The novel The Veil, written by the British writer Maugham, chronicles the path of self-redemption of Katie, the doctor's wife, when the plague spreads. This article is a synopsis of the novel.
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(i)
Katie and her lover, Charlie Townsend, are having an affair at home when the doorknob turns. Katie thought it was her husband Walter who had returned, scared half to death. Charlie was still calm, he thought it was the work of a servant or an aunt, even Walter was nothing, he expected him to be shy, afraid of the ugliness of the family, so he would not be quiet.
Katie and Charlie had been together for some time, and the two had been meeting privately in the backyard of an antique shop, this time in time when the afternoon was hot, no one wanted to go out, and few people paid attention to her house. At first, Katie was worried that Walter would know what would happen, after all, he loved her so much, but at Charlie's behest, she ignored it.
Stills from the movie "The Veil"
The matter is not unknowing, Walter actually has the evidence of the two people's adultery, and is in pain. Katie didn't care about this, her marriage to Walter was his wishful thinking, and she had to marry him just because she was old enough to climb the ladder. She thought Walter would divorce herself and return to her freedom to have a chance to be with Charlie. Unexpectedly, Walter proposes that he divorce Charlie and his wife and promise to marry her within a week, otherwise he will go to the epidemic area with him, and Katie thinks that Charlie and his various concubines and his dislike for his wife think that these two things are easy to do.
Leaving the house, Katie went straight to Charlie's office, where she laid out Walter's request and interrogation. But Charlie had no intention of divorcing his wife and marrying Katie. Katie finally understands what kind of person Charlie is, and distraught, she decides to go to the epidemic area with Walter.
(ii)
Along the way, she has been sad and bitter that her words are not up to her word, and she has not been able to fully show her true heart to Charlie. He also hates Charlie's ruthlessness and doesn't care about their feelings at all. She had also thought of Walter's love for her, and thought to herself that he could not love her anymore.
However, on the road, even long after arriving in the epidemic area, they have nothing to say most of the time, and the few words are just insignificant things. The disease spread, and she trembled every day, almost trying to escape, but found that there was nowhere to go.
Weak, pale, tired, and frightened day by day grabbed her for nothing, until her friend Waddington took her to the convent. Grandma Abbot personally took her on a tour of the monastery and praised her husband's kindness. And told her to treat him kindly and not to let him work too hard. A feeling of touch and pride filled her heart, and she no longer hated him, nor resented him, but only felt afraid and confused. She envied the nuns for having a rich spiritual world, and hoped to be one of them, to really do something for the city that was on the verge of collapse. These feelings strongly dominated her.
In the evening, she took the initiative to talk about the topic, hoping to end the Cold War. She admits that her infidelity hurt him, but his cold attitude makes her unable to understand his true feelings.
Although it was not easy to persuade the abbot's grandmother, Katie worked in the monastery, and although the arrangements were all easy, it was enough to refresh her. The prayers reassured her, and in her free time, the conversations with Sister Saint Joseph also made her happy. Most importantly, these changes also made her forget Charlie, how she had longed for him before, how painful she had been after he dumped her, and now, it was all over.
A new life has just begun, but Katie suddenly faints and is told she is pregnant. She could have easily lied that the child belonged to Walter and completely broke the ice of their relationship, but she decided to be honest. Not knowing who the child's father was made the conversation between the two awkward. Walter advises her to leave the affected area for the sake of her children to avoid contracting the disease, but she refuses because she has nowhere to go, and worries about the future of the two people after they leave here.
In the future, Walter contracted cholera and died. At the end of his life, she begged for his forgiveness, but he never heard it again.
Katie was placed back in England, although she was anxious to stay in the affected area to continue working for the monastery. While staying in Hong Kong to dispose of the house and furniture, she was again disturbed by Charlie and succumbed to him, which made her despair about herself. Her sister's married mother died and her father was ready to sell her house to work in a distant place, and she was once again faced with the dilemma of having nowhere to go. However, in the end, her father still agreed to take her away, and she begged his father to treat her well, and they all treated each other well. She is ready to greet the arrival of her child and face the unknown with ease and joy, which is the path that her experience has shown her.
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