The 'world' the speaker refers to in stanza 2 of 'We Wear the Mask' is most likely?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to identify what 'the world' symbolizes in the context of the second stanza of the poem 'We Wear the Mask'. This requires an analysis of the poem's themes and the speaker's perspective.
Answer
The 'world' likely refers to society that sees only the masks, not the truth.
The 'world' in stanza 2 likely refers to the society at large that perceives only the masks and lies, oblivious to the true feelings and struggles of the oppressed group the speaker represents.
Answer for screen readers
The 'world' in stanza 2 likely refers to the society at large that perceives only the masks and lies, oblivious to the true feelings and struggles of the oppressed group the speaker represents.
More Information
Dunbar uses the concept of the 'mask' to symbolize the facade people from oppressed communities wear to hide their true emotions and sufferings from the broader society. This 'world' remains ignorant of their pain.
Sources
- Stanza 2 Summary - We Wear the Mask - Shmoop - shmoop.com
- Analysis of the Speaker - We Wear the Mask - SparkNotes - sparknotes.com
- We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar | Summary & Analysis - study.com
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