Twilight Zone

Ever wonder what a party during the famed, Mardi Gras day would be like when an old rich man is on his deathbed while his greedy family is bedside? In Serling’s episode, “The Masks” in the famed tv show, The Twilight Zone, Jason Foster is the dying old rich man whose views of his family members are most beneficial and realistic for the viewer as he forces them to wear grotesque masks which inevitably is the antithesis of what the family sees themselves as. The realistic personalities of the family members are brought to the surface rather than the family members’ worldviews of selflessness, greed, and immaturity, as Foster permanently engrains the masks of reality into their true faces. The first way in which the masks are used to showcase as to why Jason Foster’s views of his family members are more realistic starts from the first incident where he reconciles with his family only at the ending of his life. The fact the family has not seen their dying father until the very last day only shows how selfish they are. (They’re in it for the money) For example, Wilfred Harper puts on an act of love towards Jason yet all he sees are the dollar signs around him. Emily Harper, to her dismay is a self-centered for lack of a better word horrible daughter to Jason Foster for all she cares about is her feelings of discomfort rather than her poor father. Alas, the children, Paula Harper, the self-centered daughter who only cares about one thing only, the materialistic things of beauty and lastly, Wilfred Jar for lack of a better phrase is nothing but a sack of potatoes who was called an animal torturer. The motives of the family are clearly painted in the specific scene in the show, where Jason foster brings up his clever idea of wearing the masks during Maris Gras. Immediately, Paula and Wilfred Jr shut down the idea by putting both of their say in the situation. Yet, the parents (which are not really good parents) don’t even acknowledge and respect the idea of their old