"Many masks, many selves" Analysis

In her article “Many masks, many selves,” Wendy Doniger presents self-impersonation as a healthy and essential method of self-identification. Critical of the commonly held belief that the different social roles we tend to take on during everyday life are superficial, Doniger instead asserts that these “masks” are necessary contributors to an individual’s overall sense of self. They don’t hide the real us; together, they become the real us. Thus, this multiplicity of roles does not detract from a single true identity; rather, the medley of masks one chooses to don can yield an impressive breadth of character. The merging of the mask and the self accordingly weakens the traditional dichotomy thought to exist between them. In addition, Doniger explains that by observing which masks conceal which facets of one’s identity (and which reveal others), it is possible to gain a deeper understanding about one’s self. Ultimately, she argues that people should not search for one “real” self, but should conversely embrace the idea of employing a vast and varied number of selves. In fact, Doniger states that we never really take off our masks, but instead use them to constantly propel ourselves from one situation of life to another.