The Mask

The Mask 

Symbol & Theme

Everyone has something they want to change in their lives. No one is always satisfied with everything. Sarah's "What Happened to Goodbye", is about how Mclean Sweet chooses to become someone else every time she and her dad move to a new town. She is capable of casually becoming anything from a cheer leader to the school's president and just "shred her skin" after she moves to another place. I believe that every different identities she had made represents how she wants to leave her past behind because she can't accept who she originally is, even though she should be honest and accept what she is.

Whether it's Liz, Eliza, Lizbet, or Beth, they are all just one person. And that is Mclean. She creates a new profile on Ume.com (similar to facebook) every time she moves to someplace new. I think that those profiles symbolize changes for a new self so that she can forgot her old past. But what happens is that, “we make such messes in this life, both accidently and on purpose. But wiping the surface clean doesn't really make anything any neater. It just masks what is below. It's only when you really dig down deep, go underground, that you can see who you really are," she said. I think those identities are like the mess that she had left behind because she abandons everything behind, so that she can start over to perfect her life furthermore. "Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it," she had also said. And that is true because you should be your true-self and accept your flaws, because no one's life is as pure and clear as crystals and so you're in good company.

I suppose that she chose to create a new character for herself because she is tired of having to deal with her parent's broken marriage and her mom's new life...without her dad. She wants to avoid her old life in order to reinvent herself in a place where no one knows much about her, but "your past is always your past. Even if you forget it, it remembers you.” And the thing is that I feel that it is irresponsible for her to want to escape from her life and other people that had loved her. Her different identities symbolizes change and how she lacks confidence to manage her stress. "I mean, it's impossible to fake anything if you've already seen the other person in a way they'd never choose for you to. You can't go back from that," she said. I feel the same way because you can't be someone you aren't destined to be. You can't just hide your true personality. You have to accept yourself for who you are so that others can do the same. I would encourage her to keep her original self and maintain that way. Just be yourself. All the other identities just makes me realize how she should remain as who she was before, even if it means having to living tirelessly again.

Hence, I believe that instead of pretending to be someone to escape from pain, she should face it honestly without any "make ups" to hide her flaws. Her fake characters seems to show how she wants change desperately, but she's just trying too hard. Therefore, she should accept herself rather than being a "fake" person to face her past.