Final answer:
In literature, characters often disguise their true identity using costumes and masks to maintain anonymity or signify other elements, which impacts their interactions and the story's dynamics. Such disguises can be for self-protection or deception, altering perceptions and revealing or obscuring true character traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
In literature, characters often use disguises or take on false identities to hide their true selves for various reasons, ranging from self-protection to deception. For instance, in a novella, characters might wear costumes to maintain anonymity or to represent certain symbols, as with black-and-white crosswalk patterns mentioned in the context. These disguises allow characters to navigate their world with an altered perception from those around them, often leading to a change in the dynamic of their interactions.
Examples of such character behavior can be found in various works, such as in Commedia dell'arte, where characters like The Doctor and The Captain wear distinctive costumes and masks to exaggerate traits or to hide their inadequacies. The Captain's attire suggests bravery, yet internally, he is cowardly, which is a classic example of a character 'wearing a mask' to present an identity that is not truly their own. Similarly, in personal narrative writing, authors may choose to highlight certain character traits while downplaying others, effectively 'disguising' the identity of their characters to serve the story or theme. Narrators themselves may provide ambiguous or fragmented storytelling, which creates uncertainty around character identity and motivation as seen in novels with third-person narration.