We Wear The Mask And Lord Of The Flies Comparison Essay

While exploring an unknown island and struggling to survive, a group of schoolboys reveal their primitive, barbarous identities in William Golding’s work, Lord of the Flies. Similarly, Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African American poet, describes the hidden nature of individuals in order to protect themselves and conceal their pain. Golding’s novel and Dunbar’s poem, “We Wear the Mask,” both express masks as means of escaping reality and a source of strength; however, the pressures of society suppress the characters in Dunbar’s poem while the boys in Lord of the Flies unleash true feelings through their innate savageness.
In Lord of the Flies, the newfound freedom on the deserted island and liberation from authority allows the adolescents to

completely change their attitudes and live a new life altogether. Through a change in appearance, Jack, a prominent figure in the novel, enters a new fantasy-like world that he could never dream of while in his hometown. Filled with a hunger for power, he uses red and brown colors to create his “new face” to not only distinguish himself as "an awesome stranger" but to appear dominating (Golding 63). Golding’s diction illustrates Jack’s attraction to the nature of the island which manipulates him into thinking that he can experience a different life and live independently without Britain’s restricting constructs. By using the words “stranger” and “new face,” Golding demonstrates the change in personality from a proper British boy to a savage creature of the island. As the story progresses, the once-united group divides into two due conflicting ideas on leadership. Jack’s tribe, inclined towards the abandoning of civility, feels “freed by the paint,” which underscores how the colors on their faces truly represent their freedom that they are willing to embrace (Golding 175). Through this freedom, they reveal their primal characteristics that Britain covered up through its structure. The autonomy makes them feel dominating, unstoppable and hence “freed,” not only from the controlling parents but also the hardships of WWI as it spreads across Europe and the rest of the world.
Although across the ocean in a completely new setting, Dunbar’s poem, published in the same time frame, allows the audience to understand that protection yields strength.

The victims of judgment, although bold on the outside, face several obstacles others are ignorant of. Dunbar, a member of the African-American community, assesses how the surrounding groups force him and his people to smile with “torn and bleeding hearts” (Dunbar 4). Artificially smiling, they, consequently, decide to ignore the truth of their hardships to feel secure. The strong adjectives associated with “hearts” emphasize the impact of these challenges on their lives. By exhibiting synthetic strength and not addressing these hurdles in life, Dunbar reveals how society refuses to accept and embrace others’ problems. Moreover, by repeating the phrase “We smile,” he shows how a simple facial movement is so powerful and allows individuals to ignore situations they deem difficult (Dunbar 10). In an environment that judges by a glimpse and often does not take the time to listen to the difficulties of others, it is not possible to open up and share. As a way to protect their dignity and maintain a sense of strength, they escape reality. Through both of these works of literature, it is clear that in an environment that compels change, the population will adapt to better fit in and reveal other sides to

it.
In addition to escaping reality, Dunbar expresses how people must conceal their true lives from the rest of the world.

For fear of judgment based on appearance, any human being might cover up his sorrows as to not display any signs of weakness. Throughout Dunbar’s poem, the characters reflect upon their perception of the world and ironically accept the world the way it is. Revealing the true nature of the world, Dunbar states, “Why should the world be over-wise, /In counting all our tears and sighs?” (Dunbar 6). The poet insists that everyone need to be more comfortable and open to new ideas while embracing each others uniquenesses defined by strengths and weaknesses. The world was never “over-wise” because people dismiss the idea of helping others in fear of ruining their own reputation. Because of the utter nature of society, citizens have no other option but to wear a mask of apathy and cover up their insecurities. The narrator feels the need to conceal their feelings by “wear[ing] the mask that grins and lies” (Dunbar 1). They use “lies” to cover themselves, but at the same time question why no one seems to care. This contradiction complicates the battle between the world and the individual. Nevertheless, by changing their identities, they spread the idea of disguise, making everyone blind to the truth of human

experience.
Unlike Dunbar’s poem in which societal pressures restrict the public, the adolescents in Lord of the Flies reveal their natural identities that England masked. As a way to maintain order, Ralph uses the conch to designate leadership at meetings. However, this symbol of organized systems loses its meaning along with the morality of some as they uncover their original selves. Refusing to allow Ralph to lead with his conch system, Jack comments, “ ‘We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things [...]’,” which suggests that he completely rebelled against societal norms (Golding, 102). He no longer feels the need to obey the conch and organized civilization as a whole showing how he shifts his values. The freedom from authority intrigues the young men and they want to experience it to its fullest without being restrained, leading to chaos and revealing of another side. However, even before they decide to disregard the conch, Golding describes their change in the attitude. Roger, specifically, “gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them “[...] Yet there was a space around Henry [...] the taboo of old life” (Golding 62). This emphasizes the change in the morality of some as they become more connected with nature and inadvertently, bring out their fierceness. The only thing that stops Henry from throwing stones back at Roger is the “taboo” which is difficult to abandon. However, some of the kids yearning for this freedom go the opposite direction, transforming into an uncivilized primitive. Golding proposes the innate nature of all humankind and builds upon the idea by suggesting how the boys unleash their imperfect, animalistic sides. When applying the bold colors on his face, Jack feels “liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding 64). Jack, as well as the others, feel a source of power through the mask which in turn molds them into barbaric beasts that lose their ties to civilization. Golding underscores how through the concealing of shame and other weaknesses, these youngsters unleash their original selves and become uncontrollably violent. The vastly different characters at the start of the novel blend together by the end in which all of them reveal their bloodthirsty, savage-natured identities.
The thirst for blood and new experiences, then, or the compulsion to hide may be seen as natural responses to external stimuli but these actions represent turning points in an individual’s originality. Through their works of literature, Golding and Dunbar reestablish the influence of the one’s surroundings which determines whether or not he decides to bring out or conceal himself. Members of a community must strive to be more understanding and aware of those around to prevent the creation of inhumane or artificial identities. Without working to dissolve this divide, human beings will continue to hide their true nature through masks.