The painted veil summary and analysis of chapters 2837. Upon their arrival in meitanfu, she is distressed to discover they will be living in. Deciding on further revenge, walter accepts an appointment in mei tanfu. Because kitty survives, she begins to change when she starts to work with the nuns, taking care of the orphans. A british medical doctor fights a cholera epidemic in a small chinese village, while being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife. The painted veil is a 2006 drama based on the novel of the same name by w. Somerset maughams novel and adapted by john meehan, salka viertel and edith fitzgerald. They portray walter and kitty fane, the most mismatched movie couple since the breakup. The nuns are remarkable because they actually see the chinese children as full people. Charles refuses to divorce his wife dorothy, and kitty, heartbroken, agrees to go with walter to mei tan fu.
Mei tan fu is a chinese province that is afflicted with a cholera epidemic that has claimed the lives of a. Around the world in 80 books group reads discussions. Dec 14, 2006 the painted veil intelligent scripting, solid thesping and eyecatching location shooting arent enough to make a compelling modern film of the painted veil, w. The painted veil chapters 2837 summary and analysis gradesaver. Ive asked myself if youre both here to commit suicide. The cholera epidemic in the city is severe, and scenes of death are all around. By the time kitty and walter get to the tiny village of meitanfu, you arent. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is. Finally, both unhappily married women go through a moral development. It was short, a fast read, and possessed of an intriguing setting. In describing the destination in china mei tan fu with its crenellated walls was like the painted canvas placed on the stage in an old play to represent a city. This movie is about a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young english couple, walter, a middle class doctor and kitty, an upperclass woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. After basically ruining her marriage with an affair, kitty accompanies her husband, walter, to mei tan fu, a chinese province afflicted with a cholera epidemic.
How kitty fane, struggling to break female stereotypical roles prevailed at that time led her to a pity. He does not confront the two lovers, but he later forces kitty to either leave hong kong with him for the remote, cholera ridden town of meitanfu or convince her lover to marry otherwise he will file for divorce causing a great scandal. The painted veil book vs movie the 2006 movie adaptation of the painted veil, a novel written by somerset mangham in 1925, romanticises the resolution of the marriage of walter fane and kitty, an english frivolous socialite. Deciding on further revenge, walter accepts an appointment in meitanfu.
I remember watching once the razors edge from the mid 1940s, filmed immediately after the publishing of the novel. Kitty and walter make the long journey to meitanfu on chairs and riverboats. The painted veil study guide contains a biography of w. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year now. Somerset maugham and stars edward norton and naomi watts.
The epidemic in mei tan fu is tragic, but it only has weight for the white characters when their own lives are threatened. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic. Mar 12, 2020 nonetheless, walters initiative to head to mei tan fu cannot be more vindictive. Early on in somerset maughams novel, the painted veil, one of the more interesting but peripheral characters, a district commissioner named waddington, stationed upcountry from british colonial hong kong at meitan fu, an outpost plagued by cholera intones. At first i was hesitant when i found out that the painted veil was a story set in hong kong and about british people instead of chinese people.
Kitty garstin is a shallow socialite who decides to marry boring bacteriologist walter fane when she finds that shes out of suitors and her mother pushes her to make the match. Somerset maugham, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Aug 20, 2009 the painted veil was definitely great, changed in a skilfull way but no so much and beautiful in its own, rather different than the novel, way. In meitanfu, kitty comes to see the change in walter and recognises his greatness. The painted veil integrity in writing, the power of. The deepest gratitude and appreciation are extended to hadiyanto, s. I dont remember exactly why i grabbed it other than knowing that the author is someone wellknown and a person that wellread readers read. The painted veil opens with a husband arriving home early to find his wife, kitty, the main character, in bed with his boss. The painted veil chapters 1727 summary and analysis. This one phrase completely epitomizes kitty fanes abject, egocentric nature in the painted veil. The painted veil by somerset maugham james reads books.
Around the world in 80 books meet your next favorite book. How can such a book be representative of a huge country like china. Somerset maughams the painted veil comes into a completion. Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. The painted veil chapters 1727 summary and analysis gradesaver. Meitanfu is a chinese province that is afflicted with a cholera epidemic that has claimed the lives of a large percentage of the residents. I wouldnt normally see a movie like that, but it was based on the book by maugham, so i bent my rules and watched it. Maughams novel begins in hong kong but the story quickly moves to. I liked the painted veil so much i immediately went out and read the book. The painted veil by somerset maugham books the guardian.
Somerset maughams novel, because they are among the producers of this, the book s third screen adaptation. This subtle reference on his death bed serves as a further suggestion that walter seems to have intended to harm kitty by bringing her to meitanfu. The painted veil does a wonderful job at capturing the emotions from maughams novel, a story about two individuals whose uselessness in a place far away from home is the only thing they have in. Lifting the veils in william somerset maughams the painted veil. We are drawn the very question of when it is best for one to lift up her painted veil, a tainted disguise of purity and innocence epitomised by kittys seamless fit into the upperclass london society. On this occasion, i would like to thank all these people who have contributed to the completion of this thesis. Narrated in the third person pov but mostly of kittys, is pretty much a morality tale but is actually more complex. The painted veil is a 2006 american drama film directed by john curran. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet, which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life.
Which was unexpected, as i really wasnt expecting much. In the painted veil, walter is the metaphorical dog and kitty is the man. The section in meitanfu reminded me of thomas manns death in venice. With naomi watts, edward norton, liev schreiber, catherine an. She starts to see that there is more to life than going to parties and having a great time, and loves the feeling of being needed. In this essay the supposed divergence of kittys behavior and attitude shall be explored, and abolished as a mere illusion. Meanwhile, walter has volunteered to go to the remote village of mei tan fu where a doctor is desperately needed to deal with a cholera epidemic. The nuns, waddington, and the manchu woman who loved him, were fantastic characters in a masque. The painted veil is the third screen adaptation of maughams bestselling novel of the same name. He made no further claim for himself than that he was a good storyteller. Walter, a great bridge player, makes an unexpected move and volunteers his medical services in the choleraridden mei tan fu district. While i was in the midst of a somerset maugham obsession triggered by selina hastingss superb biography, i mentioned that i thought the painted veil would be an excellent choice for the literary ladies book club.
The third film version of somerset maugham s 1925 noveldirected by john curranis ripe with stunning chinese locales and a smart turn from naomi watts as kitty fane, the aging english socialite who must put herself in strange and turbulent surroundings before she finds her true self. Aug 05, 2006 the painted veil stars naomi watts and edward norton must have liked very much w. I hadnt read the painted veil before i saw the movie with ed norton and naomi watts. Maugham 1925 hong kong english literature database. She misses his affection when it is gone and his tenderness. This study guide consists of approximately 34 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the painted veil. The nature of love is one of the primary themes of the novel. May 04, 2011 in my opinion, the painted veil was a great choice for a book discussion group. The painted veil is a 1925 novel by british author w. Kitty watts is an upperclass english girl in the 1920s. My feeling is that he was better than good he was great. Complexity of relationships the focus in painted veil.
The painted veil william somerset maugham my book affair. The screenplay by ron nyswaner is based on the 1925 novel of the same. Jan 18, 2015 at the end of the poem, the man recovers from his bite and it was the dog that died. Walters work takes him to shanghai, and there kitty settles into married life and. This portion of the novel alludes to an incident from dantes divine comedy. Edward norton, naomi watts, toby jones, anthony wong chau sang and liev schreiber appear in the leading roles. The novel was first published in serialised form in five issues of cosmopolitan november 1924 march 1925. Somerset maughams intensely psychological novel to the screen for the. The next day, walter wakes kitty from her nap and explains that he is going to a town called meitanfu, which is in the grip of a horrible cholera. But this is a lovely, slowburning, grownup love story, set in a landscape so beautiful that it makes you want to weep. The screenplay by ron nyswaner is based on the 1925 novel of the same title by w. The painted veil is a testament to star and producer edward nortons.
Kitty finds a friend in waddington, the deputy commissioner of customs in mei tan fu, a short and rather ugly little man who is humorous, kind, and insightful. Upon their arrival in mei tan fu, she is distressed to discover they will be living in near squalor, far removed from everyone except their cheerful neighbor waddington, a british deputy commissioner living with a young chinese woman in relative opulence. Otherwise, you must come up country with me to mei fantu where ive offered to take charge of the cholera epidemic. Upon discovery, walter turns into a revengeful monster and brought kitty to mei tan fu, an imaginary cholerainfected village along the. Early on in somerset maughams novel, the painted veil, one of the more interesting but peripheral characters, a district commissioner named waddington, stationed upcountry from british colonial hong kong at mei tan fu, an outpost plagued by cholera intones.