Rebirth And Awakening:An Analysis Of The Painted Veil Based On Lefebvre’s Spatial Theory

William Somerset Maugham(1874-1965)is a well-known British novelist and playwright.He creates many excellent literary works throughout his life,and his works are characterized by a wide range of materials and a thorough understanding of human nature.He spends several years writing the novel The Painted Veil(1925),whose background also takes place in China,the heroine of The Painted Veil Kitty eventually grows up to be independent,free female,her journey of self-growth and redemption can be realized in different spatial transformations.This thesis is mainly divided into three parts.This thesis uses Lefebvre’s spatial theory as the basis to select the physical space,social space and mental space layer by layer,analyzing it from the shallower to the deeper.Kitty reconstructs a new mental space in the transformation of different spaces,and obtains self-salvation and rebirth,thus revealing the impact of space on personal growth and introspection.The first chapter is the study of the physical space.Firstly,it is the impetuous and utilitarian physical space of London,which prides itself on the marital relationship that advertises benefits,and buries the bane of love and vanity to Kitty’s mental space construction;Secondly,the physical space of Hong Kong is full of hypocrisy.In the physical space of Meitan-fu,as a poor and inconvenient place in China’s mainland.The town is a space of closed,Kitty and her husband come to this cholera town,cutting off contact with the outside world in a sense,Kitty and Walter stay in the closed space,what is exchanged just two icy hearts colliding and rubbing against each other.The second chapter is a study of the social space.First of all,the solidification of the marriage standard has had a huge impact on the formation of Kitty’s values.The customs and habits in the different social spaces of Hong Kong and Meitan-fu have superimposed effects on Kitty’s personal mental space,whether it is the moral restraint of London’s social space,the moral decay of Hong Kong’s social space,or the morality of Meitan-fu’s social space.The spurs have laid the foundation for the awakening and reconstruction of Kitty’s mental space.The third chapter is the research on the change of Kitty’s mental space,which mainly shows the characteristics of confusion,choice and self-reflection.when Kitty works in a monastery in a plague area,the nuns remained in danger when they are facing death.The spirit of selfless devotion is greatly touched her,seeing her husband working selflessly for the cholera patients,and finally devoting himself to himself.The noble quality of her,her mental space has changed in essence,the tortuous process has baptized and tempered her mental space,which makes Kitty completely conscious,and completes the transformation of her own mental space in the transformation of space.After experiencing the continuous transformation of physical space and social space,the two spaces have had a huge impact on the mental space.From confusion to reflection,to self-growth,it confirms the flow and interaction of mental space.Kitty has been reborn and awakened.At the same time,the reconstructed Kitty’s mental space,acting on the practice of physical space,returns to London,and guides the future social space,follows her father to a new living place,full of thoughts about life’s expectations.It provides readers with a new perspective to understand Maugham’s works.At the same time,The Painted Veil covers the exploration of human nature and understanding of self-growth,which are worthy of our continuous exploration and research.