Vocabulary Quiz: Labor and Eugenics Terms

Study Notes

Scab: Derogatory term for a union worker who works during a strike; often viewed negatively as a strikebreaker.
Eugenist: An individual knowledgeable about improving offspring health and genetics.
Installment Plan: A structured payment option allowing customers to pay off debt over time in scheduled intervals.

Allusion: Title of the poem references a parody of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, highlighting themes of anonymity and state identity.
Speaker's Identity: Narration is from a fictional bureaucrat whose mundane job involves clerical paperwork, reflecting a disconnect from those impacted by their decisions.
Konyan Structure: The Unknown Citizen is conceptualized through various bureaucratic statistics, emphasizing the dehumanization in modern society.

Identity and Individuality: The Unknown Citizen embodies a lack of personal identity, defined solely by societal standards and statistics.
State Control and Patriotism: Poem critiques the concept of blind patriotism and conformity, suggesting such traits suppress individual freedom and happiness.
Manipulation of Values: The state promotes conformity through ideals of consumerism and citizen compliance, contrasting individual desires with societal expectations.

Societal Expectations: Citizens are encouraged to avoid dissent and conform to the norms set by those in power, leading to a homogenized existence.
Absurdity of Bureaucracy: The poem illustrates the absurdity inherent in a system that values statistics over individual experiences, raising questions about true patriotism and fulfillment.
Chilling Perspective: The phrase "had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard" suggests a chilling acceptance of a state-sustained illusion of happiness, neglecting personal fulfillment.

Irony of Praise: The poem satirizes the notion of societal praise by celebrating a life devoid of true significance and individuality, through mundane achievements.
Consumer Culture Critique: References to products and companies mock real American corporate culture, emphasizing how consumerism shapes citizen identity.
Cold Bureaucratic Language: Refers to the citizen as “JS/07 M 378,” illustrating the dehumanizing language of bureaucracy that reduces individuals to mere numbers.

"No official complaint": Emphasizes a life unremarkable by rebellion or individuality, suggesting minimal personal engagement.
"He was married and added five children": Aligns with societal expectations of family and reproduction, reflecting values imparted by eugenic theories of the time.
Conformity: The Unknown Citizen's reactions are dictated by societal expectations rather than personal choice, reinforcing themes of passive existence.

The poem critiques the modern citizen as a product of societal and bureaucratic machinery, raising vital questions about identity, fulfillment, and the implications of blind conformity within a bureaucratic state.### Consumerism and Identity
The Unknown Citizen possesses modern conveniences like a phonograph, radio, car, and Frigidaire, symbolizing societal expectations of wealth and status.
Reflects a critique of consumer culture; owning these items does not equate to true fulfillment or individuality.
Modern equivalents might include a computer, iPod, and flat screen TV, indicating the ongoing pressure to keep up with technological advancements.

The character exemplifies passivity, aligning his opinions with societal norms without personal conviction.
Adopts public opinions based on circumstances, demonstrating a lack of independent thought or identity.
The phrase "when there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went" illustrates an attitude of conformity rather than personal engagement in significant issues.

The line "Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard" highlights the State's assumption of transparency in the citizen's life.
Suggests societal pressures suppress individual thoughts and emotions, fostering an environment of compliance.
The notion of being unaware of the Unknown Citizen's deeper feelings indicates a critique of how society overlooks individual emotional depth in favor of collective stability.