Auden was a 20th-century Anglo-American poet who wrote stylistically about love, religion, and social and political issues and raised questions about modern morality and society.
Summary
The poem ‘The Unknown Citizen uses a satirical
tone to describe an apparently free modern world. It is a profound look at the
modern political and social systems that existed in the 20th century and
continues into the 21st century and how they affect human existence.
Although these modern systems seem democratic and have been created with the help of people underneath their fake exterior they are deeply autocratic and manipulative with a hidden use of surveillance and propaganda to control individuals and keep them on the ‘right path’ like in George Orwell’s ‘1984’.
Here people are afraid to step out of line with the established opinions of their community and as a consequence, the line between good and evil is not recognizable anymore so no one will object to or stand up for any wrong.
Analysis
The poem is an elegy for a dead citizen delivered by a bureaucrat of the state. The official is honoring a model citizen for spending his life serving the state in the most ideal way. The model citizen is identified as JS/07 M 378, which reveals a lack of individuality of the citizen. The bureaucrat uses data provided by the Bureau of Statistics to praise the citizen for never going astray, always adhering to state rules, and working for the good of the Great Hidden Cause.
The data provided indicates that the conduct
of the citizen was exemplary and he served the greater objective of the state
with great honesty and keenness.
He held his job and satisfied his employees
never raising a voice of dissatisfaction over any issue. His views were always
in line with the rest of society and he never found anything odd to object
upon. His social behavior was acceptable to the community and he got a good
share of the general propaganda through his regular reading of the newspaper.
Read also, The Unknown
Citizen by W.H Auden, Theme of Freedom
He was part of the social and commercial rat race that society is afflicted with yet did not find anything wrong with it. He appears to be like one of the clones in Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave new World’ where uniqueness and individuality are considered a crime. Advertisements affected his desire to buy every new commodity and he rushes into socially acceptable commercial contracts with banks and insurance companies without realizing their evil consequences.
His opinions and reactions to political and social events were never that of an independent man.
He supported the cause of the majority and the ethics and morality of his choice did not bother him at all. Even the number of children he had was considered the right number for his time. He never interfered with what was being taught at school to his children as that was not socially acceptable and he never objected to the policies of the state.
The poet questions at the end, if the citizen were happy if he was free? It seems that the state had successfully structured a society where people seized to be thinking, reflecting individuals. The state used extremely effective propaganda to control and brainwash the ‘free’ citizens to think that they are content and happy with whatever they are being offered.
Read also, An Analysis of
Nathanial Hawthorne as a Short Story Writer
The citizens ended up losing their abilities
to analyze and evaluate good and evil and so nothing disturbed them nor were
they aware anymore of the importance or maybe even the existence of real
freedom and happiness.
The poem is interpreted by Ayesha Saeed, one of the contributors to the School of Literature.
