I only recently borrowed the book, and decided to put my theory to the test. Aug 18, 2017 the painted veil is the story of kitty fane, a beautiful, but thoughtless, shallow, and selfcentered woman. One reason he does this is because he wants to show how people hide their sins every day. The painted veil by w somerset maugham summary study guide. But i quickly got pulled into the story of kitty fane, a spoiled and. The novel is considered a masterpiece of american literature and a classic moral study. Somerset maugham, with a screenplay by john meehan, salka viertel, and edith fitzgerald, the film is about a woman who accompanies her new husband to china while he conducts medical research. The scarlet letter nathaniel hawthornes 1850 historical novel the scarlet letter explores guilt, revenge, and redemption in colonial america. Even though she was the protagonist, her character had been shaped in terms of the relationships and interactions she had with men throughout the course of the novel.
Later editions reverted to hong kong but the name fane was kept for all editions. Relationships in the painted veil literature essay samples. 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 painted veil is a 2006 american drama film directed by john curran. About the painted veil set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane.
He was most famous for his writings the scarlet letter, young goodman brown, the ministers black veil and an abundant array of other books and short stories. Dec 04, 2019 its from the painted veil a novel by somerset waugham published back in 1925. Kitty fane shows a growth and dynamism that the men around her lack, and is ultimately able to move past the bad choices. W somerset maugham set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. Heres an idea for a double feature, or for two nights of viewing. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, it is the story of the beautiful but shallow young kitty fane. 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. Your students can use these discussion questions to navigate these themes, as well as their own thoughts on the novel.
Hawthorne was born on july 4, 1804 in salem, massachusetts. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Hooper after he decides to wear a black veil and cover his entire face. Explore a character analysis of hester prynne, plot summary, and important quotes. Somerset maugham, quote from the painted veil vaguely, as when you are studying a foreign language and read a page which at first you can make nothing of, till a word or a sentence gives you a clue. Somerset maugham, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and. Watch both versions of the painted veil, the 1934 one starring greta garbo and herbert marshall, and the 2006 one starring naomi watts and edward norton. After basically ruining her marriage with an affair, kitty accompanies her husband, walter, to meitanfu, a chinese province afflicted with a cholera epidemic. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet, which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life.
First published in 1925, the painted veil is an affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive. The plot moves from climax to climax as you might expect from a novel that was originally serialised. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the painted veil by w. There, amid death and misery, kitty sees in a convent of french nuns great examples of selfsacrifice and the kind of. The novel was first published in serialised form in five issues of cosmopolitan november 1924 march 1925. The painted veil is a novel about love, betrayal, and selfsacrifice. With naomi watts, edward norton, liev schreiber, catherine an. The painted veil study guide contains a biography of w. Vintage classics, 1925, 214 pages first published in 1925, the painted veil is an affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive.
Black veil symbolism in scarlet letter 1038 words bartleby. Nathaniel hawthornes 1850 historical novel the scarlet letter explores guilt, revenge, and redemption in colonial america. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, it is the story of the beautiful but shallow young. I watched the film several years ago with a huge box of tissues to hand and loved it.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. This amazing tale of the ultimate triumph of love will take you on a rollercoaster ride of a range of human emotions love, betrayal, hatred, revenge and redemption none of which is any less than the other in intensity. At the beginning of the movie, kitty was a self centered woman. The novel also inspired a 2006 drama movie of the same name starring edward norton and naomi watts. It is a story of love, betrayal, hatred, revenge and redemption. Analysis of oh could i raise the darkend veil lines 16. The nameless narrator was the surveyor of the customhouse in salem, massachusetts. As fane travels overseas to fight a cholera epidemic in a small chinese village, the marriage. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is. There, amid death and misery, kitty sees in a convent of french nuns great examples of selfsacrifice and the kind of happiness she had always wanted.
Walter fane edward norton, whose forte is the study of infectious diseases, and the convenient marriage to which she finds herself committed. His novel the painted veil chronicled the life of kitty fane, an upperclass woman who had been portrayed as vain and promiscuous. A contextual analysis asl literature in english introduction a veil. The ministers black veil the story the ministers black veil has been written by nathaniel hawthorne. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic. The story reflects the occurrences of the life of a clergyman of a village whose name is mr. Hawthorne blends supernatural elements with psychological insight in his story of one womans public punishment for adultery. The painted veil has often been hailed as a protofeminist work.
This first chapter contains little in the way of action, instead setting the scene and introducing the first of many symbols. The novel was first published in serialised form in five issues of cosmopolitan. Somerset maugham, which was first serialized in cosmopolitan and nashs magazine. While discussing books recently, one of my friends highly recommended somerset maughams the painted veil. 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 painted veil is a beautifully written affirmation of the human capacity to grow, to change, and to forgive. Litcharts from the creators of sparknotes, something better. Thanks for exploring this supersummary plot summary of the painted veil by w. Subscribe now the flamboyant opera singers and those who create, direct, and work behind the scenes to make the productions successful are all thrown into chaos. In the scarlet letter, hester lives with her sin every single day, she shows it to the world that she has committed sin. He wants to show that he has sinned and he is ashamed of it.
In writing the painted veil, he decided to bring this story into a modern setting and change the ending. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful, but lovestarved kitty fane. Somerset maughams novel the painted veil is today recognized as a 20th century classic. 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.
Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. The novel is set in a village in puritan new england. Slate the turbulent historical masterpiece of norways literary master in her great historical epic kristin lavransdatter, set in fourteenthcentury norway, nobel laureate sigrid undset tells the life story of one passionate and headstrong woman. The main character is hester prynne, a young woman who has borne a child out of wedlock. This is a rare case where two adaptations of the same literary work the novel of the same name by somerset maugham are both very good yet very different. 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 storyline of the painted veil has some major changes between the movie and the novel. Dec 20, 2006 its no surprise that one of the best scenes in the latest and third film iteration of w. About kristin lavransdatter sigrid undset should be the next elena ferrante. Painting a richly detailed backdrop, undset immerses readers. Beginning in may 1925, it was serialised in the united kingdom in eight parts in.
Somerset maugham countryunited kingdom publisherheinemann george h. Doran publication date 1925 the painted veil is a 1925 novel by british author w. The scarlet letter versus the ministers black veil. After the populist 1979 islamic revolution, during which the westernized monarch, called the shah, is overthrown in favor of an islamic republic, the new government becomes increasingly religious and oppressive and makes it obligatory for women and girls to wear a veil that covers most of their faces. This was nowhere to be found in the painted veil, a work that almost seemed to have been written by a different person. Hawthorne presents the change that occurs in the life of mr. In the customhouses attic, he discovered a number of documents, among them a manuscript that was bundled with a scarlet, goldembroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an a. On one level, the plot is so simple and straightforward that a one line summary gives the whole story away, and for that reason, i will refrain from providing that. Jan 18, 2015 the painted veil completely changed my mind on this point.
To me our love was everything and you were my whole life. I dont think, for example, that maugham was trying to be a jerk when he used idiot. Somerset maughams novel the painted veil doesnt happen in the book. The novel also emphasizes the importance of productive work outside the home for women, and the dangers. The painted veil is the third screen adaptation of maughams bestselling novel of the same name. Surely, i thought, my perception of the characters and plot will be coloured by the adaptation. The story is largely set in hong kong, before shifting to mainland china, and centres on a troubled marriage between two young.
A young woman, hester prynne, has been found guilty of adultery and must wear a scarlet a on her dress as a sign of shame. The painted veil study guide maughams story of an unfaithful woman who follows her husband into a cholera epidemic and ultimately earns redemption was inspired by a story in dantes the divine comedy. Jun 07, 2012 the painted veil william somerset maugham. The screenplay by ron nyswaner is based on the 1925 novel of the same title by w. This love story has kitty naomi watts meeting young, intelligent, shy and somewhat dull dr. The painted veil is a 1925 novel by british author w. He finds his wife forced to wear the scarlet letter a on her dress as punishment for her adultery. Apr 28, 2007 s omerset 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.
She is conducting an affair with charles townsend, the assistant colonial secretary, and the two are in her room when the knobs to her door mysteriously turn from the outside. The scarlet letter, novel by nathaniel hawthorne, published in 1850. A modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes. The work centers on hester prynne, a married woman who is shunned after bearing a child out of wedlock but displays great compassion and resiliency. The painted veil summary kitty fane is a beautiful, vain, upperclass british woman unhappily married to walter fane, a bacteriologist working in hong kong. Book summary in june 1642, in the puritan town of boston, a crowd gathers to witness an official punishment. Lift not the painted veil which those who live by percy. One of the best portions of the film is when kitty goes to meet charles townsend in his office. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelley s sonnet, which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. He will not look behind the veil or in the fixd book of fate. The opening chapter of persepolis describes the implementation of the veil policy in iran. The book is written in a thirdperson perspective which follows only the thoughts and actions of kitty. 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. Aug 22, 2008 character analysis and comparison with book and drama and focused essay and period piece the painted veil nathan 5. As fane travels overseas to fight a cholera epidemic in a small chinese village, the marriage deteriorates and kitty becomes unfaithful. May 29, 2019 in the movie the painted veil, which is a story surrounded with love and romance, there are three very different yet interesting couple relationships.
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. Somerset maugham surprised me by how modern it felt until i happened upon a word or phrase thats not used anymore, or now means something different. My every action painted there, to cast one look i would not dare. I had anticipated the leisurely, late victorian style of mrs.
1293 1101 205 505 113 417 388 72 1523 1339 16 1072 798 469 697 609 1220 1522 94 1007 1408 316 704 1483 255 1204 998 99 1227 736 500 1581 1227