Disguise and Deception

At least as far back as Shakespeare, disguise and deception have been prominent among literary themes. When a character pretends to be someone or something other than who that person really is, disguise and deception work on both literal and symbolic levels. Agnes Bojaxhiu dons a nun's habit and becomes Mother Teresa, saintly provider for the poor of the world, which prompts Christopher Hitchens to ask if she really is who she appears to be. He asks if she might be someone else, with different motives and goals than those that perceived on the surface. If people who encounter her are being deceived by her or by her public image, it is then logical to ask about Mother Teresa's self-image. Is she deceived by her own disguise? Does she really know herself? Such are the questions that arise from the initial one: is Agnes Bojaxhiu in...