Lifted Masks by Susan Glaspell

Lifted Masks is the only collection of short stories brought together by Susan Glaspell, a notable feminist playwright and one of the vital figures in the development of American letters in this century. This collection proved pivotal to Glaspell's development as a writer.
Focusing on detail and evocation of place and manner, the stories in Lifted Masks draw attention to Glaspell's midwestern roots and demonstrate her early development as a social critic. They reflect attitudes about human relationships prevalent in the early twentieth century—attitudes not yet influenced by the roars of the "sophisticated" twenties. Glaspell's representation of the relationship between power and responsibility and her portrayal of the victim and the marginalized underdog offer us dynamic, polyphonic views of class in a growing nation. Her assertion of the triumph of the individual over the pressures of urban expanse and corrupt government still seemed possible in a nation in the midst of finding its identity. While the emerging image of the individual as conqueror might seem naive, it is in itself informative and thought provoking, offering needed perspective in our jaded age.

Praise / Awards

• ". . . finely human pictures of human people, full of . . . tenderness and . . . laughter."
  —New York Times
• "Originally published in 1912, Lifted Masks is a polished example of the socially conscious fiction that was popular before cynicism invaded the 1920s. Glaspell's stories reflect the hopeful attitude toward human nature that prevailed in the midwest of her youth. Glaspell also convincingly depicts the widening social and economic disparities of the time, the urbanization, an the abuse of power that provoked the acts of courage and integrity that she celebrates. This republication, after 80 years, should spark renewed interest in the works of this eloquent but neglected writer."
  —Belles Lettres

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