In a brief essay, identify at least two of the implications implicit in the society reflected in the
poem. Support your statements by specific references to the poem.
The Unknown Citizen
Comment [ANn1]: OK, so I need to IDENTIFY
two implications implicit in the society. I need to
make sure I’m speaking only to the society reflected
IN the poem. I’ll make sure to quote the poem itself.
by W. H. Auden
(To JS/07 M 378
This Marble Monument
Is Erected by the State)
He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One against whom there was no official complaint,
And all the reports on his conduct agree
That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a
saint,
For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.
Except for the War till the day he retired
He worked in a factory and never got fired,
But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.
Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views,
For his Union reports that he paid his dues,
(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)
And our Social Psychology workers found
That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.
The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day
And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,
And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured.
Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare
He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.
Our researchers into Public Opinion are content
That he held the proper opinions for the time of year;
When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went.
He was married and added five children to the population,
Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his
generation.
And our teachers report that he never interfered with their
education.
Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.
Reading Closely: Below is how I would approach this essay—of course, when you’re writing the essay in
class, you’re better off with jotting down notes for your basic outline.
Title—Unknown Citizen? Why is he ‘unknown’?
Paraphrase—no time in timed conditions; instead, a quick summary shows that this is a poem in the
third-person where all these institutions and agencies report that this ‘unknown citizen’ led a mediocre
and harmless life. 1) How ‘unknown’ is he when he’s so heavily observed? 2) it seems this is the kinda
Comment [ANn2]: Third person narration
Comment [ANn3]: Odd—bureaucracy?
Numbers?
Comment [ANn4]: Saint? What’s a modern
sense of this? Old-fashioned would have religious
connotations, martyr-like qualities.
Comment [ANn5]: His life was in service of the
community.
Comment [ANn6]: He was consistent.
Comment [ANn7]: Scab—requires background
knowledge: a person who takes up the job at a
cheaper price when unions go on strike. In this
instance, he is not only satisfying his employed at
Fudge Motors Inc. but also satisfying the Union by
paying his dues. He’s a people-pleaser.
Comment [ANn8]: Interesting, this society is
investigating the Union too—talk about scrutiny in
this society! All red tape.
Comment [ANn9]: Ok, wtf isn’t looking at this
guy? Getting ridiculous now. Probably looking at
irony because this is going over-the-top.
Comment [ANn10]: Objects are all that is
necessary to the modern man? Not just objects, but
objects of distraction. What about love? Happiness?
All that shit?
Comment [ANn11]: Not only is he perfect in his
mediocrity and contentment, but he fulfilled his
function as a procreator.
Comment [ANn12]: Never questioned the
teacher? Never behaved subversively?
Moreover, how far back does this guy’s file go?
Comment [ANn13]: Free and Happy (the
abstractions) are not of any consequence here: The
important thing is that he did nothing wrong in the
‘modern’ sense of the word.
society where EVERYBODY is observed this thoroughly and the idea of an identity is rendered a
disservice to the ‘greater community (this could be a point in the essay).
Attitude—I would think that the speaker, though he (they?) may seem to laud the ‘modern man’, serves
as the vehicle for Auden’s ironic take on the ‘merits’ of a utopic society
Shifts—The penultimate line appears to be the closest thing to the shift—it’s the only time where ideas
of freedom and happiness arise, and they only come up to be dismissed. This seems key to
understanding the irony of the poem
Title again—Now that I’ve looked over the poem, I really think the ‘unknown’ citizen is in part ironic—
truth be told, he’s known to the nth degree, but his level of averageness renders him absolutely
unknowable as a subjective, sentient being
Theme—The apparent virtues of a perfect society come at the expense of individuality and the potential
for sublimity
Outline of Essay:
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Intro MUST include title of poem and author’s name.
o Thesis: Though this unknown citizen is apparently lavished with a great deal of attention
by his society, the attention he receives from the Bureau of Statistics serves as an ironic
commentary on the unknown citizen’s society. This panoptic bureaucracy scrutinizes
every minute detail of the unknown citizen’s average life, rendering him absolutely
negligible as an individual.
Paragraph 1: Third-person narration from multiple institutions contributes to purportedly
objective tone that, ultimately, appears ironic when the questions of happiness and freedom
arise.
o Notice the level of scrutiny and how it shows the intrusiveness of this society
o Explain how this level of scrutiny might imply that the man had no choice but to lead
this kind of life. It is absurd to ask if he was happy or free—all that matters is he did not
desecrate the values of the greater community.
o Though the speaker of the poem appears to be praising all that the unknown citizen has
done, his actions are perfectly average and conformist.
Paragraph 2: (further as transition) Loss of personal identity for the sake of the community
o Notice how everything he does is described without a ‘name’
o He has appeased both Fudge Motors, inc. AND the Union
o Explain how his unknown status demonstrates the extent to which his perfect existence
in a perfect society means he never exists as an agent in his own life
Conclusion:
o Ultimately, this Modern Man is a saint in his society insofar as he is a martyr for the
cause of the common good. Invariably, this poem reveals how utopias are untenable
because they require the dissolution of individual liberties and the potential for
sublimity—in short, social stability takes precedent over individual happiness.