The Unknown Citizen is me“The Unknown Citizen,” a poem written by WH Auden, reflects a period of great change in American history, making “The Unknown Citizen” an example of the point of view of the government of the perfect modern man in an overvalued and unrealistic society. During the time this poem was written, in the late 1930s, the United States was going through tremendous social, political, and economic change. After the end of Black Monday and the onset of the Great Depression, many Americans had negative views of their government, and the many positive aspects that once attracted citizens to the United States were becoming increasingly negative. The Great Depression fundamentally changed the relationship between the government and its people. Citizens began to expect and accept a larger federal role in their lives and the economy. During this time, Americans were issued cards with personalized federal numbers, better known as Social Security cards, which in turn depersonalized the United States political system. We the people see our government as a coalition between ourselves and our leaders, leaders whom we elect to represent and enforce our values. They simply see us as a number. This issue currently arises regarding the election of the next president of the United States. The whole issue is not about the wants and needs of citizens, but about “numbers”. We are no longer individuals, but simply a vast collection of insignificant numbers. Numbers that become imperative only when the disparity between them is minimal. “Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: if something had gone wrong we would certainly have heard (Auden).” This question is still asked today, the only difference is that there is no doubt whether the opinions of the masses are listened to or not. The question that remains is whether or not the government is actually listening to the people. This poem also expresses that the government makes it seem like everyone else is doing the “right thing” so you must follow in their footsteps and if you do you will be rewarded. it is a happy and fulfilling life with all the comforts of the modern man. Standards are constantly changing so you will never reach the sweet spot, so you must always strive to improve. This can be seen in the 2000 presidential race. We the people have followed the same uniform procedures to determine our presidents since the founding of our country, yet we are now being told that these standards are “outdated” and “unreliable,” which to in turn destroys our faith and that of other countries. in our political system.
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