Pau Lawrence Dunbar’s Harriet Beecher Stowe and We Wear the Masks Represent the Life of Slaves Post Abolishment of Slavery

Abstract

In all the civilizations there has existed slavery of one or the other form and it had acceptance from the contemporary society. If you are a slave then there is nothing you can do about it you will have to bear it meekly. The American slaves were different, they were brought there from some other continent and their look and physique were also different than the Europeans settled in America, thereof their rights were ignored and assumed that they did not have any rights. Nonetheless when the slavery was abolished from America there was revolt and civil war took place. But no one thought about the slave’s livelihood post abolition of slavery and this is where Dunbar comments upon. His poetry throughs lights on this aspect of the former slaves and their kids, they were free but did not have any skill or way of livelihood. In this present paper I would endeavour to trace this aspect of Dunbar’s poets.