Douglass & We Wear the Mask

By: Paul Laurence Dunbar

Anne R., Olivia S., Christian T.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

June 27, 1872 -

February 9, 1906

About the Author He was the son of a slave. He was an influential poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He

achieved national recognition for his 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life (one of the collection in Ode to Ethiopia).

He was the first African American to achieve national recognition for his writing.

Both of his parents had escaped from slavery and brought him up with the love for poetry and history.

His first published work came in a newspaper put out by his high-school friends, Wilbur and Orville Wright (the famous Wright brothers).

He was intimately connected with Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington and was honored with a ceremonial sword by President Theodore Roosevelt.

His work is known for its colorful language and use of dialect, and a conversational tone, with a brilliant rhetorical structure.

He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1900, and moved to Colorado with his wife, he died at age thirty-three on February 9, 1906,

Background of the time period Post Civil War, and Reconstruction In 1865, the 13th amendment granted freedom for all

slaves African Americans had gained their freedom, but they

were still fighting for equality. Organizations like the Ku Klux Klan were formed to

oppress the African Americans, and to prove that white men were superior.

As more and more African American were becoming educated, they realized that they could fight for equal rights, and that they had a say in what was going on in the country.

DouglassAh, Douglass, we have fall'n on evil days, Such days as thou, not even thou didst know, When thee, the eyes of that harsh long ago Saw, salient, at the cross of devious ways, And all the country heard thee with amaze.

Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow, The awful tide that battled to and fro; We ride amid a tempest of dispraise.

Now, when the waves of swift dissension swarm, And Honour, the strong pilot, lieth stark,

Oh, for thy voice high-sounding o'er the storm, For thy strong arm to guide the shivering bark,

The blast-defying power of thy form, To give us comfort through the lonely dark.

Thesis/Claim Frederick Douglass was a person who gave

hope and support to his people in a time of crisis, after his death there is no one left to guide the African Americans through the new turmoil and hostilities.

Tone/Attitude Bitterness Fear that life will continue this way and that

changes wont be made Struggle to achieve their goals and to gain

equality, and to be given the same opportunities Hope that someone will take charge and improve

the way of life for African Americans- Wanting equality and new opportunities

Purpose Dunbar wanted to get out his anger, and to

make the country realize what is going on around them, but he also had hope for the future that someone will come along and make life better for African Americans.

Audience and Occasion To his fellow African Americans To make them realize that changes need to

be made, and that African Americans have to stand up and take charge- They have to fight for what they want

- Equality- New opportunities

Evidence/Data “We have fall’n on evil days, such days as

thou, not even thou didst know”

“Saw, salient, at the cross of devious ways”

“To give us comfort through the lonely dark”

Appeals Pathos (emotion): All of the emotions that

African Americans are feeling at the time after living in slavery for so long. All they want is equality and to be treated like human beings.“we have fall'n on evil days”

Assumptions/Warrants There are still African Americans out there

who are feeling the pain of hiding Educated whites are oblivious to the

problem To let the other blacks out there know that

someone feels the same as they do

Style Comparison to the past

Life for the African Americans hasn’t improved that much “Ah, Douglass, we have fall'n on evil days,

Such days as thou, not even thou didst know” Seeking help from Douglass

He had to deal with the same situation To gain the reader’s trust Appeals to emotions

the emotions of African Americans Rhyme: “Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow,

The awful tide that battled to and fro”

We Wear the MaskWe wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,In counting all our tears and sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, whileWe wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our criesTo thee from tortured souls arise.

We sing, but oh the clay is vileBeneath our feet, and long the mile;But let the world think other-wise,

We wear the mask!

Thesis/Claim Human beings feel the need to wear a

mask to hide their fear and sadness because they are afraid to show the world who they really are, because of this life is full of lies and people choose to ignore the problems around them.

Tone/Attitude Fear to express their true feelings Fear of not having equal opportunities Sadness Torn between what is reality and illusion Guilt Anger Struggle

Purpose To show that humans often are not honest with those

around them about their feelings because it is easier to make them believe everything is okay.

To prove the inequality throughout the country That the "mask," is not real, and the world is only seeing

us in a disguise. Racism The struggle for equality for the African-Americans The struggle for African Americans to try to find

themselves, and to not be afraid to show their true selves.

Audience and Occasion Dunbar’s writing was presented in a way in

which anyone could read and understand it Dunbar wanted to show to his fellow African

Americans, that everyone is afraid to show to much for fear of rejection, but they can’t hide forever.

Evidence/Data “With torn and bleeding hearts we smile” “We wear the mask that grins and lies” “We sing, but oh the clay is vile” "The debt we pay to human guile" is indication to the slavery and

struggle "myriad subtleties", numerous deceptive sneaky features that leads

you to recognize the facade, knowing there is hurtful doubt behind it. “let them only see us, while we wear the mask" to forget the past

and see them as people while they attempt to do the same, everyone would continue to wear the mask, to move forward, to treat everyone like an equal.

“tortured souls”

Appeals Ethos (moral): Everyone is created equal despite

what color they are, because God made them equal- “We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise.”

Pathos (emotion): The pain and inhumane acts that the white men bestowed upon the slaves- “torn and bleeding hearts”

Assumptions/Warrants Many people haven’t noticed the struggles

African American’s faced throughout their lives, and that they have to hide, or “wear a mask” to try to get away from the cruelty and inequality of American society.

Style Metaphor: “oh but the clay is vile." Clay is a

natural product in nature that is earthy, moist material but when fired or intensely heated it becomes hard.

Duplicity: Having double-meaning words. “We wear the mask that grins and lies”

Citations Howard, Connie Jean . "Paul Laurence Dunbar." 14 Mar

2007 <http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/jb/recon/jb_recon_dunbar_1_e.jpg>.

"An Analysis of Paul Laurence Dunbar's We Wear the Mask:." 14 Mar 2007 <http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=19393>.

Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask" and His Facade of Opinions. BookRags, Inc. 14 Mar 2007 <http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/11/8/10054/0623>.