Moiz Modern Poetry Assignment

NAME: - Abdul Moiz Khan
CLASS: - BS. English 6th C Evening

TOPIC: - Comparison of “Unknown Citizen” with modern
World
SUBJECT: - Modern Poetry
SUBMITTED TO: - Dr. Zenab Jehangir
DATE: - 04.06.2021
 How Will You Compare Auden's Unknown Citizen With 21st Century's Citizen
Living in a Technologically Advanced World? Focus On the Surveillance
Technologies Of 21st C.
In the poem, Auden has described the conditions of modern man and modern society, in
which masses are bound to the rules and regulations of the government and society. Their
privacy has been disturbed and life has become similar to other human beings living. They
are just a number in the records of the government and the government is surveilling each and
everything in their lives even controlling their thoughts. They are identified by the specific
number given to them by the government not by their names. So, we can say that they have
no specific identity or name through which they can be identified but except that particular
number. So as because of the surveillance technologies, he does not harm others and create
no trouble for them, and we can say that he has become a saint of modern world.
He is thinking what he has bound to think and has no personal opinion regarding the things.
The government in the poem, is by all accounts exceptionally predominant. The
administrative system is exceptionally solid, through the refinement of its innovative
information in the focal factual agency to recognize its resident. Amusingly, the individual
alluded to when his life was not perceived, at that point was "awarded" Honor, alongside
the other war heroes, with a marble monument raised. The author has portrayed the
relationship between alienated modern life and the personal identity which has been affected
by the modern and developed technology. The inhumane treating of modern world with the
citizens. He has no personal identity and cannot be considered as a human and person.
The citizen of 21st century is also living a similar life. They are not concerned with the
happiness but material acquisitions. He has become immune to all those things which were
set to make apart humans, and we have become identity less and become a member of
faceless crowd or society. If we compare the unknown citizen with the 21st century citizen,
we can find lots of similarities of them with the unknown citizen. Modern world surveillance
technologies are now more advanced and efficient which can keep a record of each and every
citizen.
Firstly, the Beaureu of statistics is more advanced in 21st century. A citizen has specific
identity number through which his entire information can be taken out by using his number.
The record of his entire family has been associated with that special number. Another thing of
21st century is face recognition system. Through this system, the movement and behavior of
each citizen has been recorded and activities of them are surveillance. Later, they are also
given points on good and evil behavior; and this surveillance technology has dropped down
the crime rate and as a result of which each citizen has become a kind of saint. Because they
cannot do any evil thing as their activities are being monitored by the government.
The freedom of expression of 21st century citizen has restrained. He bound to think what
the government wanted and to speak specific censored things. He too has no personal
opinions regarding the issues and are not directed to criticize any institution of the
government. Their lives have become dull and they are puppet in the hands of the
government. Their thoughts are being controlled by the government which means that they
cannot think any anti-government
statement. They can do the things which are allowed to them by the government. In addition,
the privacy of 21st century citizen has also disturbed due to advanced surveillance
technologies. Right to privacy is a fundamental right of a citizen. But the developed
surveillance technologies have confused personal and public privacy. Security issues and
surveillance has undermined the privacy of the individuals. Even at the homes, citizens
cannot make sure of their privacies and are uncertain about it.
The citizen of 21st century has all the things which are required for normal living but
they cannot make use of them for their own. They are only supposed to do what they are
instructed by the government. Cyber security has restrained the rights of privacy too. They
cannot do what they are willing on the modern gadgets like mobiles., tablets and laptops
because they are under surveillance of the government and due to this: the privacy and
proxemics have become impossible even at the homes for the modern citizens. They do what
the government and authorities asked them to do but even then, they are not given their
personal spaces and their lives have become dull and their happiness has faded away.
Moreover, in education, the 21st century citizen has been taught what the government wanted
them to learn which has limited their thinking capacity so, that they cannot think ill of
government and cannot become rebellion to the government actions and instructions. They
are controlling their mentalities through the teaching of specific content. The advanced
technologies have influenced their movements too. The GPS System and mobiles are used to
locate the actual location of the individual and to monitored them. Their calls are under
controlled of the government which can later be used against them as an evidence if they
commit any crime or become rebellion to any government action.
Furthermore, 21st century citizens are health insured as well. They have specific cards by
which they can ensure their medical treatment when they got infected by any disease, and
they are also paying for it in the form of taxes. They can borrow money from the banks to
fulfil their specific requirements, and later; can pay the borrowed money in the form of
installments and they are also supposed to give surety before taking the loan about the fact
that they can repay the borrowed money.
They are too busy in fulfilling their duties regarded to them by the government that they
cannot get a time to keep an eye on their children's education and to maintained the specific
quality of education for them which is their right. They are reading newspapers daily to stay
aware of the happenings and specific advertisements. The modern citizen got married according
to the government rules and instruction and have specific number of children. He is talking
care of them and make sure to fulfil their needs. He is a patriotic person even in the era of
science and technology. Acting on the government orders and going anywhere like for the
war and then coming back, for helping others and ensuring their safety. He is under strict
observance and surveillance of the government for fulfilling his duties and acting upon
government orders but still he has no personal happiness. He becomes an identity less person
in crowds of the society.
The citizen of 21st century is asking same questions as unknown citizen. Is he free? Is he
happy? after acting upon all his duties and inbound things. But the questions are absurd.
There are no answers to the questions. Because the government statistics has no ability to
answer these questions. The only way for a citizen to survive in this modern society is to
obey and conform. They are devoid of any self-assertion. The individuals have to work
according to the code of conduct designed by the governments and societies. And these rules
have eroded the specific identities of the individuals and curtailed their individualism. And a
person who fulfilled all
these requirements are in actual ideal citizens. In a nutshell, we can say that the poem is a sort
of criticism on the judgement policies of the societies which assessed citizens on the behalf of
doing good things.
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NAME: - Abdul Moiz Khan

CLASS: - BS. English 6th C Evening

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