...After reading The Unknown Citizen by W.H. Auden I was a little confused about the context of the poem. After rereading it a few times I began to think it was about establishing the American Dream after the War because of the description the speaker gave of the citizen. The speaker says “ But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.”, I knew that this was an allusion to Ford Motors which had been a huge factory job, which had been what most men did. Later when the speaker says, “And had everything necessary to the Modern Man, a phonograph, radio, a car and a frigidaire.”, it really helped back up my theory because he was working hard to acquire the nicest things which was huge after the war due to having to scrape and save everything. Overall, I enjoyed the poem. The slight satire caught my interest and enticed me the entire poem. Part Two: After our discussion After our class discussion I found out my theory was completely off. The poem was actually satirical about the “Big Brother” and the mold society tries to push everyone into. We discussed how the speaker capitalizes “the Bureau of Statistics” and how that was the first hint of the satire. The speaker used this to show how the government keeps track of everything. As the poem went on, more fake government organizations came up to show how simple and ordinary the citizen was. The last line “Was he happy? Was he free? The questions is absurd; had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.”, emphasized that...
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...Carel Bou Maroun Friday, September 25, 2015 Reading Response #1 The Unknown Citizen – W.H. Auden (Pages 106-107) The satiric poem “The Unknown Citizen” caught my attention because W.H. Auden denounces our modern society. First of all, the title of the poem reminds us of Unknown Soldiers’ monuments that exist in many countries. Soldiers are usually remembered for their brave actions but their names are often forgotten and fade away. So, Auden ironically suggests that the “unknown” citizen also deserves a monument because he conforms to government’s rules, and only his actions will persist in archives “This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State”. Auden is satiric against modern governments who only want citizens to obey their norms. Secondly, the unknown citizen is only given a number “To JS/07M378”. The institutions see citizens as numbers in modern society; no citizen has a name in the eye of governments. Moreover, the unknown citizen has no longer his own personality. He lost it by being a slave to the government’s criteria. He sacrifices his own personality by conforming to the government and its norms “For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.” Thirdly, by saying “When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went”, Auden suggests that the unknown citizen has no opinion. His ideas are those that conform to accepted ideas. He doesn’t stand for himself and doesn’t say what he thinks. He goes along with the flow and isn’t different...
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...In “The Unknown Citizen”, the author, W.H. Auden, discusses the life of a nameless man whom society describes as a “saint”. While describing the actions of the man, the author labels him as “happy” and “free”, two implications that the author and society chooses to believe. Presenting positive attributions of the man, the author comments that the man “was married and added five children to the population” and “was popular with his mates and liked a drink” which, to society, means that he is “happy” in life. Following natural stereotypes, society labels popular people or people with big families as “happy”. Not only was the unnamed man “happy” but he was also said to be “free”. To society, the man was free of worrying about money or his children...
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...The Unknown Citizen “He was found by the bureau of statistics to be one against whom there was no official complaint.” In Auden’s poem, “The Unknown Citizen,” he describes an individual who has been found to be without any fault. This persona is described through the perspective of a Statistician from the U.S Government. The unknown citizen served the government perfectly; when there was peace he supported it and when there was war he was ready to fight. He served the Greater Community and paid his dues to the Union. But, this man, has no identity— there is no name used to identify him. Auden then proceeds to ask the important questions in his tonal shift: “Was this man free? Was he happy?” No government statistics can ever answer these kinds of questions. Auden makes his theme clear by showing the blatant difference between the complete statistical information about the citizen compiled by the State and the lack of personal information on him. The poet conveys that statistics cannot sum up an individual and physical facts are an insufficient way to evaluate human happiness. The poet is drawing in our attention by asking these questions, the questions of freedom and happiness. He suggests that the average man is a slave to routine because he follows all the government’s standards: he buys a paper everyday, he’s married and has five children, he has everything necessary to the modern man. And because of this, it can be true that he is incapable of understanding such concepts...
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...“The Unknown Citizen” written by W.H Auden is a poem where the speaker, a representative of the state or government, directs a speech to the audience about a monument being erected for a citizen. Written in free verse, although using many couplets, this poem describes the life of a certain person through his records and documents. Based on his status the government describes him as a “saint” and people’s role model. Even though he did things right the author questions, is he happy? is he free? The poem “unknown citizen” is spoken by a bureaucrat who works for the government. We know this because at the beginning of the poem it says “He was found by the Bureau of Statistic to be One against whom there was no official complaint, / and all the report on his conduct agree That, the modern sense of an old-fashion world, /he was a saint” (1-4). Based on the quote stated it also shows us that he doesn’t just speak for himself but he also represents the entire apparatus. Therefore, he has an advantage by his high position in office to find out the unknown citizen personal life. Given information about the citizen he’ll then determine if this citizen is a saint. He also uses the word “Our “to represent a larger group of people that are speaking throughout the poem. The bureaucrat finds that the unknown citizen “served the Greater Community” (5). The bureaucrat states that the social psychology workers found him to be “popular with his mates and liked a drink” (13) and that the researcher...
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...This statement was found in the Apology which was written by Socrates’s good friend Plato. This statement was a part of Socrates’s main speech. He makes this statement in his main speech where he addresses the jury. In the main speech he discusses the accusations brought against him and proves them to be false. In addition to that, he also addresses some questions which the jury may have. In philosophy, it is important to presume what the others might argue and break it down. Socrates does so by saying the following, “someone might say: “are you not ashamed Socrates, to have followed the kind of occupation that has led to your being now in danger of death?” (Melchert). He makes this statement because he knows that the jurors and the citizens are puzzled by his reaction and the way he has been fearless under his circumstances. He responds to his own question by saying that people are wrong if they think that any good man would take the risk of life or death into account. He then goes on to make the famous statement “to fear death is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know” (Melchert). Socrates says this to prove his point to the jury; his point is that it is unwise to fear the...
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...The Controversy of the Second Amendment of the Constitution 997 words (2.8 double-spaced pages) Red (FREE) I. INTRODUCTION: The Second Amendment to the Constitution(Second Amendment) of the United States of America(USA) is one of the most controversial. The Second Amendment specifically grants that, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed" The way that an individual interprets the wording of the Second Amendment influences their point of view on who has the right to "keep and bear arms" (Amendment 2). The controversy brought on by the Second Amendment is because the Second Amendment does not clearly define whom "the people" are. This ambiguity has left room for action by legislative bodies and the courts to pass laws and make interpretations that influence the way this Amendment is applied and enforced. The Second Amendment says, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." (Amendment 2). A central argument put forth by gun-control advocates is that since there is no longer a "militia", that individuals should lose their rights to own a gun. They often assert that the term "militia" should now be defined as each state's National Guard or Reserves. On the other hand, anti gun control advocates argue that the Second Amendment clearly states that the people have the right to own and bear arms even if they are not part of an organized...
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...The beginning of the United States was certainly not an easy road for its first inhabitants but they found a way to survive the unknown elements. America built it's foundations on the formation of the first original thirteen colonies. It was Great Britain who was at the head of the table and the colonies resided at its side under its control and rule. With Britain being so far from America, the colonists became tired of being under the rule of the king and his parliament, and began the in bark on gaining their freedom from its dominate hold and control and went to war with the help of France and won. After gaining their independence America was now starting over with no financial stability to help sustain its colonies, so America began to borrow loans from other countries to help establish its economy. The nature of the American economy in the last decade of the 18th century and the attempts by its citizens and leaders would help define the United States in so many ways. When the colonists gained their freedom and independence little did they know the challenges that they would face in forming the nation's economic system. Early on in the quest to establish the economy, America realized that manufacturing and the trade of farming would help start their economic journey and gain them a financial beginning. For “Production, either agricultural or manufacturing, was at the heart of the domestic economy.” American manufacturers of goods and farmers no longer were under the...
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...They have thought and made the conscience choice of migrating here. It must difficult to make the journey into the unknown. The fear of the unknown is a huge obstacle faced by immigrants. You’re leaving the life that you have always known; to come to a foreign land and expect to integrate within a new society. You’re not expecting to be unwelcomed in the land of opportunities. The language barrier and the difficulties that not being able to communicate is a huge importance in one’s progressions towards being accepted by a society. You must be able to communicate in order to forge relationships, find work and adapt to the norms of your new surroundings. On the Other hand, second generation immigrants as also referred to as Second Generation Americans. They are born in the United States and have a parent or parents that are foreign born. The privilege of being born in The United States making you a citizen is guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. You would think having the title of American Citizen would automatically make life easier. In fact; having the title and still being so close to one’s cultural, language and surroundings make it’s more...
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...Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Macroeconomics examines the structure and performance of the economy. Economic theory states that we live in a world of scarcity; we do not have enough natural resources or time to fulfill our unlimited desires. Economics studies how we allocate our scarce resources. Therefore, this paper will discuss many fundamentals of macroeconomics. Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary tracker that is used by the government to tracker the spending of the citizens as wells as the government. This tracker also allows the government to determine if our country is at risk. Real GDP allows the government to track the spending of the country on a yearly basis. Real GDP tracks what we produce as well as the price consumers pay for goods and services in any given year. Nominal GDP occurs when there is some type of economic problems. If the price of the goods and services increase, nominal GDP does not change. Unemployment rate is a rate in which citizens are not working but looking for employment. Inflation rate is a rate in which prices of goods and services are increasing such as gas and groceries. When inflation occurs consumers have a difficultly purchasing products and services. Interest rate is a rate that is set by the lender on the repayment of a loan. They are usually called APR annual percentage rates. Interest rates are determined by the borrower’s ability to repay the loan and credit worthiness. Purchasing of Groceries or food in the grocery...
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...had matured into something more than a Civil War cemetery; it had become a national symbol for sacrifice and honor, a rallying point for veterans, for ordinary visitors, and for solemn ceremony” (Poole 119). Arlington National Cemetery began as just a Civil War cemetery, its location picked in order to disgrace a disguised Confederate General. However, as the years went by, Arlington National Cemetery took up upgrades to bring more honor to its fallen soldiers. “By 1902, the army issued new regulations for its standard headstone, making them more durable, taller, and wider than before. It also adopted more prominent markers for the graves of unknown sailors, soldiers and marines- in place of the small stone blocks issued before 1903, the unidentified dead of the future would have standard marble slabs like others at Arlington, with “UNKNOWN” curving across the stone face” (Poole 130). Arlington is constantly giving itself upgrades to provide more honor to the troops, for instance replacing the old headstone with the new ones. These new headstones are the defining mark of Arlington, and mark the noble men and women that lay beneath...
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...many people in such little time. Within a year and a half, Hitler and the Nazis Party had taken absolute power of Germany. It became possible to arrest opponents of the regime and lock them up with no charge filed, no warrant and no real evidence. The first concentration camp Dachau was opened in March 1933 to hold all the prisoners (Wood 42). In August 1933 Hitler declared himself both president and chancellor of the Third Reich and commander-in-chief of the military (Nelson, English.illinois.edu). Hitler now had totalitarian dictatorial power. In 1935 German Congress passes the Nuremburg Laws which redefine German Jews as non-citizens and ban Jews from any political participation. These laws prohibited Jews from marrying German citizens, having extramarital relations with German citizens and prohibited any Jew from raising the German flag (Unknown,...
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...heroic and because of grief, killed the guards. But they may not be the only suspects. Malcolm and Donalbain are also accused of the murder, but they are nowhere to be found. The whole country is deeply saddened about yesterday night’s occurrences. Duncan was a guest at Macbeth’s castle to congratulate him on being Thane of Cawdor and fighting well, then later that night, at an expected 11:00pm, Duncan was killed by an unknown murderer. There were slashes all over Duncan’s body and the murder weapons were found on the bodies of the guards that supposedly were responsible for killing Duncan. “Lady Macbeth and I cannot believe what happened. Duncan will be missed, and his killers will be found” Macbeth said in a questioning when Lady Macbeth fainted soon-after she heard the news about Duncan’s murder....
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...The Photographer Edward Ruscha portrays the lack of adventure in Suburban America through a black and white colored image of the State Department of Employment. Ruscha uses a black and white color scheme that emphasizes certain symbols of the parking lots to show the repetitiveness and guidance that Suburban America bestows upon its inhabitants. These notions contribute to the numbing experience of Suburbia induced by a lack of adventure and completely contradict Walt Whitman’s view of the ideal American in “Pioneers! O Pioneers!”. The repetitiveness of Suburban life is symbolically displayed in Ruscha’s State Department of Employment photo through the wear and tear of the roads and parking spaces. He intentionally uses a black and white color...
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...Although In Cold Blood’s second section, “Persons Unknown”, provides, among other things, a chronological recap of Perry and Dick’s adventures in Mexico, Capote also intends to humanize Perry and, to a lesser degree, Dick; therefore he proves that even the lowliest of human caste deserve their perspective acknowledged. Perry and Dick both were initially portrayed as merciless, cold-blooded killers. But in “Persons Unknown”, this characterization is challenged time and time again. After stealing from stores all across Missouri, he breaks down and his speaking goes from eloquent to anacoluthic; “‘What about Dad? I feel--oh, Jesus, he’s such a good old guy. And my mother--well, you saw her. What about them? Me, I’ll be off in Mexico…’” (Capote 99). Multiple times throughout this segment, Dick’s sentence structure breaks down, as demarcated by dashes. Showing that Dick cares about something, anything at all, is proof that he is not a heartless criminal. He cares about his family as any good citizen might. Like any good citizen, he has strengths just as he has flaws. However, Dick is not isolated in his dynamic representation....
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