When i first started reading the painted veil, i thought it was a story about love. Walter fane, a bacteriologist living in china who falls madly in love with her. She married her husband because he seemend then a yong man of. Published november 14th 2006 by vintage first published april 1925 more details. There are many foolish people in the world and when a man in a rather high position puts on no frills, slaps them on th. Somerset maughams novel the painted veil is today recognized as a 20th century classic. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, this beautifully written character study is an affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive. The novel also inspired a 2006 drama movie of the same name starring edward norton and naomi watts. This is the third film adaptation of the maugham book. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful, but lovestarved kitty fane. Somerset maugham was one of the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. The painted veil is a beautifully written affirmation of the human capacity to grow, to change, and to forgive. Kitty fane naomi watts is a frivolous young english woman who longs for romance and excitement, trapped in a loveless marriage to a staid shanghai researcher.
Somerset maugham, which was first serialized in cosmopolitan and nashs magazine. This is a story about love with the heroine, kitty garstin, sacrificing her life with death risk caused by cholera in the deep forest of china, trying to dig her heart to be given to her husband. Kitty, much to the chagrin of her mother, has declined marriage proposal from quite a few prospective gentlemen. Kittys awakening in the painted veil masters thesis. Aug 20, 2009 i happened to see the literary adaptation by john curran made in 2006 over the weekend and was deeply moved by the experience. Kitty is horrified, and certain that the cholera epidemic will mean her death. The aim of this study is to see what medical students think about the role of spouse of a devoted medical doctor through the book reports of the painted veil 1925. The painted veil is the story of the beautiful but shallow young kitty fane, who marries for money rather than love. Somerset maughams the painted veil is easily the best book ive read all year. Maugham uses a thirdpersonlimited point of view in this story, where kitty garstin is the focal character.
I admired the potraiture of people as people complex. They realize that the qualities they looked for at the beginning of their marriage were unreal constructs they brought into the relationship and not the reality of who they were. Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. The painted veil is a 1925 novel by british author w. While there are several significant changes in how her journey toward a better life is portrayed and the particulars of her circumstances, the film nevertheless captures. This is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young english couple, walter fane edward norton, a middle class doctor and kitty naomi watts, an upperclass woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. Kitty s mother was hard,cruel,managing,ambitious,parsimonious,stupid woman. There are many changes, but both the book and the film are exquisite. My feeling is that he was better than good he was great. Somerset maughams 1925 novel the painted veil, previously filmed rather beautifully in 1934 starring greta garbo and indifferently in 1957 as the seventh sin, is the tale of kitty naomi watts. Edward norton, naomi watts, toby jones, anthony wong chau sang and liev schreiber appear in the leading roles. The painted veil summary buy study guide kitty fane is a beautiful, vain, upperclass british woman unhappily married to walter fane, a bacteriologist working in hong kong. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the painted veil by w. The painted veil chapters 17 summary and analysis gradesaver.
Gender, sexuality, and history in the painted veil. Somerset maugham 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. Several scenes later, with no explicit mention, a piano is seen in the apartment. Through the whole film, kitty follows walter to meitanfu and this changes kitty, selfcentered lady to a loving wife. After basically ruining her marriage with an affair, kitty accompanies her husband, walter, to meitanfu, a chinese province afflicted with a cholera epidemic. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the painted veil by w. The painted veil has the ingredients of a great film, including cinematography alternatively lush and parched and highcaliber actors. See the essay titled place and travel in the painted veil for more analysis of this relationship, as well as for further analysis of kitty s character in the film. Dec 04, 2019 the painted veil is a novel written by w somerset maugham in 1925. This is a story of a woman who suffers a lot in her life trying to find her way to peace.
The storyline of the painted veil has some major changes between the movie and the novel. The screenplay by ron nyswaner is based on the 1925 novel of the same title by w. It focuses on a young debutante named kitty garstin, who, after rejecting dozens of marriage. Aug 04, 2009 there are several changes that have been introduced in the film. Jun 07, 2012 the painted veil william somerset maugham this is a book to get lost in, not just in the usual way of books, but in a way that is haunting and will have you musing for days and days, long after you have turned the final page. 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. May 04, 20 i love the 2006 adaptation of the movie, and i read the book for the first time last year. On this occasion, i would like to thank all these people who have contributed to the completion of this thesis. The painted veil is a 2006 american drama film directed by john curran. The painted veil beautifully presents the story of a young society woman named kitty and her redemption from a shallow and selfcentered life through her growing ability to love. The painted veil is a beautiful and very believable story of transformation. Aug 22, 2008 kitty, visibly unimpressed with the apartment, questions disappointedly no piano. The painted veil integrity in writing, the power of. Watts, who has been raised for a life of abject uselessness.
There, amid death and misery, kitty sees in a convent of french nuns great. First published in 1925, the painted veil recounts the moral awakening of a vain, careless young woman, kitty ms. When her husband learns she has had an affair, he volunteers to fight a cholera epidemic in chinas wartorn interior. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. Often a different character would say lines from the novel, giving it a contradictory meaning.
Aug 18, 2017 the painted veil is the story of kitty fane, a beautiful, but thoughtless, shallow, and selfcentered woman. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the painted veil by w. In his preface to the novel maugham wrote, that he had felt a desire to use the story as an inspiration, but rewrote it and made a more modern version of it. May 04, 2011 in my opinion, the painted veil was a great choice for a book discussion group. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet, which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. Both walter and kitty come to respect each others flaws and vulnerabilities as human beings. The painted veil integrity in writing, the power of conversation, and grief february 29, 2020 marian 15 comments note.
Obviously then, i wasted no time in buying somerset maughams the painted veil to see how differently the filmmakers had interpreted the story. Walter and kitty barely spoke as they travelled by chair through the inscrutable chinese hinterland. It focuses on a young debutante named kitty garstin, who, after rejecting dozens of marriage proposals, finds herself marrying an eccentric doctor named walter fane. The painted veil essays are academic essays for citation. The painted veil 2006 original theatrical trailer youtube.
The deepest gratitude and appreciation are extended to hadiyanto, s. The story revolves around kitty garstin, an outgoing upper middle class socialite and walter fane, an introvert bacteriologist and physician. Somerset maughams the painted veil comes into a completion. The 53 medical students were asked to read maughams the painted veil and to have. Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. Somerset maugham, the painted veil is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young english couple, walter, a middle class doctor and kitty, an. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. I have just read one of the somerset maughams novels under the title of the painted veil, which he wrote in 1925. The novel was first published in serialised form in five issues of cosmopolitan november 1924 march 1925. While maughams book is really about kitty and her journey towards selfdiscovery, the film in turn is about walter and kitty and how these two people with nothing in common live together. How kitty fane, struggling to break female stereotypical roles prevailed at that time led her to a pity.
Only when it is too late does dymovs wife olga like kitty realize her husbands moral worth and see that he is a far finer man than she had realized. Garstin, a pretty uppermiddle class debutante, squanders her early youth amusing herself by living a social high life, during which her domineering mother attempts to arrange a brilliant match for her. Aug 22, 2008 the painted veil presents a story of redemption in such a captivating and gorgeous way that its scenes and characters all too easily take up residence in the mind, quietly, only to reassert themselves at odd intervals with a surprising insistence, causing a mood of reflection that while not unwelcome is nevertheless often distracting to whatever task is at hand. Introduction the painted veil 2006 film in this assignment is going to tell the story of a young british couple who came to chinas rural life in the 1920s after they marriage. The painted veil begins with a story of a young, upperclass woman names kitty married a middleclass bacteriologist calls walter. The main characters of the book are kitty an walter fane. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic.
Somerset maugham, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Kitty fane is a beautiful young woman whose mother has raised her to make a suitable match. When her younger sister announces her own engagement to a prosperous duke, kitty panics and accepts the proposal of the very quiet, very shy, dr. The two main protagonists were played by naomi watts kitty garstin and. He made no further claim for himself than that he was a good storyteller. In the book, walters character is an important one but not as much as it is in the film. Dec 20, 2006 first published in 1925, the painted veil recounts the moral awakening of a vain, careless young woman, kitty ms. The biographer richard cordell notes that the book was influenced by maughams study of science and his work as a houseman at st thomas hospital. The painted veil study guide contains a biography of w.
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