Critical analysis of We wear the mask by paul dunbar
In this analysis, I will examine how human faces are equated with wearing a mask and that lies are a necessary part of everyday life. Throughout the poem, Dunbar defends why he feels there is a need to hide the true self. ... The mask Dunbar writes about hides and separates the viewer from the viewed just like a performer’s mask on stage is different from real life. An actor wears different personalities as a part of their job just like wearing a mask. In this poem, Dunbar shows that wearing the mask is as much of a job as well as a necessity that he dislikes doing, but he has no choice. This can be seen when Dunbar writes, But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask! (14-15) Dunbar could also be writing about himself as for as how he pretends to be what he wasn’t in order to gain acceptance from his peers. As the son of ex-slaves, he could have suffered discrimination and rejection from his peers unless he pretended to put on a certain attitude or mask. Dunbar shows society’s use of “a mask” to hide their sorrow and grief, to separate their private problems from the outside world, and to encourage conformity. Society uses the mask to hide their sorrow and grief everyday. I would say that Dunbar’s view of lying and wearing a good face still applies today because we all say, “How are you?