The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

Why does a person change? Because he or she wants to change? Because he or she needs to change? Or, as in the case of Kitty Fain, the protagonist in the novel The Painted Veil, because her very life depends on it. Written by W. Somerset Maugham and published in 1925, this novel explores yet another twist on an archetypal love triangle.

Dr. Walter Fain marries Kitty Garstin even though he is aware that she doesn’t love him. Living in London in the 1920’s when women had limited opportunities for education or employment, Kitty’s primary purpose is to find a husband. So when Kitty’s younger sister becomes engaged, Kitty agrees to marry Walter Fain, a British civil servant who has fallen in love with her. The newlyweds move to Hong Kong where Walter will work for the British Government as a bacteriologist. Kitty treats Walter with disdain and disrespect, behaviors she learned by observing her mother talk to her father. Kitty is pretty, vapid and self-centered. She lacks a moral compass and possesses little regard for other people’s feelings. It may be possible that Maugham imagines her as a metaphor for British Colonialism.

Kitty begins an affair with Walter’s boss, Charles Townsend. When Walter learns of her betrayal, he is devastated. Kitty deludes herself into believing that Charles is in love with her and will divorce his wife; however, she learns quite quickly that Charles has no such intention. With her options narrowed, Kitty has little choice but to travel with her husband to a rural and isolated part of China where he will begin work on solving the cholera epidemic.

Unmoored from the rigid class structure of British society, Kitty must rely on her own innate traits and characteristics. Watching her awareness develop makes the book feel suspenseful. As each chapter unfolds, the reader senses that Kitty and Walter might come to a mutual understanding about their shared past. But Walter’s hurt over Kitty’s betrayal is so deep that he jeopardizes his own happiness to secure Kitty’s suffering. Walter wishes he could forgive Kitty, but he is unable. His equilibrium is the tragic victim of Kitty’s carelessness. 

The novel’s power derives from the uncertainty of how Kitty and Walter will deal with this new set of circumstances. Though Walter and Kitty are both victims of their own limitations, Kitty is able to grow.  In the jungle, she reflects on her foolishness, her vanity, and her self-centered behavior. Kitty’s growth inspires and provides hope to Maugham’s readers. She does arrive at an understanding of herself and the choices she has made, but not through the luxury of a therapist’s couch. Instead, her understanding is gained through witnessing the suffering and cruelty experienced by her fellow human beings. She leaves her narcissistic bubble and and feels compelled to ameliorate the pain of others. Kitty Fain develops a conscience and a consciousness that allows her to forgive herself and move on. Maugham creates a rich, textured, and hopeful story of how people, sometimes in spite of themselves, can grow and change.