A Book And A Movie: The Painted Veil

Abstract

Maugham's 1907 novel, "The Painted Veil," was adapted into a film starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton in 2006. The novel tells the story of Kitty, a young and beautiful woman who falls in love with Dr. Fane at first sight and marries him, moving to Hong Kong. However, realizing she doesn't love her husband, Kitty has an illicit affair. Dr. Fane, who loves his wife deeply, is devastated when he realizes this and makes an impulsive decision to travel to Mei-tan-fu, a city in the Chinese hinterland where a major cholera epidemic has broken out. He forcibly takes his young wife with him. The house they stay in is on the outskirts of the city, and cholera is widespread within it. Dr. Fane visits to the city every day, dealing with patients, and returns home very late. He and his wife have no contact other than necessary conversations. The vaccines used in the cholera epidemic prove ineffective, and the bodies of recently deceased orphans and elderly people lie scattered about. Two months after arriving in the city, Kitty discovers she is pregnant, but the identity of the child's father remains unknown. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Fane dies of cholera, and his pregnant wife, filled with deep regret, returns to England and devotes herself to raising their daughter. The novel tells the story of an idealistic doctor's struggle with cholera while simultaneously conveying an underlying story of revenge, love, and hatred. But most importantly, this book offers a chance to discuss the fight against epidemics, colonialism, and the situation of third-world countries.