| William Somerset Maugham was a famous English dramatist and novelist in the20 th century.At present,most scholars at home and abroad interpreted The Painted Veil from the fields of postcolonial studies,feminism,cultural studies,ecology and disease.However,previous scholars were mostly confined to the heroine’s female identity and growth experience,ignoring the historical background and plot of the novel.From Maugham’s memoirs,it was clear that his creative process was inevitably influenced by The First World War and Oriental thoughts.What’s more,Maugham emphasized that the environment,plot and characters of novel were a whole.Therefore,the author attempts to analyze the dilemma of the heroine by reflecting on the manipulation of individual in consumer society and uncovering the veil and drawbacks of consumer society;meanwhile,this thesis also demonstrates how individual escapes from spiritually deprived consumer society and forms the correct consumption concepts and values under the guidance of Taoist thoughts.This thesis is composed of three parts.The introduction section includes an introduction to William Somerset Maugham and The Painted Veil,a review of national and international studies,and the theory of consumerism.The main part of this thesis is divided into two main chapters.The first chapter focuses on how the heroine,Kitty,falls into the material trap of consumer society and becomes a “puppet” manipulated by the consumption ideology,and the dilemma she encounters in the pursuit of her true self.This chapter uses Veblen’s theory of leisure class to analyze her pursuit of a false identity,her attachment to men and her loss of peace of mind.The second chapter mainly discusses the drawbacks of consumer society and how Kitty gains spiritual freedom with the help of Taoist thoughts.This chapter uses Baudrillard’s theory of consumer society to analyze from three aspects:the lack of real existence,the disappearance of trust and love,and the collapse of spiritual belief.Under the influence of Taoist thoughts,such as following nature,spiritual independence,indifferent to fame and wealth and doing nothing,Kitty escapes from material traps of symbolic consumption,gains sincere relationship and eventually grows into a contented and independent individual.The conclusion shows that the perverse value of consumer society turns people into “hollow man” without spiritual belief.Only when the veil of consumer society is lifted can people find their true self and gain spiritual freedom. |
