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We all die with a mask on our features. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard , 1958 ⸪ 1 Introduction: a Hybrid Essay for a Hybrid Object 1 The mask is a device of hybridity. 2 The present article, which aims at semiotically dealing with protective, medical face masks, is a
1 Introduction A week into the Philippines’ first COVID -19 lockdown, I found myself carrying old fabrics into my mom’s room as she dusted off her sewing kit. 1 Like us, several family members and friends were in need of face masks, as the drugstores in Metro Manila were all out. My mom
, 2020; Silva et al., 2021). To protect humans against this virus, personal protective equipment (PPE) is being used more frequently. China, for example, increased face mask production by 450% in just one month (Bown, 2020). It is estimated that we have a monthly use of 129 billion face masks and 65
This paper aims to study the meanings of the heroine’s horse-faced mask in the story of Kaeo Na Ma. The two versions investigated here are the version composed by Prince Phuwanetnarinrit and that of the Ratcharoen written by Nai But and influenced by the former version. Since Prince Phuwanetnarinrit’s version firstly indicates that the heroine’s horse face can be removed, it is considered as a mask in this paper. Like other masks in Khon or masked drama, the horse face controls the behavior and personality of the wearer. This horse face not only signifies the heroine’s tomboyish manners as stated in other studies, but also communicates various hidden meanings complying with her other characteristics and behaviors. Five meanings are discussed here including the heroine’s unrefined behavior, self hiding, protective gear, ugliness and peculiarity, and masculinity. All of these meanings also exist in Thai sayings, in some literary works, and in the context of the story itself. This horse-faced mask enables the heroine to present her ‘self’ in three different guises and personalities, namely the character of a comedian in the figure of Nang Kaeo; a heroine in the figure of Nang Mani; and a hero in the figure of Manop, an unnamed man. Compared to the abstract meaning of wearing many masks at the same time, Nang Kaeo is very efficient in performing several duties at the same time. She takes good care of her family and society. It can be said that she is really the first warrior heroine in Thai literature and has much influence on other warrior heroines in Thai tales. Nonetheless, as beauty is a typical characteristic of Thai heroines, the hero in this story has to remove Nang Kaeo’s horse face before appointing her his queen — the act that proves the denial of an ugly heroine in Thai tales.
implemented by governments as advised by the World Health Organization ( WHO ). These policies and regulations included social distancing, isolation, quarantine, restrictions on local and international travelling, regular washing of hands, and face masking ( AU & Africa CDC 2020; WHO 2020a). These
March 30, 2020. In addition to these, the Nigerian government adopted other measures of curbing the spread of the virus including compulsory wearing of face masks, physical distancing and frequent washing of hands. The state governments borrowed a leaf from the central government and imposed similar