Which best explains why Irving sets "The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger" in a land of “masks and gondolas”?

Masks conceal people’s identities, so they suggest that what someone appears to be may differ from who they really are. That symbolism best fits a land of “masks and gondolas”: appearances can be deceiving. The setting does not primarily symbolize quiet study, lasting innocence, or wealth available to everyone.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.