One of the defining works of twentiethcentury sociology a revelatory analysis of how we present ourselves to othersThe self then as a performed character is not an organic thing ... it is a dramatic effectHow do we communicate who we are to other people This landmark work by one of the twentieth centurys most influential sociologists argues that our behaviour in social situations is defined by how we wish to be perceived resulting in displays startlingly similar to those of actors in a theatrical performance. From the houses and clothes that we use as fixed props to the backstage of the solitude in which our personas are rehearsed and relaxed Goffman reveals human character not to be fixed but fluid and consciously maintained.Never less than brilliant New Statesman