▁whether ▁Marx ▁was ▁aware ▁of ▁this , ▁but ▁according ▁to ▁Jo chen ▁H ör isch ▁it ▁gave ▁the ▁term ▁" character ▁mask " ▁a ▁certain ▁popular ity ▁among ▁German ▁speak ers . ▁ ▁Ab andon ing ▁the ▁concept ▁Character ▁mask s ▁are ▁mentioned ▁five ▁times ▁in ▁Capital , ▁Volume ▁I , ▁and ▁once ▁in ▁Capital , ▁Volume ▁II . ▁Here , ▁the ▁reference ▁is ▁specifically ▁to ▁economic ▁character ▁mask s , ▁not ▁political ▁character ▁mask s . ▁However , ▁both ▁the ▁official ▁Moscow ▁translation ▁of ▁Capital , ▁Volume ▁I ▁into ▁English , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁re vised ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁P engu in ▁translation ▁of ▁Capital , ▁Volume ▁I ▁into ▁English ▁by ▁Ben ▁F ow kes , ▁deleted ▁all ▁reference ▁to ▁character ▁mask s , ▁subst itut ing ▁a ▁non - liter al ▁translation . ▁English ▁transl ators ▁of ▁other ▁writ ings ▁by ▁Marx ▁& ▁Eng els , ▁or ▁of ▁classical ▁Marx ist ▁texts , ▁quite ▁often ▁deleted ▁Char akter mas ke ▁as ▁well , ▁and ▁often ▁subst it uted ▁other ▁words ▁such ▁as ▁" mask ", ▁" role ", ▁" app earance ", ▁" pu ppet ", ▁" gu ise " ▁and ▁" person a ". ▁ ▁Marx ' s ▁concept ▁of ▁character ▁mask s ▁has ▁therefore ▁been ▁little ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁English - spe aking ▁world , ▁except ▁through ▁the ▁translated ▁writ ings ▁of ▁the ▁Frankfurt ▁School ▁and ▁other ▁( main ly ▁German ▁or ▁Aust rian ) ▁Marx ists ▁using ▁the ▁term . ▁Tom ▁B ottom ore '