Alex Rider Symbolism

The literary device of the mask in Fahrenheit 451, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Lord of the Flies is recurring in each of the stories. The metaphoric mask is a both physical and symbolic object that alters the characteristics of an individual; usually the protagonist. The protagonist either gradually puts on or takes off the mask to change as a person. The mask itself acts how you would expect a real mask to work. A mask typically obscures the vision so that you can only see in one direction, and some obscure our vision to a blur. Despite that, the mask has a much deeper connotation in literature. The obscurity produced by the mask placed on one is not a true mask, but an event or decision significantly altering the traits of an individual. Such a transition is portrayed in literature as the putting on or removal of an actual mask. This makes easier for readers to understand, and creates a perceptible connection between the symbolism and reality. In the Lord of the Flies and Star Wars:

Masks have held countless uses and meanings throughout history. Masks have been used in plays, like those of Shakespeare, traditional dances, social gatherings, even as a form of casual or corporal punishment. Although masks have several different uses in different cultural situations, the meaning of the masks is generally the same. Masks are used to conceal an appearance and assume the identity of another. Metaphorically, masks can be used to hide feelings, to protect oneself, and to block out the outside world. Many of these examples are shown in Art Speigelman 's Maus.

This mask holds back all the sorrow, protects you from being further destroyed by others words or actions, and covers up the real extreme problems people are facing such as suicide and drug overdose. Both texts use these “masks” metaphorically to show how the people protect themselves.

The people we see every day are not always who they appear to be. Our family, friends, peers, work associates, and even our own self’s change who we are sometimes to cope or to seem better off than we are. We put on “Mask” to show the person we want to be seen as and often times people wear more than just one. In Flannery O’ Connor’s, “Good Country People” many of her main characters wore mask. They each had their own reasons that they chose to conceal their real identity. Nevertheless, the characters in O’Connor’s short story wanted to hide their true persona’s or deceive other people. Sometimes it was merely done to cope with their tragic pain and in other cases it was done to deliberately take advantage

Determined to find exactly what altered masks can do to an identity, an experiment involving 18 female college students and a clinical trainee was conducted. Gergen’s intentions were to “find the factors of an individual’s choice

First, I’d like to express my example of how covering is prevalent. I have a friend who’s been a closeted homosexual for many years now. Because he grew up in a family whose beliefs weren’t supportive of LGBTQIA+ rights, he was left to pretend he was heterosexual, in fear of being belittled and possibly neglected by his family. My friend’s display of “acting heterosexual” ties in to Yoshino’s example of a “True” and “False” Self in psychology, and how “the False Self protects the True Self…”

Sometimes things are not as they seem. People often choose to hide their true self in hopes to protect themselves from the wrath of others.

Equality’s Mask A mask is something that covers all or part of the face, worn to hide one's identity. A mask can also be defined as anything that disguises or conceals a person or an object. People often use masks because they do not want others to think poorly of them.

The government is able to force the citizens to keep their masks continually through propaganda. The main character Fles, as well as all of the other members of society, believe that if they see their real faces, instant death would overcome them. Fles was hopping on rocks near the river when he tripped, sending his mask off his face. When he peered into the water, Fles was dumbfounded to not die and flabbergasted to see that he was beautiful. He ecstatically ran into the establishment, his town, to show the world what was behind the masks, but to everyone else, Fles’s actions were unheard of and completely abhorrent. Before the establishment members killed him, “Fles’s eyes pleaded with them, yet the only thing they saw in his eyes was the intent of harm, not help.”(Unknown, 3) This quote shows the use of equality by force because the people in Fles’s establishment are so afraid of the consequences set in place by the government that Fles’s aberrant behavior was worth killing him. The threat Fles proposed seemed greater than the death of one person. Overall, the self-preservation the townspeople used against Fles is explained by the government’s use of propaganda which is obtained by equality by

A mask is a covering for all or parts of the face, worn as a disguise, or to abuse or terrify other people (merriam Webster n.p). In the novel The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald use mask like a covering to hide each characters true emotions. Even today the use of mask can be found on just average people. A mask, we’ve all worn them for a variety of reasons, whatever it may be. It disguises who we are for at least a moment and can bring a sense of continuation for the time being. In this novel, the masks used by the author are most evident on three of the main characters, Myrtle, Daisy, and Jay Gatsby. They are looking for something else, because what they have just isn’t enough. We often wear masks to disguise who we are for a moment and

masks. All the mask that one possesses changes their behavior and in turn, adds to their

Throughout the whole play the actors hide behind a mask, trying to figure out thoughts of the others while trying to hide theirs.

In We Wear the Mask, the author’s purpose is to push the reader to feel something about the way things were in his perspective.

Masks and alternate identity is a major theme in Mishima Yukio's Confessions of a Mask. The narrator believes that throughout his youth, he had been playing a role on a stage to hide his real self. However, contrary to what the narrator claims, throughout the novel, he is not playing the role of another personality. He is simply hiding. It is only in the conclusion, when the when the war is over, and the need for order and principle and everyday life is restored, that he finally sees the creation of his other identity – the masculine figure that conforms to the society's idea of men.

Kneubuhl is quick to point out in her play that masking was not always an immoral action, but depended on the intentions behind the deception. Kneubuhl used Erik as a prime example of masking being used for good rather than evil. Erik was the boyfriend of Kawehi, and was not Hawaiian. This was a divide that comes between Kawehi and him on multiple occasions. While he may not have been Hawaiian, he proves to value their culture. After Kawehi stole the bones, Erik was asked by a detective in Germany if he knew anything. He went on to say he did not know of any plans to steal the bones, and even denied recognizing Kawehi’s picture (151). Obviously, Erik was masking by lying about not recognizing his own girlfriend. However, Erik was lying to keep his girlfriend safe, and to help keep the bones safe, even though he was not Hawaiian. Even though his actions were