The Global Masquerade Ball
In Invisible Man, we see the concept of the mask constantly coming in the story. Bledsoe kindly supporting and agreeing to his white partners while in reality running the show, Grandpas hardwork ethic and humble living while he keeps a guarded mind and heart against the system, the director handing over compensation money for the narrators injuries in a civil manner while really just doing his job and getting it over with. There are tons of examples of the mask, which made me wonder; do we have masks? And if so, when do we take them off?
On the political scale, prime ministers, presidents, dictators, kings and queens, and all types of rulers often have wear the mask, in public speeches and in private meetings. Many affairs and scandals have occurred behind the scenes, such that the public wouldn’t know about it, and many secrets have been kept even until death. For example, the majority of the public in America had no idea that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in a wheelchair and suffered from polio. He wore the mask of strength and health for the country, as he was the face of it. Many slave owners wore the mask of kindness and sincerity as they justified their treatment of black slaves, saying they were taken care of and healthy. The traditional story of reconstruction and redemption in the South was a mask of justification and strength of white supremacy.
Even on a more personal scale, people tend to wear masks a lot. Whether it’s when we deal with friends who are “fake”, or we hide our personal views on certain topics, we have our masks. For better or worse, the whole world is a masquerade ball. And it’s the people we truly hold close to us whom we often to lift up the masks and let them see who we really are.
What do you guys think? Do we all live with masks? Is the mask good or bad, or does it depend?
I think concealing things we don't want others to know about is pretty much mandatory for anyone. We hide our emotions to fit in with our peers. We hide our less-than-adequate test scores to maintain our reputations. We even get angry when large tech companies and government agencies attempt to encroach upon and violate our privacy.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it doesn't really seem like it's possible to do anything in this society without wearing some sort of mask. After all, if everyone knew how everyone else felt on every topic, that can create obstacles that no one really wanted in any sort of relationship. So while it may seem unhealthy, I think everyone has kind of agreed that we almost always need to have some sort of mask on. But I like the idea that the masks disappear with people who we think of as friends. But even then, are you knowingly keeping information from them that creates another kind of mask?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that there could be no limits to the masks we have to wear. Certain situations require certain attitudes and such, its hard in this day and age to truly be who you are without fear, mostly because of the repercussions. Do you think Bledsoe would've gotten anywhere without his fake kindness?
DeleteThe mask is something that I find especially prevalent in American society. I realize that like other commentators have said, that it is almost essential that people don't reveal all their opinions on issues, so that they are able to fit into society. At the same time, I think that this is especially done in American culture. One major difference in what I have seen in our culture, versus for example German culture, is the act of fake kindness. For example, my mom will certainly tell me if my tone, while playing violin, is sub-par, while other people might just say what they think they want me to here. Obviously she is my mom, so that can factor in as well, but I've observed this cultural difference with classmates in Germany as well.
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