Uncovering "The Mask" once more

Zorro wore a mask to conceal his identity; that while he fought for those oppressed, somewhat like Robin Hood, he did so under the cover of a mask -- as though that would work.  

Lot's of characters wear masks for much the same reason while others, a select number of "super-heroes"; are among this supernatural, some choosing to gird the mask while others, their identity out there.  On the face of it, super-heroes that are faceless make you wonder, 

"What (and why) are they hiding?" 

Batman and Robin wore masks -- though you have to wonder how many masks they went through with all the brawling -- and meanwhile, their arch enemies did not always. You must wonder while The Penguin did not...with a face like that, while The Cat-woman did...with a face like that.  

I speak of this comical side of masks but in fact a masks in not a joke.  Walk into a bank with a mask on and see just how fast things turn on you.  

Meanwhile, much of the world seems to be fixated on masks given the notion that they are doing their diligence to slow the spread, flatten the curve, accelerate the cure or merely forestall illness while a vaccination is concocted -- never mind the actual, factual statistics, the preventive quality of cloth masks.  

To say that "They are wearing a mask," suggest a figurative view; that they're pretending to be something that they are not, hiding from their "true self", the real you behind the veil.   No doubt that we each wear this figurative mask from time to time, imagining or pretending or even playing-out on the premise that others are pleased, we're accepted.  

Conversely, a mask say more about us; who we are and what we think, as Oscar Wilde suggest, 

A mask tells us more than a face.

In this present pandemic, a mask may say, suggest, 

• I'm afraid of me, of you and of it 
• I just want to do the right thing, conform and obey the state's order(s) 
• I want to believe that this is an effective prevention (even though it is not...)

But be careful about the mask, the masquerade, for

If you wear a mask for too long, there will come a time when you can not remove it without removing your face. (Matshona Dhliwayo)