feels compelled
to ameliorate the pain of others. Kitty Fain develops a conscience and a
consciousness that allows her to forgive herself and move on. Maugham creates a
rich, textured, and hopeful story of how people, sometimes in spite of
themselves, can grow and change.