The "veil" in George Eliot's novella "The Lifted Veil" symbolizes the boundary between the natural world and the world of the supernatural, which in this story includes the realm of the spirit and of death. The words "shroud" or "curtain" also appear throughout the story as references to the image of the "veil." Latimer's powers of clairvoyance, his ability to both see into the future and hear the internal thoughts of people around him, is described in terms of his ability to see beyond the "veil" which separates the natural world from that of the spirit world. While these powers of clairvoyance would seem to be a gift, Latimer experiences them as a "curse," which drains life of all pleasure, bringing him only misery and suffering.
The "veil" or "curtain" which separates human beings with ordinary.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 734 words. This
study guide contains 28,569 words (approx. 95 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our The Lifted Veil Access Pass.
