The Painted Veil

Chapters 1-26

Reading Check

1. The turning of the bedroom door handle (Chapter 1)

2. Her 18-year-old sister’s engagement (Chapter 8)

3. At a curio dealer’s (Chapter 3)

4. He intends to take her to Meitan-fu, a place that is at the center of a cholera epidemic. (Chapter 22)

5. While Townsend initially says that Meitan-fu is too dangerous for Kitty, he concludes that it will be best if Kitty accompanies Walter there. (Chapter 26)

Short Answer

1. Kitty feels that Walter lacks gaiety or social charm. Her admiration of this quality tells us that she values having a good time over moral sobriety and that popularity is important to her. (Chapter 10)

2. Kitty believes that marrying Walter will give her the best chance of happiness because she is still single at the age of 25. If she marries him, she will be able to avoid her younger sister’s wedding and a lifetime with her inhospitable mother. Kitty’s attitude tells us that she lives in a patriarchal society where women’s value depreciates as they age. (Chapter 11)

3. Kitty is both romantically and sexually enchanted with Townsend. She is surprised to learn that her adultery does not change how she sees herself.