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Paul Laurence Dunbar We Wear The Mask

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Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask" is a powerful poem that addresses the complexities of identity, oppression, and the human experience. Through the use of vivid imagery, symbolism, and metaphor, Dunbar explores the ways in which individuals are forced to conceal their true selves in order to navigate the societal norms and expectations of the world around them.
The opening stanza of the poem sets the stage for the metaphorical mask that is worn by the speaker and those around them: "We wear the mask that grins and lies, / It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes." This mask is not a physical object but a representation of the societal expectations and demands that individuals must conform to in order to fit in and survive. The mask conceals the pain, suffering, and struggles of the wearer, presenting a state of happiness and contentment to the outside world. …show more content…

The second stanza reveals the harsh reality of the mask's function, stating, "This debt we pay to human guile; / With torn and bleeding hearts we smile." The mask is not a choice but a necessity, a tool for survival in a world that demands conformity and punishes those who do not fit the mold.
The third stanza emphasizes the universality of the mask, stating, "Why should the world be over-wise, / In counting all our tears and sighs?" This line speaks to the societal pressure to maintain a state of happiness and to hide the struggles and pain that we all experience as human beings. The speaker suggests that the world is not capable of handling the truth of human suffering and instead expects individuals to wear a mask of happiness and

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He wants people to avoid thinking that developing only one true self identity is healthy. A mask allows an individual to see his or her full potential by not having a true identity. Masks have multiple identities based on the certain situations and environments (circumstances) the person is having(undergoing). I agree with Gergens interpretation (assertion) and his psychological

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The poem illustrates humans hiding themselves in a certain way in which people think of themselves. Jim struggles greatly with fitting into society and remain social order. As the poem states “we wear the mask that grins and lies” (Dunbar) the quote significance is that individuals lie to hide themselves and the mask is our shield. Similarity between Jim and the poem is very similar by hiding who you really are to survive in the world. Jim has to hide who he is because he is a runaway slave from Miss Watson.

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All while, ironically, concealing who society dictates them to be. Clothing and masks are instrumental in cultures and identity, and, subsequently, are integral to their reclamation. In There There, Tony Loneman

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So the mask is the main part of each of the text the poem and the song. The mask consists with the hidden of the individual's identities. In the song states “ kids doing the boogie Woogie wear the mask”, and “My crew in the jersey wear the mask”. In the poem, it states ‘We wear the mask that grins and lies…” meaning these individuals are living a false

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“We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes-.” This quote is from the poem, “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar which is a poem about the struggle that Paul Laurence Dunbar’s family went through during their lives being enslaved. This quote represents the role that a mask can play in covering up true self. By wearing a mask, a person is covering up their unique features. Also, they are not letting anyone get to know them as well as hiding their persona from the public.

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Such personification mirrors Dunbar’s use of figurative language, which relates the poems in more ways than one. Dunbar touches on human features such as cheeks and eyes in his poem but also uses a spiritual element to advance his point of view. Furthermore, “We Wear the Mask” was written in 1896; a period in American history that was post-slavery but still had widespread discrimination. The spiritual connotation within Dunbar’s poem can allude to African American churches and/or the hymns slaves sung on plantations. Nevertheless, the struggle of African Americans is a symbol of both presented

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In Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, “We Wear the Mask” the speaker wears a mask to hide his internal suffering because he does not want the rest of the world to think he is weak. This poem relates the prejudice black people face against white people. The speaker starts the poem with the lines, “We wear the mask that grins and lies,” (1). Here he describes the kind of “masks” that he wears.

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Whether the child’s intentions are good or bad, this mask of innocence helps the wearer get what he/she needs which is not to get caught. Even though we many not know it, we all wear masks to meet our needs such as to gain acceptance, for protection, and even for money. Even if the wearer 's intentions are good or bad, masks always are useful and help the wearer get what he or she needs. One of the important needs people have is to protect themselves. Wearing a mask is one way people do this.

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The mask is the hard shell that young men are expected to face the world with. They are expected to show only their best selves and hide their insecurities and worries. The mask is incredibly relatable to the social construction of gender, because it was created through the social construction of gender. Young males would not need to create a mask and live behind it if society didn 't force them too.

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In the poem We Wear The Mask, the author’s rhetorical purpose is to show the reader that everybody shows everybody else a different character than what they truly are. For the first analysis, it will be over the ‘pain words’. Some of the pain words that are used are tortured, torn, and bleeding. The pain makes them feel like they need to change or wish they could change so they could show who they really are. It shows that they are hiding what they truly feel and are suffering because of it.

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This demonstrates how We Wear The Mask uses stanzas to portray the theme because they emphasize the emotion and perseverance in the poem. Lastly, Maus and We Wear The Mask, as well, express a certain tone both similarly and

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Meaning the mask which he wears represents an idea, the idea of freedom. The idea of freedom, is why he feels the

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We Wear The Mask by Laurance Dunbar, is important to the theme of community and collaboration bringing out the best in people. because it shows people all trying to make it toward their goals. Sadly most people disguise themselves to be able to achieve that goal. Some proof to support this is “we wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes.” This exhibits that almost all people hide behind one or many masks just to be able to feel included in a group of friends or individuals.

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In the actual scene most people are shown to appreciate the mask and cloak and use it as either a symbol of resistance shown the through the young girl who wears the outfit when defacing the government 's propaganda or by the robber symbolising growing rise of anarchy across the

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