Analysis of Female Characters in Maugham’s Work: The Painted Veil

Maugham is a famous British novelist, playwright and essayist. He was born in Paris on January25,1874. He has had a lonely childhood, casting a painful shadow on his tender mind and developing his lonely, sensitive, introverted char- acter. The experience of Maughams childhood has had a profound impact on his worldview and literary creation. Since1897, Maugham has given up medicine and specialized in literary creation. In the next few years, he has written several novels, however, according to Maughams own words, none of them could“fire the Thames.”In1902, he turned to drama creation and succeeded. He has be- come a smash hit playwright. He has created nearly30scripts and is well re- ceived by the audience. Maugham is recognized as one of the most popular British writers in the world in the20th century.

Regarding the characters of The Painted Veil, the existing researches mainly focus on the heroine Kitty and the Chinese image appearing in the novel. Chen (2018c) puts forward in his work that Kitty is an undoubtedly resistant; she is clearly different from the traditional women at that time; she does not want to be a victim of marriage like her lovers wife, Mrs. Townsend, who takes no care about her husbands affair, and maintains a poor marriage with a gorgeous mask. Kitty has a strong rebellious spirit of traditional social morality, and has the character- istics of a new woman; however, her approach runs counter to the demands of women in traditional society; she cannot be the master of her own destiny, and she cannot obtain true freedom; therefore, her struggle against fate ends with failure (Chen,2018d). Li (2016c) proposes that the growth experience of the heroine is reflected in a series of descriptions in the novel, such as the description of Kittys appearance, character, language, and even the description of the environment, for instance, Kittys impression on Mei-tan-fu when she has arrived there firstly, is contrasted with the impression she has when she is about to leave Mei-tan-fu, which reflects the change of her mind. In addition, there are some studies that fo- cus on the image of Chinese in The Painted Veil. Pi (2014b) believes that in the original text, most of the image of the Chinese appears in the form of a group im- age. This is a way of marginalizing the target characters. And this view can be seen from Maughams original novel, such as the description of the sedan bearers in the novel. Besides, Pi (2014c) also points out that the Manchu princess is also marginalized by Maugham; she relies on Waddington, who is a British; he de- scribes Manchu princess as a doll, which also reflects that Maugham believes that the Chinese have no original opinion and just follow the flow, and Maugham be- lieves that only British can rescue the Chinese; on the other hand, Dr. Fane is kind, generous and selfless, he even has given his life to save Chinese, such way of shaping image reflects Maughams narrow concept of Orientalism; the kind- ness of the nuns in the convent, especially the Mother Superior, has given up their easy life, and chosen to come to China to save the orphans, which reflects that Maugham has thought that the Chinese need the redemption of the West and his narrow perspective of Orientalism.

The heroine of the novel The Painted Veil is Kitty. Her original image is a superficial, irresponsible, derailed and vain woman. After her growth, she be- comes a woman with independent consciousness, realizes her mistakes and dares to take responsibility. In the novel, Maugham has the most inking of Kitty. Through the description of her various aspects, a rich growth process of woman from cowardice to independence is shown to readers.

At the beginning of the novel is a description of Kitty and Townsends love affair scene. Kitty feels panicked when she is aware that someone outside the door; nevertheless, she has never succumbed to her love affair. She has calmed down under the comfort of Townsend and gradually accepted his view, which is that it is just a servant standing outside the door. At that time, Kitty has not thought that derailment is a morally detrimental thing. She believes that she is chasing her own love, even if she has betrayed her marriage. After she found out that the person who sent her the book was her husband, and she basically deter- mined that her husband, Walter, has already known the fact that she had a love affair, she has not chosen to apologize to her husband, instead, chosen to contact Townsend to discuss how to cover up their affair, which shows the fact that Kitty

has still maintained her selfish, and not independent personality.

When Kitty first arrived at Mei-tan-fu, she still missed Townsend deeply. She has often saw Townsend in her dreams and dreamed that Townsend took her away from Mei-tan-fu. It could be seen that though Kitty has known that Townsend did not love with her, she still could not control herself to think of him. After arriving at Mei-tan-fu, Kitty and Walter has met Mr. Waddington. Kitty pretends to inadvertently mention Townsend when she is chatting with him alone. She has heard Waddingtons unsatisfactory evaluation of Townsend. She has re- alized that in other peoples opinions, Townsend is not an image that is once in her heart. At that time, Kitty has begun to realize that she has fell in love with such a stupid and vain, hungry and flattery person, just because this man has nice eyes and a good figure, which is a kind of self-discipline to her. It is a kind of worthless performance to fall in love with such a man for Kitty. At this moment, Kitty has already sprouted from the consciousness of female consciousness. After Waddington has taken her to visit the convent, Kittys mind is greatly shocked by the Mother Superior and nunsbehavior. She feels that she is a tweaking student in front of Mother Superior for the first time. She has realized that compared with the Mother Superior, she is lack of self-awareness and patience and determina- tion. This is the first time that Kitty has truly realized her own inadequacies and has had a sense of self-reflection. At this moment, Kitty has officially embarked on the path of female consciousness awakening.

When Kitty visited the convent for the first time, she has been shocked by the sight. She sees that the nuns have adopted the homeless children and sees that they are doing their best to take care of the sick children. They could not have done so, however, they have chosen such a road full of difficulties and chal- lenges for themselves. They have left their homes and come to such a small village filled with plague to face the terrible environment and diseases. Kitty is deeply touched, and she feels a special feeling in the convent that she has never had be- fore. “She felt like she was transported to another world situated strangely in space nor time” (Maugham,2001:105). Kitty sees Sister St. Josephs optimistic attitude, Mother Superiors simplicity and generosity. She does not know where the optimistic open-mindedness and independence of the nuns come from. She is unconsciously ashamed to see them, especially when she sees Mother Superior. It has been at that time that Kitty has felt like she is so worthless compared to Mother Superior and the nuns that she wants to change herself.

During the day Kitty helped in the convent, she has gradually found her own value, and her friendship with Waddington is gradually deeper and deeper. She has learned from the nuns that Waddington has been living with a Manchu princess, and by chatting with Waddington, Kitty knows the story between Waddington and Manchu Princess. At this time, Kitty has been unconsciously at- tracted by the Manchu princesss decisiveness to leave his family for love. Kitty realizes that Manchu princesss pursuit of freedom and love is something she has neverhadbefore,inChapter58,MaughamdescribesKittysfeelingabout Manchu Princess like that:

Kitty felt strangely that the sight of this idol, with her painted face and slanting, wary eyes, made the efforts and the pains of the everyday world she knew slightly absurd. That coloured mask seemed to hide the secret of an abun- dant profound and significant experience: those long, delicate hands with their tapering fingers held the key of riddles undivined. (Maugham,2001:146+147)

She expresses her appreciation to Manchu princesss behavior. Kitty thinks that Manchu princess seems to be a symbol of something that is guiding her in a special direction, and that direction is exactly what Kitty is going to be indepen- dent and self-directed.

During living in Mei-tan-fu, Kitty has found that she has been pregnant; however,she does not know if it is WalterorTownsends child.WhenWalter rushed back to see her and asked the key question, Kitty has hesitated. If she fol- lowed her previous personality, she would definitely choose to lie. She would tell Walter that the baby would be their children. If she says so, Walter will forgive

her completely, and they are likely to have a new life. Nevertheless, Kitty, who has already changed her mind to some extent, does not do it; instead, she has chosen to tell Walter the truth. She says that she does not know the childs father, andshe guesses that the child is probably Townsends. After experiencingthe days in the convent and witnessing the deaths of countless people, Kittys heart has grown rapidly. She is no longer the scornful, superficial lady because her life in Mei-tan-fu has given her a big touch. Her heart has changed, and she has be- gun to sympathize with life. She has begun to realize that lies and infidelity are great faults. When Walter came back that night, he has persuaded her to leave, while Kitty has refused his advice. Kitty thinks that only living in Mei-tan-fu will be valuable for her. She has felt useful when she has been helping children in the convent. She loves the job, and she cherishes the time that she spends working with the nuns. When Kitty saw Manchu Princess, she has become more mature and her cognition of herself became clearer. Kitty realizes that she wants to stay here and wants to see Manchu Princess; actually she wants to look for something. Kitty knew that if she found this kind of thing, she would make her life very dif- ferent from it before. When she worked with the nuns, she has clearly felt that there is an unspeakable thing among the nuns; however, Kitty has no idea about this thing, which is the independent spirit and self-identity of women.

After Kitty was pregnant, she has regretted that she once has been in love with Townsend. She realizes how stupid she is desperately trying to be with Townsend. She finally understands clearly how stupid, hypocritical and selfish person Townsend is. At this moment, Kitty has even begun to imagine the future after they left Mei-tan-fu. She has realized her mistakes and intended to make up for it. This is also an important change in the growth of Kitty. However, Walter died in Mei-tan-fu accidently. Walters death is also an opportunity for Kitty to grow rapidly. Because of Walters death, Kitty has begun to have a first under- standing of life and death. She realizes that the nuns came to Mei-tan-fu to give up everything she thinks is comfortable; they have left her own country, left her loved ones, and come to this plague-stricken Chinese village to choose disease, death, endless labor. Kitty realizes that though the nuns are in a difficult environ- ment, they still use their optimism to infect the people around them and create beautiful things.

After Kitty returned to Hong Kong, she has been invited by Mrs. Townsend to live in their home. When she lived in Townsends house, Kitty couldnt con- trol herself and had a love affair with Townsend again:

She was not a woman, her personality was dissolved, she was nothing but desire. He lifted her off her feet, she was very light in his arms, he carried her and she clung to him, desperate and adoring; her head sank on the pillow and his lips clung to hers. (Maugham,2001:195)

Although she feels deeply embarrassed and upset for that, she still could not firmly reject Townsend, which is what Maugham wanted to express the biggest flawinKittyscharacter.Shehasdoneexperiencegrowthandtransformation; however, she does not completely become a truly independent woman, she has still fell into the so-called“gentle township”of Townsend. After returning to the UK, Kitty chooses to go to the Bahamas to start a new life with his father. At the end of the novel, Kitty finally realizes what kind of path she is going to take. It is a path to independence and self-awareness. Kitty finally realizes that she used to be a stupid and abominable person. She is determined not to let her children ex- perience her what she has experienced before, she hopes that her child could be- come a free, fearless, independent person, could stand on her own feet, and not rely on others.

In a conclusion, in this novel, Kitty has experienced the love affair with Townsend, known the true face of Townsend, helped the children in the convent of Mei-tan-fu, returned to Hong Kong and to rekindle the love with Townsend, and chosen to go to the Bahamas to start a new life with her father, she has grown up from a stupid and contemptuous lady to a woman who had hope and courage and an independent consciousness.

Mother Superior is considered to be the second important female character in The Painted Veil compared with the heroine Kitty. Her personality is mainly reflectedinKittysfeelingsaboutherandMaughamsintuitivedescriptionof her. For instance, in Chapter41, Maugham described that:

But there was some other quality in her which Kitty vaguely felt, but could not put a name to. It was something that notwithstanding the Mother Superiors cordiality and the exquisite manners which made Kitty feel like an awkward school-girl, held her at a distance. (Maugham,2001:99)

Mother Superior is a kind and gentle old woman. She left her home very early and chose to become a nun. She has played a vital role in the growth process

ofKitty.InKittysopinion,MotherSuperiorisanoptimistic,open-minded, courageous, and thoughtful woman. The growth of Kitty is inseparable from the influence of Mother Superior. In Chapter45, Maugham wrote that:

Kitty in fancy stood again in her presence and once more she felt humble and ashamed. Though she was so simple and unaffected she had a native dignity which inspired awe, and you could not imagine that anyone could treat her with- out respect. (Maugham,2001:107)

Mother Superior has given up the comfortable and peaceful life that Kitty considered, and she has chosen to leave her motherland and traveled to distant China to set up a convent in a plague-ridden village. She has chosen a very diffi- cult road for herself, which is filled with poverty and death; however, at the same time, she has chosen freedom and fraternity for herself. Mother Superior is one of the few independent female characters in the novel. She has a clear life goal and is willing to work hard for it. She has the courage to accept a terrible life and dare to face the tough challenges. In a society that women pursue a comfortable life and a stable family, Mother Superior has chosen to chase freedom and faith. She is kind and devoted, and in the process of getting along with her, Kitty has gradu- ally discovered the gap between herself and Mother Superior. When Kitty was helping in the convent, she worked with Mother Superior and the nuns and really felt their sincere dedication, which has made Kittys mind greatly shocked. The image of Mother Superior reflects the progressive side of Maughams perspective of women. Her image serves as the life mentor in Kittys growth process. Kitty has constantly found her shortcomings in the process of getting along with her, and gradually realized that she is missing something. It is the influence of Mother Su- perior that made Kitty willing to come to the convent to help, and the experience of Mother Superior has also made Kitty deeply touched, and Kitty has realized that she is lack of the independent consciousness and the courage to pursue her- selflikeMotherSuperior.The imageofMotherSuperiormakesKittysgrowth process more natural and reasonable. Mother Superior is also one of the important figures in The Painted Veil to promote the development of the novel.

MotherSuperiorscharacteristherepresentativeofliberalfeminism;she has her own independent consciousness and personality, and she can make her own decisions for herself, which expresses the major point of liberal feminism. Liberal feminism suggests that women should chase their own liberty and has their own consciousness.

Mrs. Garstin is the mother of Kitty, and Maugham has a more detailed ap- pearance and character description of Mrs. Garstin at Chapter7. Mrs. Garstin is a bitter and cruel woman; her desire for controlling others is very strong. She is am- bitious,butalsoveryembarrassing.Mrs.Garstinsgreatestwishistofinda son-in-law with great rich and high social status for her daughters, and Kitty is the best of all her daughters; therefore, at the very beginning, Mrs. Garstin has had great expectations for Kitty. Every time she holds a ball, she hopes that Kitty could find a perfect son-in-law for her. Mrs. Garstin is eager to vanity, and Kit- tysfatherisadiligentandmodest,butlackofself-motivatedperson,Mrs. Garstin tries to let Kittys father to make friends with the dignitaries, and she also actively flatters the judges and their wives. To this end, Mrs. Garstin has to orga- nize banquets for many guests; however, she is also a very vanity and awkward person. For example, in Chapter7:

Her dinners were long and elaborate, but thrifty, and she could never per- suade herself that people when they were eating and talking knew what they drank. She wrapped sparkling Moselle in a napkin and thought her guests took it for champagne. (Maugham,2001:12)

She has forced Kittys father to go to the parliamentary elections, while she isnotwillingtospendtoomuchmoneyonKittysfatherscampaign,which eventually has led Kittys father be unsuccessful, and she is complacent that she is a candidates wife. After realizing that her husband has no hope of promotion, Mrs. Garstin locks her eyes on her daughters. She wants her daughters to marry in noble families, so that they could also let her be respected by others. Since Kitty s appearance is the most outstanding among her daughters, Mrs. Garstin would pay more attention to Kitty, though Kitty is still not married until the age of25, and Mrs. Garstin is furious. She thinks that Kitty still stays at home just to waste their money. In order to get Kitty married, she has even begun to pay attention to the professional class she has despised. Mrs. Garstins behavior makes Kitty feel unacceptable, which becomes one of the most important reasons why Kitty has chosen to marry Walter. Overall, the image of Mrs. Garstin is typical of the image of middle-aged women who loved vanity in the last century. When Maugham shaped the image, he might remember his unpleasant mother. In the second half of the novel, the description of Mrs. Garstin is gradually reduced, and in the end, Maugham has given Mrs. Garstin a dead ending.

Based on the above research, Maugham has a relatively negative attitude to- wards women. He believes that women are mostly hypocritical, cowardly, and de- pendent.Suchideasaregenerallyconsideredtobederivedfromhismothers death; in Maughams growth, he lacks the experience of being cared for by wom- en. Maugham has lost his mother when he was just eight years old, and two years later, his father also passed away. Maugham has been sent to England and lived with his uncle and aunt, and he has always been thinking that England is boring and unpleasant. Maugham has not achieved much love from his aunt. When he has grown up, he has had an unfortunate marriage as well. He is not satisfied with his wife, and he thinks that his wife is a jealous and irritable woman with all dis- advantages he can think of, and it is also one of the reasons which transforms Maugham into a homosexual reason. Maugham believes that womens shortcom- ings are the result of the era, and most women believe that they can only depend on their husband, and they should not have subjective consciousness, just like Mrs.Townsend. Besides,from Maughams perspective, womenare always vain and jealous; they put a high premium on their husbandssocial status, they thinks that husbandsreputation can decide their own position among women. Hence, Maughams perspective on women is influenced by his own experience deeply. In addition, Maughams perspective on women has also been affected by the social environment. During the years following World War I, the spirit of un- rest touches every one, and people have always felt the frustrations of indecision, including Maugham. At this time, science and technology has developed rapidly, and peoples thinking has also changed fast. Maugham has started to suspect the western civilization; his spirit has been in contradiction. On one hand, he would not like to be under the power of the dead hand of the past; on the other hand, he is also confused about the future. From his perspective, the reason that men have felt confused is that women cannot give them proper guidance and encourage- ment. Maugham has believed that most women have been shortsighted, because they could just do womens work, such as secretary, and they have no chance to take part in politics; besides, most women have not made efforts to fight for their equal rights with men. Therefore, to some extent, the social environment has also affected Maughams perspective on women.

Nevertheless, Maugham does not completely deny women. In his mind, womens parochialism is causedby family education and social circumstances. Hence, he believes that women can grow into independent people, such as Kittys later awakening. In The Painted Veil, Maugham has shaped Mother Superior as an independent woman, and she has all the advantages that Maugham thinks women should have, such as selflessness, kindness, helpfulness, intelligence and generosity. Maugham believes that women should depend on themselves, become confident and liberal, and do what they want to do. During the following years af- ter World War I, womens social status has been improved to some extent; how- ever, it cannot be enough for women to be awakened completely. They have the right to chase their own life and realize their dreams; however, they are just limit- ed by their cubicle thinking, which has led them believe that they could just de- pend on men. Therefore, Maughams own views on women are complicated. The heroine Kitty Fane in The Painted Veil is a negative image at the very beginning; nevertheless, she has changed to be an independent woman in the end. He de- spises women; however, he also believes that women can be changed, and finally they can be independent and perseverant.

In summary, Maughams perspective on women is complex; he thinks that women are hypocritical, vain and jealous, and they lacks of subjective conscious- ness; however, he also believes that women can become independent, and women can rely on themselves to live a new life, not just depend on men.

References:

[1]    Maugham, W. S. (2001). The painted veil. London: The Random House Group Limited.

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[3]    陈秋伶. (2018). 解读《月亮和六便士》中毛姆的女性观. 文教资料,61(1),31-32.

[4]    李卓. (2016). 红颜——从毛姆小说女性形象解读其女性观. 海外英语,10(21),157-158.

[5]    皮亚. (2014).《面纱》中东方主义理论视角下的人物形象研究. 学理论,21(27),138-139.

作者简介：

杜伊哲，1997年5月，女，汉，辽宁省沈阳人，硕士学历，新加坡南洋理工大学中国与全球治理专业。学校：南洋理工大学。