We War The Mask By Paul Laurence Dunbar

In Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask,” the theme is the key. This poem explains the difference in others concept of African Americans and how they really felt. “We Wear the Mask,” compares a mask to how blacks from the 19th century hid their feelings. Dunbar explains the humiliation and stereotyping African Americans endured. Dunbar expressed theme in this poem through racism, lies, and suffering.

Of the three, racism is substantially the most obvious display of theme in this story. Whites had predetermined all African Americans as happy, singing, easily manipulated individuals who had no feelings. The mask in this story represents the wall African Americans put up between themselves and the rest of the world. They had to appear to be complacent and agreeable. It was important that blacks didn’t call attention to themselves as individuals with opinions or complaints, in the fear of being prosecuted. (par. 7)-overview
Dunbar portrays the mask being a deception of how the African Americans felt when he wrote, “We wear the mask that grins and lies (line 1). This quote from the story tells us that although they tried to keep their emotions hidden it is all a lie to their real emotions. Kenny J. Williams points out to us, the question of “Is the mask lying to the wearer, or is it lying to the observer?” (lns.10-12) Meaning, the mask is either deceiving whites who give African Americans no rights, or the mask is meant to make African Americans truly believe they are