Panmaskarada. Maski i maskowanie u Brunona Schulza

Abstract

The author of this article analyses different meanings of mask in Bruno Schulz’s fiction and non-fiction. In his critical statements Schulz contrasts mask with substance, the latter capable of assuming various masks. Taking into account the context of Cinnamon Shops, this can be read as a commentary on Schulz’s writing practice and as a strategy thus to mask his own biography. Another theme discussed in this article is that of the relation between mask and face in Schulz’s short stories. This discussion focuses on the social context of the different representations of the face and on the elimination of dialogues from the narratives: the narrator treats the characters’ facial features as source of knowledge about the world, rather than conversations with them.