▁independently ▁of ▁the ▁mask ▁bear er ). ▁ ▁The ▁nearest ▁equivalent ▁term ▁in ▁modern ▁English ▁for ▁Marx ' s ▁" character ▁mask s " ▁is ▁social ▁mask s . ▁However , ▁such ▁a ▁translation ▁is ▁not ▁entirely ▁satisf actory , ▁for ▁several ▁reasons : ▁A ▁" social ▁mask " ▁is ▁normally ▁understood ▁only ▁as ▁the ▁mask ▁of ▁an ▁individual , ▁while ▁Marx ' s ▁concept ▁of ▁character ▁mask s ▁has ▁been ▁applied ▁by ▁Marx ists ▁and ▁non - Mar x ists ▁to ▁persons ▁and ▁polit icians , ▁groups ▁and ▁social ▁classes , ▁mass ▁media , ▁social ▁movements ▁and ▁political ▁parties , ▁social ▁institutions , ▁organizations ▁and ▁functions , ▁govern ments , ▁symbol ic ▁expressions , ▁historical ▁er as , ▁and ▁dram atic , ▁literary ▁or ▁the atr ical ▁context s . ▁In ▁each ▁case , ▁the ▁suggestion ▁is ▁that ▁matters ▁present ▁themselves ▁other ▁than ▁they ▁really ▁are . ▁Marx ' s ▁character ▁mask s ▁are ▁a ▁specific ▁kind ▁of ▁social ▁mask s , ▁i . e . ▁mask s ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁things ▁which ▁represent ▁a ▁social , ▁political , ▁intellectual ▁or ▁economic ▁function , ▁within ▁the ▁given ▁social ▁relationships ▁among ▁groups ▁of ▁people . ▁The ▁category ▁of ▁" social ▁mask s " ▁is ▁much ▁more ▁general ▁and ▁inclus ive . ▁With ▁Marx ' s ▁character ▁mask s , ▁it ▁is ▁understood ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁bound ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁specific ▁type ▁of ▁society ▁at ▁a ▁specific ▁historical ▁time , ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁specific ▁theory ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁social ▁relations ▁in ▁that ▁society ▁function