Student Question
Why must "we" wear the mask in Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask"?
Quick answer:
In "We Wear the Mask," the mask symbolizes the facade African Americans must present to cope with and survive in a racist society. It represents a tactical decision to hide true emotions from oppressors, serving as a form of resilience and rebellion. By masking their suffering, they protect themselves and challenge the oppressive system, as revealing their true feelings would likely be ignored by those responsible for their oppression.
In the poem "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the speaker uses the image of wearing a mask to speak to the struggles of African Americans forced to navigate a racist American society. The speaker is referring to how many black people survived the oppression of slavery and post-slavery society by not showing their true emotions or feelings to white people or state institutions responsible for their oppression.
It could be, according to the speaker, a tactical decision to not show one's true emotions while working to undermine the oppressive system. Not showing your intense suffering at the hands of the oppressor can also be considered a form of rebellion and resilience. The speaker also suggests that if the true emotions of oppressed people were actually displayed then those responsible for this oppression would refuse to acknowledge it.
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