blog/content/posts-en/mian-sha.md

title, pubDate, category, tags, mood

title	pubDate	category	tags	mood
Veil	2026-03-09	reading	read	#7c3aed

Under the Veil: Ideal Martyrs and Real Survivors

You cover others’ eyes with veils, but it’s difficult for you to see the world as it really is.

This is a sentence that the translator wrote in the afterword. It truly reflects the truth hidden within the book “Veil” and its title. People live under a veil, using it to hide from others’ scrutiny, but in doing so, they end up trapped within their own veil.

It seems that Walter encountered the most tender love and the deepest sorrowful relationships. He loved someone who did not love him back, and in the process, he became trapped in a vortex of emotions, unable to escape. He was wise, with a keen insight into the world, society, and human nature. He understood the hardships of the world, the various appearances of society, and the underlying truths. He knew the true nature of people behind their false appearances. He seemed like a holy figure, yet he also had flawed and "malicious" thoughts. Even until his death, he couldn’t break free from the emotional vortex. In my opinion, Walter’s love for Katie was genuine, and his hatred for betrayal was also sincere. But love always remained with him throughout his life. Before going to Meitan Prefecture, he was a calm observer, an embodiment of reason. He had a precise understanding of truth, and he had his own moral standards and beliefs that could not be violated. These were indelible marks of reason. When he realized the betrayal and rushed to Meitan Prefecture, he was swept away by emotions. He loved and hated at the same time. He hated Katie for betraying him, and he hated himself for falling in love with a lover who went against his principles. At first, he wanted Katie to die as well, but in the end, he forced her to leave. It seemed like he had some relief from marriage and this relationship, but in reality, he never managed to cross the emotional barriers he had built for himself. He was contradictory. Until his death, he couldn’t forgive himself. As he wrote in his last message to the world: “It was a dog that died.” This wasn’t just a metaphor for Katie; it was also his ultimate judgment on his own soul. He finally admitted that the person filled with resentment, who tried to use love to destroy others, was actually the “crazy dog” devoured by hatred. Walter’s life was one of using sharp reason to analyze the world, but he never dared to face the desolate ruins within himself. He died of cholera, but actually, he died under the veil of arrogance and prejudice that could never be removed.

In contrast, Katie was lucky, and she finally achieved freedom. Under the mask of vanity, what was hidden were the cruelty of the world, the complexity of society, and the unpredictability of human nature. Her initial desire for vanity led her to marry Walter, only to discover that life after marriage wasn’t as she hoped. From the beginning, she knew she didn’t love Walter at all. So, when she arrived in Hong Kong and met Charlie, she fell for him. In Charlie, she saw the qualities she had hoped to find in a partner—humor, charm, and sexiness. But she ignored the true nature of human beings. Before going to Meitan Prefecture, she was vain, afraid, and worried that Walter would discover everything. She was weak, wanting to escape this marriage and be close to Charlie, but she didn’t dare to take action. When Walter forced her to face reality, when everything came to light, she finally saw the evil in human nature. She witnessed Charlie’s indifference and his so-called love being nothing more than empty words. She truly felt fear—fear of death, fear of Walter’s unpredictable thoughts. During her time in Meitan Prefecture, she still lived in memories of the past. She was afraid, unable to see the future. But the temple illuminated by holy light stood still on the other side of the river. She longed for those enchanting colors, eager to start anew. When she took the first step and began working in the monastery, her journey towards awakening began. She slowly reconciled with herself, became less critical of betrayal, and began to understand Charlie better. She started to shed her illusions and recognize her own weakness. She sought the meaning of life, understanding everything around her, even hoping to help Walter out of his suffering. However, until Walter died, they never truly reconciled. She felt guilty toward Walter, seeing her own insignificance. But she couldn’t cross the high wall erected by Walter. She was outside the wall, while Walter remained inside, each living their lives under their own masks, suffering separately. Walter’s death was a kind of “liberation” for him, and also for Katie.

Walter died because he failed to remove the “veil of rationality and morality”. He destroyed himself while still conscious, leaving behind only a tragic silhouette for the world to see. Meanwhile, Katie survived the disaster. She stripped off the “veil of vanity” during the chaos, and though covered in wounds, she finally saw the true light of day.

The so-called “veil” not only covers up the truth, but also the courage we need to face our true selves. Walter lacked this courage to accept imperfect love and human nature, and thus he perished in his own despair. Katie, on the other hand, was forced to develop this courage during a life-and-death moment. Thus, she gained freedom.

In the end, those who died find peace. Those who remain live on, carrying with them memories and lessons from their experiences. Perhaps this is what Maugham wanted to tell us: There is no perfect ending to life. Only by facing the cruel reality of life and still choosing to love and live truly, can one find redemption.

From betrayal to self-redemption, Katie found herself in a foreign land far from her hometown. She couldn’t escape the temptations of desire. After returning to Hong Kong, she once again fell into Charlie’s arms. But now, she was no longer the same person she was before leaving Meitan Prefecture. Her thoughts had undergone drastic changes. She despised the idea of her body betraying her soul. She decided to leave this place of chaos and pursue freedom once more. Just as she left Meitan Prefecture, she embarked on a new journey toward freedom. Back in her homeland, she saw her mother pass away, her sister become pregnant, and her father finally free himself from his old self. She also wanted to get rid of her old self and embrace a new future. At the end of the story, Katie and her father shared their hearts with each other. Together, they headed to a new place to start anew, to live as a new person.

I have hope, and I also have the courage to pursue it.

Awakening is not a momentary miracle, but rather a long and often frustrating struggle. She will fall, repeat the same mistakes, and struggle in the mire of desire. But true courage lies not in maintaining purity without ever making mistakes, but in having the courage to tear off one's mask after seeing one's own ugliness, and turn towards light.

Walter died in his "correctness," while Katie lived in her "truth." Walter's story is one of tragic individualism and sacrifice, while Katie's story is one of fortunate individualism and rebirth. Walter felt hopeless, trapped in the mud of hardship, and lacked the courage to face a new life and a new world. He hid himself behind his mask, living in a world built upon his own beliefs, dying "heroically" for them. Katie, on the other hand, lives in a complex society, discovering the true self through introspection, and gaining freedom from a difficult situation. Step by step, she breaks through the false mask to see human nature, the warmth and coldness of society, and the hope of a new world. Her experiences in Meitan Prefecture have led her to self-reflection, and her journey there has given her insights into everything. In death and darkness, she has gained enlightenment and awakened to light. She returned to Hong Kong, where desire once again took hold. This time, she did not sink into the false reality. Finally, with courage, she made her decision and set out on the journey of "leaving."

At the end of the story, the mask is removed. Katie, with scars on her body, holds her father's hand, walking towards the sunshine of Bahamas. There, there is no false grandeur, no illusions of passion, only a simple yet solid life. Perhaps this is the most gentle answer that James Mangan left for those who struggle between vanity and confusion: Only truth can bring freedom.

In the story of The Mask, Walter is a highly "heroic" individual who sacrifices himself for his beliefs. Katie, on the other hand, grows up in a complex society, spending her early years amidst desires and vanity. Her journey to Meitan Prefecture brings her clarity in darkness, hope in death, and the true self in a foreign land. She gains freedom in the "new world."

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• I don’t understand you at all. I really don’t know you at all.

• I know you are stupid, frivolous, and lacking in intelligence, but I love you. I know your goals and ideals are both vulgar and ordinary, but I still love you. I know you are of second rate quality, but I still love you. It’s funny to think that I try my best to like things that make you happy, and I endure pain just to hide my feelings from you. In fact, I am not ignorant or vulgar, nor do I spread rumors or act foolishly. I know how afraid you are of wisdom, so I do everything I can to make you think I’m a complete idiot, just like everyone else you know. I know you married me just for temporary benefits. I loved you so much that it didn’t matter to me. Most people, as far as I know, feel wronged and even more angry and painful when they love someone but don’t receive love in return. But I’m not like that. I never expected you to love me. I see no reason for you to love me, and I never thought I would be loved in return. I’m grateful to be allowed to love you. When I remember you happily being with me, or when I see the joy in your eyes, I become overjoyed. I try not to let my love bother you, because I know it would be too much for me. So I always watch your reactions, looking for the first signs that my love starts to annoy you. Most husbands see this as a form of power, but I see it as a blessing.

• He knows that you are vain, cowardly, and selfish. He wants me to see all of this with my own eyes. He knows that you will run away as quickly as a hare when danger approaches. He knows that I was deceived into believing that you loved me, because he knows that you never love anyone else—you only love yourself. He knows that you would sacrifice me in order to escape unharmed.

• Death comes suddenly and mercilessly, passing through the winding streets.

• Dawn breaks, and sunlight touches the mist, making it shine like snow descending upon the dying stars.

• Look, here only you and I are walking on solid ground. The nuns walk in the sky, while your husband walks in the darkness.

• His soul is torn apart. He has lived in a false illusion. When the truth shatters those illusions, he believes that reality itself has been shattered.

• At this hour, the streets of the city are empty, more like a dead city than ever before. Passersby look distant and mysterious, making one wonder if they are all ghosts. The sky is clear and cloudless, and the rising sun shines a gentle light over the earth. It’s hard to imagine that, in this joyful, fresh, and bright dawn, the city is struggling to survive under the dark reign of plague. It’s unbelievable that nature (the blue sky, so clear like a child’s heart) remains indifferent during such times.

• Peace exists only in people’s souls.

• All people, even humanity as a whole, are like droplets in this river. They flow unpredictably, getting closer together yet still far apart, forming an unnamed current that flows towards the sea. Since everything is fleeting, and nothing matters truly, people still foolishly value trivial things, causing themselves and others to suffer. This is truly sad.

• Those tiny droplets flow silently along the river, towards the unknown. They seem unique, but to the observer, they are just insignificant parts of the river.

• What do I understand now? Life is so strange. I feel like someone who has lived all his life near a small pond, suddenly seeing the vast ocean. It makes me feel breathless, but my heart is filled with joy. I don’t want to die; I want to live. So I feel a new courage. I’m like those old sailors, setting sail toward unexplored seas. My soul thirsts for the unknown.

• Those tiny droplets flow silently, towards that dark, eternal ocean.

• Path. Some of us seek the path in opium; others look to God. Still others search for whiskey, or try to find love elsewhere. There is only one such path, but it leads nowhere.

Everything here is both novel and touching. Her soul is like a calm yet dark ocean, with waves rising and falling in a magnificent display of beauty. The atmosphere is somber and overwhelming, making it seem daunting. Suddenly, a ray of sunlight shines through, bringing life, warmth, and joy to everything around her.

Life is so short. The world is already filled with suffering, yet people still choose to torment themselves. Isn’t that quite pitiful?

Her personality is like a rural landscape. At first glance, it seems vast and indifferent, but soon, you will discover villages hidden among the trees, along with lush grasslands where rivers flow gently. This beautiful scenery can be surprising, even comforting and reassuring. However, the distant yellow-brown hillsides, with their strong winds, still make it difficult for one to feel truly at ease.

There’s only one way to win people’s hearts—by becoming someone that people truly want to love.

I can’t put it into words. I don’t know if the pursuit of beauty is really that important, or if this very way of life itself is already beautiful enough. I think the only thing that allows us to focus on the world we live in without feeling resentment is the beauty that humans continuously create from chaos. The paintings they paint, the music they compose, the books they write… and their lives in general. Among all these things, what is most beautiful is a wonderful life—it’s a perfect work of art.

The “Tao” refers to both the paths that people walk along, and the beings who walk those paths. It is an eternal path, along which all living things move. Yet it wasn’t created by any living being—it exists inherently as part of life itself. It is everything at the same time, yet it isn’t anything in particular. All things originate from the Tao, conform to its principles, and ultimately return to the Tao. It is a square shape with no four corners; it is a sound that remains unheard; it is a picture without any definite shape. It is a vast net, its meshes so wide they encompass the entire ocean, yet nothing can pass through them. It serves as a refuge for all things in need of shelter. It cannot be found anywhere, but one can “see the Tao” if they refrain from seeking it. The Tao teaches us to have no desires at all, allowing everything to happen naturally. Those who are humble will ultimately achieve preservation, while those who bow down will stand upright. “Misfortune is the harbinger of fortune; fortune lies hidden beneath misfortune.” But who can say when a turning point will occur? Those who seek gentleness and compassion will be as peaceful as children. Gentleness and compassion bring victory to those who attack, and security to those who defend. Those who conquer themselves are the strongest.

– Freedom! That was the thought that constantly lingered in her mind. Although the future remained uncertain, this idea resembled a thin mist over a river, shining with colors under the sunlight of dawn. Freedom! It meant not only breaking free from the bonds of troubles and the oppressive relationships that weighed down her spirit. Freedom! It meant escaping not only the threat of death, but also from love that weakened her personality, from all the mental constraints that bound her spirit. Freedom meant a liberation from the physical body, a freedom for the spirit to emerge. Along with freedom came courage, and a strong will to ignore whatever might happen.

She thought she had changed, that her will was strong enough to allow her to return to Hong Kong as a calm and composed woman. New ideas flashed through her mind, like yellow butterflies dancing in the sunlight, filling her with hope for a better future. Freedom seemed to be calling to her, like an elf of light. The entire world seemed like a vast plain, where she could walk forward with confidence. She believed she had freed herself from lust and vile emotions, and could now live a pure and healthy spiritual life. She compared herself to herons flying gracefully over the rice fields at dusk—birds that soar freely in their tranquil minds. But in reality, she remained a slave to desire.

• I have hope, and I also have the courage to pursue it.

• You cover others’ eyes with veils, yet you yourself find it difficult to see the truth of the world.

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