Question

which theme is found in both \we wear the mask\ and \a man said to the universe\?
all individuals must search to discover their places in the world.
each person is one small part of a vast and unforgiving ecosystem.
people must accept their environments, even if they are not happy.
people are ignorant to the greater forces in the world surrounding them.

Explanation:

• "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar explores the idea of people hiding their true selves (a form of acceptance of a difficult social environment, though not directly about the vastness of the world in a cosmic sense).
• "A Man Said to the Universe" by Stephen Crane shows a man seeking recognition from the universe, which is indifferent. It emphasizes the smallness of the individual in a vast (and unforgiving, as it does not care about the man's existence) "universe" (which can be seen as a metaphor for a vast and unforgiving world/ecosystem in a broader sense).
• The first option about searching to discover places is more about an active search, but "A Man Said to the Universe" shows the universe (world) doesn't really care about the search. The third option (accepting environments) is more relevant to "We Wear the Mask" (hiding true feelings as a form of acceptance of a racist society) but not as much to the Crane poem. The fourth option (ignorance) is not the main theme. The second option about being a small part of a vast and unforgiving ecosystem (with "universe" as a stand - in for a vast, unforgiving world) ties in with both poems. In "We Wear the Mask", the social environment (a part of the "vast world") is unforgiving (due to racism), and individuals (the masked people) are a small part. In "A Man Said to the Universe", the man is a small part of the vast universe (a metaphor for a vast, unforgiving world).

Answer:

Each person is one small part of a vast and unforgiving ecosystem.