Thanks! I loved the picture that I found as well. I think having it at the start has led some people to think the protagonist is female. This is fine, as they are technically androgynous, even if I wrote it as though I was the protagonist.

Lol, i meant the references of the mask in the story as a representation for the ego that is presented to common society, and not your personal connections.

You've got me thinking that I should put the below back in, actually. Might be a case of it being better left as intended. I did very minimal editing, to avoid breaking intent. Will think about it.

Ah okay, I understand. I initially wrote, about the pregnant girl, 'But, like a good cookie-cutter human being, her mask remained firm', but edited it down to 'But her mask remained firm'. Glad to know I never lost this element of conforming to social ideal in making this edit. Thanks for the response!

Yeah its a theme i have heard in many different mediums and as different representations, id say it is best described as a mask for what is referred to as the ego.