Oppression, Racism, and Identity “We Wear the Mask” speaks to the experience of being a member of an oppressed group. The speaker is part of a community of people who must constantly “mask” their true feelings while presenting a happy face to the world.

What is the lesson in We Wear the Mask?

It says that the world need only see a person while they “wear the mask.” The final stanza of the poem reveals the emotions that are hidden under the mask. Dunbar writes: “We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries\To thee from tortured souls arise.” Beneath the façade of the smile hides misery.

What is the significance of the following quote from We Wear the Mask We Wear the Mask that grins and lies it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes?

Comparing Huckleberry Finn ‘And All Wear The Mask’
As the poem states “we wear the mask that grins and lies” (Dunbar) the quote significance is that individuals lie to hide themselves and the mask is our shield. Similarity between Jim and the poem is very similar by hiding who you really are to survive in the world.

What can wearing a mask mean to you from the poem we wear a mask?

The poem We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar refers to people hiding their true feelings and emotions from everyone else behind a “mask.” In the poem he refers to the cheerful facial expression that people thinks is necessary so that others don’t see how they truly feel.

What is the theme of We Wear the Mask quizlet?

Racism, What is appeared vs reality, and deceit.

What social issue does the mask represent quizlet?

The mask represents for the facade of feelings we hide. What is the theme of this poem? The theme of this poem is suffering and oppression.

What is the implicit meaning of the phrase human guile as it is used in line 3?

Lines 3-4. This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Line 3 tells us that the people wearing these masks owe it all to “human guile.” Fancy word check: “guile” simply means a sort of deceitfulness, not being real.

Why is the woman upset when she sees the mirror’s truthfulness in mirror?

Why is the woman upset when she sees the mirror’s truthfulness in “Mirror”? She does not like what she sees.

What does terrible fish symbolize?

The ‘terrible fish’ refers to the fear of ageing that rises from the depths of her repressed mind, it also symbolizes the woman’s self loathing and perception of herself as being unworthy of being loved and as old as a fish.

What does whatever I see I swallow immediately mean?

Line 2. Whatever I see, I swallow immediately. Now the personification becomes a little weirder. We can imagine a person who is exact, who has no preconceptions, but a person who swallows everything he sees – now that’s a stretch.

What does the terrible fish in line 18 represent?

What does the terrible fish in line 18 represent? Mirror seems to undersrand her, has no investment in her responses. It observes and reports her reactions to her appearance. How would you describe the mirror’s attitude toward the woman?

What does Now I am a lake mean?

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me. Searching my reaches for what she really is. With the new stanza, our poem switches: we’re now no longer hearing from a mirror, but from a lake. Yet the speaker is conscious of this change – it sets it up with the word “now.”

Why does the mirror call itself a god?

Answers 1. The mirror first describes itself as “silver and exact.” It forms no judgments, instead merely swallowing what it sees and reflecting that image back without any alteration. The mirror is not cruel, “only truthful.” It considers itself a four-cornered eye of a god, which sees everything for what it is.

What does the mirror mean by I have no preconceptions?

(c) When the mirror says ‘it has no preconceptions’ it means that: it reflects back an image objectively. it modifies an image as it reflects it. it beautifies an image as it reflects it.

What does the mask symbolize in Romeo and Juliet?

In Act 2 Scene 5 the narrator tells us that “Romeo and Juliet are secretly married in Friar Lawrence’s chapel.” The only person who knows about Romeo and Juliet’s wedding is the Nurse. The blue feathers at the top of the mask represent Juliet being the boss of the Nurse, but still having manners.… show more content…

What specific ideas or themes does the mask symbolize in Dunbar’s poem provide a few examples to support your ideas?

Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask” depicts the world as a deceitful one. It shows society as one that often hides behind things to prevent reality from showing. It gives examples of how people attempt to hide their feelings and illuminates what is actually happening inside of them.

Which of the following best describes the theme of We Wear the Mask?

We Wear the Mask | English Quiz – Quizizz. Q. Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text? Identity comes from what we do and are, not what we look like.

What is the mask that the poet is talking about?

Explanation: The mask symbolizes how blacks must hide who they really are to navigate in white society. Because they are viewed as stereotypes, blacks must pretend to be what white people expect them to be. A mask hides one’s true identity.

What effect does the repetition of the phrase We Wear the Mask at the beginning of the poem and the end of each stanza have on the poem’s meaning?

What effect does the repetition of the phrase “We wear the mask” at the beginning of the poem and the end of each stanza have on the poem’s meaning? It develops the theme, “Continuous behavior will become habits that create resilience.” It develops the theme, “Presentation is more important than reality.”

What does guile mean in We Wear the Mask?

deceitfulness

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Line 3 tells us that the people wearing these masks owe it all to “human guile.” Fancy word check: “guile” simply means a sort of deceitfulness, not being real.

How does We Wear the Mask relate back to the American dream?

Poem Summary
Dunbar’s idea of the American dream is that everyone can obtain a sense of confidence in themselves and overcome their insecurities. Unfortunately, people change for society and “wear the mask that grins and lies” (“We Wear the Mask” 1).

Why should the world be over wise?

He asks, “Why should the world be overwise?” This question suggests that if the world starts caring about the pains and the grief that the African Americans are going through, then the world would be too wise. So to prevent the world from being “over wise”-make good judgments-then they would keep wearing their masks.