# VII explained — The Painted Veil

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

## What happens

This chapter provides a detailed portrait of Mrs. Garstin, Kitty's mother, describing her as a hard, ambitious, and parsimonious woman who manipulates her husband Bernard to advance socially. It also reveals Bernard's quiet suffering and the family's contempt for him when his career falters.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class and Social Status

Mrs. Garstin's relentless pursuit of social advancement through her husband's career and her manipulation of social connections.

### Marriage and Social Expectation

The Garstins' marriage is a transactional arrangement where Mrs. Garstin uses her husband to achieve social status, and Bernard is expected to provide without complaint.

### Suffering and Growth

Bernard Garstin's silent suffering and the family's contempt for him highlight the emotional cost of social ambition.

## Character check-ins

### Mrs. Garstin

Described as hard, cruel, managing, ambitious, parsimonious, and stupid; she drives her husband's career and social climbing.

### Bernard Garstin

A painstaking but unambitious barrister who yields to his wife's nagging; becomes a stranger to his family after his career declines.

### Kitty Fane

Mentioned indirectly as one of the daughters who feels contempt for her father when money becomes less plentiful.

### Doris

Mentioned indirectly as another daughter sharing the same indifferent and contemptuous attitude toward their father.

## Key lines

> Mrs. Garstin was a hard, cruel, managing, ambitious, parsimonious and stupid woman.

Mrs. Garstin is portrayed as a harsh, controlling, and miserly woman driven by ambition but lacking intelligence.

_Opening characterization of Kitty's mother._

> She flattered herself that she could make as much show as anyone else at half the price.

She prided herself on appearing as lavish as others while spending much less.

_Illustrates her parsimony and social pretension._

> He was a stranger to them, but because he was their father they took it for granted that he should love and cherish them.

Though he was a stranger to his daughters, they assumed his love and care were owed to them simply because he was their father.

_Highlights the family's emotional neglect of Bernard Garstin._

## Links

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