We Wear The Mask By Paul Laurence Dunbar And Everyday Use By Alice Walker

“We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar is an expressive observation of not only the lies, but also the painful truth that conceals behind them. On the other hand “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker explores the experiences and struggles of Black American women with racial identity and racism. Both Alice Walker and Paul Laurence Dunbar use compelling language features, styles and themes to ultimately reveal their Black American heritage and background. Despite bearing evident similarities, the differences between “We Wear the Mask” and “Everyday use” are pronounced.
Dunbar Sends a profoundly brave and powerful message in his poem, even though he isn't precise and avoids using specifics. He begins the poem via engaging the reader by beginning with “we” in the first line. Paul Dunbar gets straight to the point saying,
“ We wear the mask that grins and lies, / it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes” (1-2) In these lines it clear he is saying they hide behind a mask that is made of fake smiles. The mask also hides how they feel, Dunbar uses figurative language to explain this. The mask hides their cheeks and their eyes, preventing them from seeing, and others from seeing them.Your cheeks

show how you feel by blushing and the eyes are also known as a window to the soul. The next line in the first stanza suggest that the people who wear the mask owe it to human deceit and provides the first glimpse of the pain hidden under the mask. He uses words like “torn” and “bleeding” to express the pain but uses duality by ending the line with smile.
“ With torn bleeding hearts we smile”. (Dunbar 4) The last line of the first stanza suggest that the author was referring to the black “polite formalities” used towards the white man in nineteenth century, before the civil rights movement. However Dunbar still refrains from using any specifics and instead uses words like “we” and “human” telling the reader everyone has a part in this.
The second stanza starts off with a rhetorical question and a sarcastic tone. The first line suggests the poet was saying that if something ( racism, violence, lack of civil rights ) is literally right in front of you, It wouldn't take very much “wisdom” to see these obviously immoral acts.
“Why should the world be overwise,”. (Dunbar 6) Also the poet includes the word “world” which once again shows that this includes everyone, not just Black Americans. Dunbar is representing a much more enormous group beyond himself even without the use of specifics. Jay Delmar shows his understanding of the use of words like”we” and “world” when he says “ They show how both whites and Blacks are constrained to hide their true personalities, and often, their true racial identities from themselves and each other.” (Delmar)
Stanza two emphasises the truth behind the mask. The reader understands the actual pain felt by many. This stanza also suggest that the people wearing the masks have a responsibility to not only themselves, but to one another, also shown in Delmar's analysis. They should be honest about their pain and suffering instead of hiding it with a mask. The stanza also suggest that the world has a responsibility to recognize as well. The last two lines of the stanza further emphasises that the world just sees the mask, or the lies, rather the truth beneath them.
“Nay, let them only see us, / While we wear the mask.” (8-9) The word “let” suggest that the world is being pardoned from the truth through sheer ignorance. Perhaps this is because the truth is harder to accept. according to Keeling “The “We” in “We Wear the Mask” are essentially dissemblers hiding their “torn and bleeding hearts” behind a “smile.”(Keeling 24) Dunbar ends the stanza with a refrain of the title showing the importance of the mask.
The third and final stanza the speaker becomes distraught and emotional.
“We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries / To thee from tortured souls arise.” (Dunbar 10-11) The speaker begins the stanza with duality in the first line using smile at the beginning of the line and cries at the end of the line. The speaker then calls out for spiritual direction which depicts a need for help the world won't supply. “Oh great Christ” is also an apostrophe used to make the speaker's emotional dispute more intimidating. The next line suggests that these are “tortured” souls that are calling for help although it seems they smile.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile;” (Dunbar 12-13) The “clay” in this line can refer to the earth that is wicked (“vile”).

The earth is vile because it delivers pain and suffering yet the earth is still their home. Now the reader sees that the truth behind the mask is very sad and painful. Keeling also notices this by now when he says “ Of course the “mask” has been lifted for the reader.”(24) The 13th line conveys hope by addressing the long mile. The speaker suggest that this is all part of a larger journey and the word “long” indicates there is a ways to go. The speaker reminds us however of the responsibility that has yet to be acknowledged once again using “let”. We see the mask as we did in the first stanza only this time with

emphasis.
The author uses different symbolism, imagery, and wordplay to depict the overall themes. For example, the mask is a symbol of the things people do or say that are dishonest. Referred to both indirectly and directly, the mask is suggested to be the major reason why Black Americans and people in general, are dishonest about their suffering. However Dunbar also reminds the reader of how masks are a critical part of safety, keeping in mind the hazard Black Americans generally encountered at the time. The symbol of the mask plays a large role in the main theme of lies and deceit. The mask looks pleasant however it does not help the situation. The mask not only represents the lies in the outside world, but also by Black Americans themselves while conversing about the matter at hand. Another major symbol expressed is the poem was the smile, however this smile is fake and hiding the truth. The smile in this poem conceals true feelings and making things worse. This builds on the second theme, suffering. He feels no support from the cold and indifferent world that surrounds him. The author also uses the words “we” and “world” as symbols. The “we” in this poem is mainly addressed to Black American people as a group. However it can be referred generally to all people. Dunbar symbolizes “the world” by its need to acknowledge the pain that occurs in both a worldly and personal sense.These symbols also help to define the theme of race. Dunbar purposely avoids specifics to magnify his poetic allusion to masks and lies.