英国文学选读期末论文An Interpretation of the Veil in William Somerest Maugham’s ThePainted V eil1. IntroductionWilliam Somerest Maugham(25 January 1874-16 December 1965) who is a famous British novelist, playwright and short story writer was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. He wrote many notable novels, including Of Human Bondage(1915), The Moon and Sixpences(1919), Cakes and Ale(1930) and The Razor’s Edge(1944). His works mainly talks about family, love and the twists in marriage n upper class, and has the sense of satire.The Painted Veil which was written in 1925 by Maugham was one of the popular works. It is story about tolerance and love between husband and wife. Kitty is a beautiful British woman, and Walter Fane is an English middle-class, lackluster bacteriologist. Kitty married with Walter quickly. However, Kitty Accepted Walter’s proposal not for love, but to rebel against her mother, which means that she is irresponsible to marriage. Kitty born lively and Walter's silence often dampened her enthusiasm. And their interests were totally different, so her marriage was not happiness. Kitty met Hongkong assistant Chief Secretary Charley Dowson who hadmarried and had three sons. She was seduced by his appearance, and then she had an affair with him. After Walter knew her disloyalty, he started to revenge her. Walter forced Kitty to go to a remote town with him – Mei Tanhu, where a serious cholera epidemic spread crazily. Walter healed the sick, clean up the city, and strained every nerve to let people drink water clean. There, he made him very busy and ignored Kitty. There, they both experienced a lot and gradually understood each other and accepted each other again. However, when they started to live another life, Walter died of a serious cholera.2. An Interpretation of the VeilFrom the beginning to the end, there is no scene that related to veil, but why is the story called The Painted Veil? What’s the meaning of “veil” in the movie?This novel begins with Shelley’s poem The Painted Veil: “Lift not the painted veil which those who live call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there”. By this, we can know Maugham’s intention of this writing: to lift the veil.This is a quote from Edward Norton: “We often fall in love with the illusions we have of about a person rather than who they really are. That is the ‘painted veil’ that is in front of our vision of the truth and when those illusions get torn away it can be process of disenchant ment and pain.”So, what is the “veil” in the movie? In my opinion, in front of the hero Walter, the heroine kitty wears a veil. She was very beautiful and fascinating. Facing the enigmatic Kitty, Walter had a hasty proposal. After knowing Kitty's affair, Walter thought that she was a frivolous and immoral woman. He was cheated by her beautiful appearance. After that he knew that he didn't like the veiled woman. In Kitty’s opinion, Walter was rather withdrawn, and he usually depressed her. They had no common interests, so she thought their life was dull. Then they experienced the cholera together, which was the process of unveiling. After unveiling, Walter knew that Kitty cared about him, and she was easy-going in the monastery, and she has the gift of music. All in all, she was a good wife. Kitty saw that Walter learn to work with the people not seemingly against them, and he risked his own health to care forthe sick and dying. She saw his self-sacrifice and tenderness towards the suffering children. At last, Walter saw Kitty’s courage and kindness, and Kitty also knew that Walter was not so boring, but kind, responsible and compassionate. The hero and heroine accepted each other again after they experienced collision and the unveiling.There is estrangement between the heroine and her husband, and the estrangement is like a veil which is ambiguous. Therefore, the love between Walter and Kitty is also ambiguous. At first, there was no true love in their marriage. Walter was attracted by Kitty’s appearance, and Kitty married with Walter not for love, but to rebel against her mother. As a result, after marriage, their life was not happy. We can say that the estrangement was the result of their irresponsibility to their marriage. So their love was ambiguous, and they didn’t know what true love is. The relationship between them is intimate and strange. In the maintaining of the marriage, they got along with each other closely but strangely. They did not have a clear understanding about each other, and everything was dim, and they had to go through with guess. The marriage which has no love is unfortunate. Then there was the disloyalty of Kitty and the revenge of Walter. Although at last, their feelings were exposed to each other, they were apart forever. And the story ended with the tragedy.The veil is also the true love. The process of unveiling is also the process of seeking true love. At first, both Kitty and Walter did not know the true love, and they both did not know how to love. Kitty’s love was irresponsible, selfish, indifferent and heartless, for she accepted Walter’s proposal, not for love, but to rebel against her mother. After her marriage, she engaged in a sordid affair with a married British diplomat named Charles Townsend, which was immorality, disloyalty and irresponsibility to herself and her marriage. As for Walter, he just loved Kitty’s appearance, for he saw her, he had a haste proposal to her, and he even had no other understanding about her, except her appearance. This is also irresponsibility. After knowing her affair, he started to revenge her, and this is not love. However, what is true love? How to love? In my opinion, I think love includes duty, tolerant, sacrifice, understanding, confidence and loyalty. Just as people said: “When love and duty merges into one, grace is within you”, so love and responsibility can not be separated.After Walter and Kitty experienced a lot, and after collisions, they finally knew how to love, and they found the true love. So, we can say that they lift the veils, or they found the true love. Just as the poster said: “The true love is unveiled only once in a lifetime”, and after the lover died, it will not be unveiled again. Therefore, after Walter died, Kitty was equanimous when they met Charley again.3. ConclusionThough there is no description about the veil in The Painted Veil, the veil plays an important role in revealing the main thrust: Love and marriage are not the real painted veils, and after unveiling, there will be a road that leads to the serenity.The veil can be the exterior that misleads each other, so that the hero and the heroine can not have a better understanding about each other, which leads to the subsequent tragedy. The veil is also the true love. And the process of unveiling is also the process of pursuing true love. They also understood what the true love is and how to love with the unveiling.In our life, there are also many veils, and we should learn to unveil them and not be cheated by the cover. Many people look at the life through a painted veil; however, in order to seek knowledge and truth, we must lift the painted veil, though there are pains and sufferings under the veil, and that is the true life. The process of unveiling is just the process of growing, the more we experienced, we more we will understand, and the more mature we will be. At last, we can find the peace that exists in our soul.References黄佩君.出轨与救赎——解读毛姆《面纱》[J]. 天津大学学报(社会科学版).2007(2):150-153.刘宪之译.《华丽的面纱》[M].北京：北京十月文艺出版社，1988.刘小勤.关于《面纱》的意蕴解读[J].贵州大学学报(社会科学版). 2011(1):126-129. 李欣. 试论《彩色面纱》中的悲情婚姻[J].湖南广播电视大学学报.2009(2):18-20. 孙欣. 论W·S·毛姆小说中的精神追求[J]. 电影文学学报.2007(10):80-82.阮景林译.《面纱》[M].重庆：重庆出版社，2006.。