摘要

被誉为“英国的莫泊桑”的毛姆是英国文坛上颇有争议性的一个作家。在世界文坛上，他从未与一流作家们并驾齐驱，但他却在全世界范围内拥有庞大的读者群。著名批评家威思克特曾经预言说没有一个20世纪的小说家能像毛姆那样在21世纪赢得那么多的读者。小说《面纱》是他的最受读者欢迎的长篇小说之一。凯蒂是小说《面纱》的女主人公。她以一个当时英国伦敦传统的女性形象出现。当初她自私，愚蠢，并且渴望嫁给一个富有且地位显赫的丈夫。但是，她最终嫁给了一个普通的医生——瓦尔特•费恩。在经历了情人的背叛，丈夫的报复和对死亡的恐惧之后，凯蒂开始拥有了自己的思想。女性意识渐渐觉醒。虽然有人认为，毛姆的作品中有反女性主义倾向。但是，本文作者认为，毛姆只是通过这种抨击的方式在他的作品中来呼吁和赞扬女性意识。本文将通过分析凯蒂的经历以及她的思想改变来展示女主人公渐渐苏醒的女性角色意识，这也是作品反映的女性主题。这个主题的揭示对现代女性树立独立自尊的生活价值观有很好的启示意义。

关键词：毛姆；《面纱》；女性意识；人性

Abstract

Maugham was called “The English Maupassant", he is controversial author in British literary History. His status in literature world never caught up with the first-class writers, but that does not weaken his popularity all over the world. The famous critic Glenway Wescott once predicted that no novelist of 20th could have so many readers as Maugham would in the 21st century. The painted veil was one of his most famous long novels. Kitty was the heroine of the novel--The painted veil. She appeared in a traditional female image during that time in London Britain. She was self-important, selfish, and desired to marry a rich and standing husband at the beginning of the novel. But she married a common doctor--- Walter Fane. After lover's betrayal, her husband's revenge, her horror to death, she began to have her own thought. Feminism generally developed. Though some people thought Anti-Women tendency could be found in Maugham's works. The writer thinks Maugham was just calling and praising feminism in his works. This paper will through analyzing Kitty's experience and the change of her thoughts by hers, to show the Feminism of the heroine which was appear slowly. It is also the theme of females in this paper. The reveal of the subject has important meaning to the modern women to set up the life value of independence and self-esteem.

Key words：Maugham; The Painted Veil; Feminist Consciousness ; Humanity

1.    Introduction
The Painted Veil is one of the most classic works of British writer William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 - 16 December 1965). Maugham was born in an attorney family. After losing both his parents by the age of 10, he was brought up by his uncle who was offish. So his childhood was not happy. The inspiration of Maugham's The Painted Veil came from his experience in Hong Kong. When Maugham was once in Hong Kong, he heard a similar true story. Then he searched the relevant people. In the end, The painted Veil was born.