# LXXIII explained — The Painted Veil

> Chapter companion for The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham.

## What happens

Kitty dines with the Townsends, observing Charlie's charm and insincerity while grappling with her changed perception of him after her experiences in Mei-tan-fu.

## Themes in this chapter

### Self-Deception and Truth

Kitty confronts her previous illusions about Charlie, seeing his insincerity yet feeling the pull of his charm.

### Love and Illusion

Kitty's romanticized image of Charlie shatters as she recognizes the falseness behind his attractive exterior.

## Character check-ins

### Kitty Fane

Observes Charlie with a critical eye, noting his falseness yet struggling with his lingering charm.

### Charles Townsend

Hosts luncheon, treats Kitty with casual cheerfulness, offers to handle her affairs, and displays his practiced charm.

### Dorothy Townsend

Present at luncheon, maintains a faint air of superiority that now includes Kitty as a bond.

## Key lines

> falseness of every word he said more exasperating; its richness of tone and its warmth rang now in her ears with insincerity and she wondered how she could ever have been taken in by it.

Kitty now finds Charlie's smooth, warm voice insincere and wonders how she was ever deceived by it.

_Kitty's disillusionment with Charlie's charm._

> He was a very handsome man. It was lucky that she knew how worthless he was.

Kitty acknowledges Charlie's physical attractiveness but reminds herself of his moral worthlessness.

_Kitty's conflicted perception of Charlie._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_painted_veil_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters