What is the importance of masks and costumes in the novel, We Cast a Shadow?

Costumes and masks symbolize the illusions of modern society and the desire to conceal one’s true identity. The novel’s opening scene shows the narrator at a company costume party, where he switches from a gladiator costume into that of an African tribal chief. Several scenes involve literal performances, including Nigel’s school play and the reenactment of plantation life at the Shanksted Plantation. The members of the militant group ADZE each wear wooden masks to hide their identity.