The Lifted Veil | Theme of Clairvoyance

In the following essay, the author discusses the ‘‘curse’’ of clairvoyance in ‘‘The Lifted Veil.’’

The ‘‘Curse’’ of the Lifted Veil
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...

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