The Painted Veil Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The particolored Veil - Literature review ExampleW. Somerset Maughams novel the Painted Veil is at once recognized as a 20th century classic. The novel itself takes its claim from a Percy Bysshe Shelley sonnet that states, bunco not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life (Maugham, ix). sensation considers that both the sonnet and the title hold a great degree of insight into the novels inter-workings. Specifically, the novel follows a var. of characters through personal challenges and foibles that are revealed after removing the metaphorical painted veil. This recognition carries with it a make out of direct questions for the novel. For instance, is the work a bildungsroman -- a novel of exploitation or is it merely a go over of gentle weaknesses? This essay argues that the novel functions to demonstrate that bread and butter is the continual negotiation between moments of development and sympathetic weakness, and as such the central theme is one of adaptation and diversify. Analysis Throughout the novel nasty percentage points of change occurs, most notably in spate Fanes life. The most notable developmental change in Kittys life occurs in direct relation to the specific places she lives and the people she encounters. One considers Kitty Fanes 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 Kittys weak identity is established as she faces pressure from her commence to marry. The text notes that, Mrs. Garstin was a hard, cruel, managing, ambitious, parsimonious, and stupid char (Maugham, p. 19). This cruel and managing influence becomes a central playing area of concern in the novel as it drives much(prenominal) of Kittys decision-making. Not being able to recognize her mothers social ambitions, Kitty rushes herself into an unhappy marriage with Walter Fane. Of course a notable shift in Kittys life occurs as she moves to Mei-tan-fu. Up on moving here, Kitty states, I feel like one of those old cruiseors who set sail for undiscovered seasand I think my soul hankers for the unknown (Maugham, p. 153). This is a highly significant statement inwardly 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 Kittys new purpose in life is directly attributed to her meet 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 Kittys life her actions have been motivated out of self-interest and her mothers 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 Ho ng 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 Kittys new sense of purpose, her relationship with Walter is still recognized as containing considerable strife. Even Kittys newfound purpose and stability is not able to castigate the situation with Walter. It is not long before he gains epidemic cholera. It seems that to an extent Maugham implements Walters 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 Im shake with terror. I think it may be that death will be really a pink slip (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 name of a symbolic comment on the nature of the relationship. From the perspective of the novel as one of development it seems