Reading Response: We Wear the Mask - Paul Laurence Dunbar

 Paul Laurence Dunbar

1872-1906

Reading Response: We Wear the Mask

I think this poem illustrates Regionalism.  This poem expresses one of the ways African Americans coped with life during the post civil war period.   Paul Dunbar illustrates that during the time after slavery African Americans were wearing a mask or saving face in the eyes of the reality of still being oppressed and facing social injustices. Even though slavery had ended, there was still no happiness, however they had to save face as if to say I better not act like I hate these people who oppress me, for they might put me back in to slavery or I may still be punished for seeming to be ungrateful.  The oppression did not disappear when the emancipation appeared.  White oppressors especially in the South were still very cruel to African Americans and hated the fact that the emancipation ended slavery.  Any former slave that did not travel North, were still servants on their oppressors plantations.  So, former slaves had to tread very carefully in order to survive. 

After being oppressed and dehumanized for so many years, it became quite natural to grin and lie and hide their cheeks.  Grins and lies as if to accept this oppression with a grin and lie to the oppressors face.  Telling them, I know that you oppress me, however I will smile as I suffer through it rather than be tortured or killed.  It was a way of life passed down from generation to generation in order to survive and hope to escape some inhumane punishment or death by the hands of the oppressor.  I can not imagine how much they had to draw upon their inner strength to endure such harsh treatment every day of their lives. To hide their cheeks is to suppress any emotion from appearing on your face. Under no circumstances were they to show any real feelings of self respect to their oppressor.  I can imagine that this had to be especially difficult, however in terms of survival it was achievable.

The writer actually prefers to keep this disguise going, saying: Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs?  Nay, let them only see us, while we wear the mask.  So, I interpret that to mean that it's better to live life this way during this period of time.  It's better that the world only sees the mask that we hide behind.  As if, there is no reason for the world to see the real pain and suffering within the tears and sighs.  Or perhaps it would have been pointless to show the real pain and suffering within the tears and sighs because it would not make life change for the better and would really be a waste of time and more humiliation added to the mountain of it already in place.

In their prayers to O great Christ,  I believe the writer means that they smile to the world within the mask but Christ is the only one they trust without the mask to hear their true cries.  But let the world continue to think they are willing to withstand because, O great Christ hears their cries and will provide all the strength they need to carry on.