we wear the mask

In the poem, We Wear the Mask, Dunbar's reflection on american life is everyone in the american society is very introverted. Everyone hides their true feelings and keeps to themselves, hense, "the mask". The particular conditions and situations Dunbar had in mind was slavery, and harsh times during the 1800s. The theme of this poem is still relevant today because people still don't reveal their true selves because it's easier to fake a smile, then to show someone your hurt. A movie that embodies the theme of this poem is Mulan because in the movie she makes herself look like a boy, to hide who she really is in order to fulfill what she set out to achieve.