Dunbar's 'Wear The Mask'

This idea of being a part of a society, that has deemed its African American citizens as “Separate but equal.” Dunbar does his best to explain this role to his readers referring to himself not only as a part as the African American community, but also as a scholar in the African American community. As someone that has become privileged enough to write, read, and publish individual works. Which have allowed him to gain respect from a number of other authors. Dunbar tries to explain what is necessary to hold this position in his society. How one must wear a “mask,” this of hidden pain that must never be shown in order to maintain the “dream” that the world has created. He gives his audience an idea of the sacrifice many people were required to make, in order to maintain the appearance they created and continue to be respected in

In today’s society masks are used depending on the specific social group we interact with. Most people tend to have various masks or personalities when they are with specific people; such as with their friends, family, and during work. In Kenneth Gergen’s essay “In Defense of Masks,” he claims that people are not apt to find a specific mask to which they can be true too however, having various masks could be important because it allows people to adapt to various social groups . I disagree with Gergen’s claim and counter argue that utilizing only one specific mask with whomever we interact with will help anyone live a genuine lifestyle. There are various categories that fall into masks; for instance, makeup, clothing, religion, and appearance. Many individuals acquire masks because they seek approval from others or simply because they are mimicking someone. Once someone adapts to having multiple masks, it is difficult to figure out our true identity due to the variety of personalities that are being portrayed.

Mr. Frank shows courage, compassion, and sacrifice. This book shares the story of a young girl and her family hiding during world war 2. She goes into hiding in a small annex for two years with another family and two other men. This book shares the story from Anne’s point of view. it’s a great book to read and tells you how they survived for 2 years.

In the article “Anonymous social media- Understanding the content and context of Yik Yak” the authors : Erik W. Black, Kelsey Mezzina, and Lindsay A. Thompson argue that even though Yik Yak, an anonymous social medial aimed for college students does present potential abuse, it does not demonstrate serious threat to students. The study was conducted for three days across 42 different college campuses.The author proclaims that the college campuses that were used in the research to study the content of yik yak posts are located in the Eastern and Southern parts of U.S. To support their claim, the authors incorporate numerical data from their study. The purpose of this research was obtain a better understanding of what type of content students

It is a natural tendency for humans to often hide their true selves. On the inside, they are the person they feel they should be; on the outside, they hide their true selves from society because they fear disapproval and ridicule of others, or society dictates who and what they should be. Audre Lorde believes that poetry, once written, enables a person to grow and change. “It sets the foundation for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before” (Lorde). However, according to the speakers in the poems “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, and “White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey, the speakers are unable to benefit from Lords perception that poetry (once written) will help a person grow and change because

In Semester One of the 2014-2015 school year, our Jr. Honors English class has read many texts that have a simple meaning, and some that can mean more when read deeper than just the surface. Three of my favorite texts from Semester One are Paul Dunbar’s “We Wear a Mask,” Edwin Robinson’s “Richard Cory,” and Edgar Masters’ “Lucinda Matlock.” “We Wear a Mask” is one of my favorite texts from the beginning of our school year because it means to show that the racial differences weren’t settled for a long time even after the American Civil War. I enjoy “Richard Cory” because its meaning is the base of the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” “Lucinda Matlock” is another one of my favorites because it reminds me of the fact that all I do is

black child could do that well on his own. Wilson would also often find notes on his desk reading "Nigger go home." At home, his family had to endure racial slurs in the mostly white Hazelwood area of Pittsburgh.

Sherman Alexie’s novel, Reservation Blues, successfully captures the essence of pain and struggle that was so evident in both the slavery of Africans and the eradication of Native Americans, and integrates the power of blues music in order to bring the reader a breathtaking story. Alexie develops a strong, interconnected web of characters sharing common misfortune. Whether it is in Coyote Spring’s inability to succeed, Robert Johnson’s painstaking attempt to leave his guitar over the years, alcoholism within the character’s families, discrimination, or any other aspect of Native American life, Sherman Alexie is able to combine the characteristics of Blues music with the oppressed Native American culture present in his novel Reservation Blues.

Paul Dunbar’s poem, “We Wear the Mask”, has made me ponder about society’s views and opinions over the years. Dunbar’s poem was written during a time where African-Americans were looked down upon. These individuals were treated inadequately, subjugated while being used as slaves, while white Americans acted like their opinion did not matter. After reading this poem, it was shocking to see how African Americans had to put on a “mask” or disguise to cover their emotions and appear mentally strong for surrounding people. After reading all of the stories and being involved in the class deliberations this semester, it truly has been a “eye opener” for me, or anyone else to see how rapidly humanity is to judge someone else, for the color of their

What does it mean to be a good poet? Who is a good poet? There is only one answer to these questions, and the answer is that- a good poet is someone who can bring hidden and exciting emotions through their work and can make the readers feel exactly what they were trying to convey through words. Paul Laurence Dunbar is the best African- American poet of the 19th century and early 20th century. His work leaves behind a legacy. Especially the poem “We Wear Mask”. The poem strongly conveys the struggle, the inner experience, and the humiliation of the African- American community.

Contrary to his belief, the narrator does not have a mask on. Although the narrator believes in a misconception that he is ‘playing the role of a boy,' when in fact, what he considers to be a mask is simply his body and his male appearance. The narrator is never in a real need to ‘play a role' because nobody really actively tries to find out who he really is. His peers, based on his appearance, all assume that he shares the same sexual orientation as they do.

Earlier this week in Miss Gates’ class we read a poem called “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The poem was about slaves who wear “masks”of contentedness to hide their true feelings. I have realized that many people right here in Maycomb wear masks to conceal their secrets and insecurities.

In We Wear the Mask, the author’s purpose is to push the reader to feel something about the way things were in his perspective.

“It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (Robert K. Greenleaf).

I have been working as a STEM Ambassador for my college for over two years and have had many opportunities to make a difference within the community and be a role model. I believe it is vital to expose science to children early on, so they can grow up being interested in science and postulate about how they came make a difference in the world. Growing up, I never had exposure to enough science coming from a house with no college experience, therefore it wasn’t until after I graduated high school that I realized what I wanted to study. I wish I could go back to high school and take advantage of opportunities to learn more about science, which has made me want to give back to the community by hosting opportunities for students. No one had ever