The three Paul Laurence Dunbar poems we looked at were published during reconstruction and were all heavily influenced by slavery, as well as the social and economic pressures of reconstruction. "Sympathy" was more concerned with the experience of slavery and of being trapped. "Ode to Ethiopia" is about trying to reconnect with ancestry that was lost during slavery when many didn't even know who their grandparents were. And I interpret "We Wear the Mask" as being about the pressure many felt to act "whiter" in order to improve their lives. All of these poems are about different aspects of the experiences of black people during reconstruction, and how they made new lives for themselves after the civil war.
In the poem "Sympathy" I think Dunbar is trying to reconcile the suffering of slavery by writing about it. he calls the singing a plea "that upward to Heaven he flings" which is not only referring to actual singers but also writers and poets. To me the poem is trying to put into writing that feeling of being trapped and being able to see freedom but not actually attain it. He may also be saying that people still felt trapped after the civil war but by different systems, and/or questioning whether it's actually possible to completely move on.
Dunbar's poem "Ode to Ethiopia" is largely about black people reconnecting with their heritage during reconstruction. Booker T Washington mentioned there being a lot of pride in ancestry that was taken away by slavery, which is something it seems like Dunbar wants to fix. This poem itself seems somewhat like an attempt to reconnect with Ethiopia as well as Africa more broadly. Booker T Washington also highly valued labor, which is something Dunbar reference, and also seems to value, calling it "honest labour". Dunbar also talks about the "plant of freedom" having finally blossomed, which makes me think he was hopeful for the outcome of reconstruction. He also talks about watching Ethiopia rising, though I think he's referring more broadly to race here, because of how he refers to the "Mother Race" in the beginning.
"We Wear the Mask" is definitely his least clear poem, though I think that generally it's about the pressure that black people felt to act "whiter", like what Charles Chestnut was writing about with people like Mr. Ryder. It reminds me of the idea of "double consciousness" which I think we looked at in US history, and was about how black people felt the need to look at themselves from both their own perspective and from the view of white people. Though that idea was published after this poem, the mask could still be a way of trying to fight that by hiding reality from the view of white people, and it's definitely concerned with how white people see them. It could be trying to prevent them from coming up with an excuse to intervene in the lives of black people by making it look like everything is fine. However, this poem is still about people trying to improve their lives, but in order to do so they have to wear the mask.
Ben DeMarco
I like your interpretation of "we wear the mask" and how you connected it back to the idea of double consciousness. After slavery, African Americans were forced to either assimilate into white culture or remain in their position as unwanted aliens in American society. Writers and poets during the reconstruction really went the assimilation route, which you point out in your last paragraph well. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteDunbar's effort to write black poems that were more authentic to the reality of black experience is definitely a pattern I see reflected across his work. Like you said, in many ways I think his use of Africa as a metaphor is an acknowledgement of cultural heritage, but it is also just a way to escape from writing in traditional white ways. The mere mention of Africa makes his poems standout in American works of writing, even if he isn't directly referencing the reality of African culture when he talks about places like Ethiopia.
ReplyDeleteI also like your interpretation of "We Wear the Mask" and I agree I think it definitely relates to double consciousness. Not only does the mask signify masking trauma and putting on an act, it represents how African Americans needed to see themselves through white culture and black culture. I like how you explain the correlation between wanting a better life and wearing a mask. Either way, both meanings definitely apply.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that someone else noticed the connection between "double consciousness" and "wearing the mask" as well! I wanted to sort of bridge double consciousness to our current age, where even today, black people (and other racial minorities of course) still sort of have to wear that mask; specifically the idea of "code-switching." Having to change between vernaculars and behaviors unique to our cultures just to fit in, adopting an identity different from our true selves, even if it's for *just* a moment. That has to be some form of connection/
ReplyDeleteI like how you connected Dunbar's writing about "the mask" to the Blue Veins from Chesnutt's story. Mr. Ryder and the Blue Veins are a really good example of Black people who aqcuiesced to having to wear the mask. You mentioned that people wearing the mask were just trying to improve their lives, which is very similar to the Blue Veins' stated goal (improving the "social condition" of Black people). I think you could also see the mask as a way to try to avoid making white people uncomfortable by (even implicitly) bringing up the history of slavery.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else is saying, I really like this "wearing the mask" metaphor you described; I think it's really accurate. The name "Blue Veins" alone implies that the society was trying to appease to a certain aesthetic standard (i.e. wear a mask), just to assimilate into racist culture. I also like how you connected the mask concept to how the American economy worked, where black Americans were forced to appeal to how white people did their labor.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, Ben! "Ode to Ethiopia" really stood out to me because while reading narratives of Washington and Jacobs, I kept noticing how a lack of knowledge of their ancestry affected them throughout their entire life. Not being able to connect with their ancestors is unfortunately one of many aspects of life that slavery stole from black people. I think in "Ode to Ethiopia," Dunbar brings a sense of pride and freedom by describing a reconnection with Africa.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, Ben! Like what other people commented, the part where you talk about "wearing the mask" in Dunbar's poem to act or seem "whiter" is very interesting and really stood out to me. I also like how you connected it to "double consciousness" to the main idea of Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask" poem.
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ReplyDeleteI really liked your way of interpreting the poems; it is very clear how all three poems tie into the theme of black experience post civil war because of your interpretation. I found especially interesting your interpretation fo “we wear the mask”. I liked the conneciton you made with double consciousness and you clearly balance multiple perspectives on the poem that make a holistic analysis.