The Unknown Citizen

Michael Shea Mr. Schuh English 111 October 21, 2010 The Unknown Citizens flavour in the twentieth century Just like today in a knowledge base that is comely more and more under the watchful spunk of something bigger where no one is labeled as an individual, nevertheless another piece of the system, The Unknown Citizen by W.H. Auden describes a life led under the watchful eye of Big brother. Auden begins the song with a little sarcasm. He says: (To JS/07/M/378 This marble Monument Is Erected by the State) The reader might see this as a sarcastic tri providede by the speaker of the poem to the overly average citizen, during a ceremony commemorating his ordinariness, thus unknown to the general public, but not to the confidence of Statistics. In the eyes of the Bureau, he was a model citizen because of this exact antecedent; his normality at the expense of his individualism. Auden starts the poem by describing the really essence of the main example and the life he leads in the 20th century. He writes: He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be One against whom there was no official complaint, Auden speaks of that normality here. The main character was so under the radar that there were no complaints against him; so normal that he never was on anyones bad side.

He fell into the system that dehumanized him as an individual and just made him a number. This might face like a normal concept these days but in the early 20th century when Auden was writing this poem, this was a very new and a scary concept. Auden gives another guinea pig of the life in the spotlight of big brother when he says: And all the reports on his conduct agree That, in the modern common sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint, For in everything he did he served the Greater Community. Auden is talking about the spotless records that the main character has. He was old fashioned and a gentleman. Some in the 21st century might say that this was trait that was becoming uncommon.... If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com

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