Unknown Citizen Essay Example for Free

Unknown Citizen Essay Social Security Number? Birthdate? Nine digit telephone number starting with area code? In many ways, we are simply numbers to modern society, not individuals with feelings and emotions and dreams. As the world around us evolves so does technology. With the fast paced advancements occurring in technology it seems that the humanity of the world is decreasing. This makes it harder for people to develop their own personal identity. In today’s society people are being seen more as â€Å"faceless† citizens rather than individuals. This is because they are given numbers and labeled based upon how society sees them. In â€Å"The Unknown Citizen†, W. H. Auden shows us how the government sees society as statistics rather than a group of individuals. The unknown citizen of Auden’s poem is unknown because his name has become unimportant. The subtitle â€Å"To JS/07/M/378 This Marble Monument is Erected by the State (Auden 864)† is a fictional concept that the government enforced by an alpha-numeric tag. This tag is used to distinguish who each person is. Throughout the poem the individual is being referred to as â€Å"JS/07/M/378†. The random letters and numbers followed by forward slashes are all representations of the government. Meaning each section of letters and numbers are representing something. â€Å"JS† could possibly be the first letters of his first and last name and â€Å"M† could represent his gender being male. However, the fact that his name is never mentioned and a marble statue was built in his honor in very ironic. Instead of writing his full name the government chose to use the name they had given to him. This automatically is seen as a form of dehumanizing. The statue can also be seen as a form of symbolism representing the chilling manner in which the government chose to honor this man. Auden gives the audience the perceptive that the government is honoring people who they never knew really existed while they were alive. Auden uses irony to describe how the unknown citizen was seen by the government. â€Å"He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be one against, who there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree (Auden 864)†, is an ironic way to start off portraying him. The Bureau of Statistics is a fictional sector of the government that finds people and categorizes them based upon facts and figures. This suggests that tatistically speaking he would be considered normal. â€Å"That in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint for in everything he did he served the Greater Community (Auden 864)† is another perfect example of irony. A saint in an old-fashioned sense is someone who actually stands alone to defend their beliefs and often perish while trying to overcome those enormous challenges. This life is normally seen as an extraordinary one. A saint can also be used in reference when referring to religion. However, Auden suggests that the modern saint is the complete opposite. The unknown citizen lived a life in which he was not devoted to God but to a Greater Community. The government would be considered the Greater Community. It is almost like Auden gives the government godlike qualities because they believe everyone should follow what they say. He always acted in a manner that was expected or accepted by this society. Even though Auden sounds like he is praising all of the unknown citizen’s accomplishments he truly is not. He goes on to say â€Å"he was popular with his mate† and â€Å"he was fully sensible† to show how conformed he was to society. He also followed all rules passed by the state. The way he lived his life was considered normal. He brought a paper every day and reacted in the â€Å"normal† way expected. Advertisers benefited from this because they gained statistics of their own allowing them to help their business profit. He never got involved with his children’s education allowing the government to have more control over him. â€Å"When there was peace he was for peace; when there was war, he went (Auden 865)† suggests he had no mind of his own. This man never questioned anything himself but, instead followed everyone else. Not once did he take a second out to think about something on his own. If the government said it is right then he went along with it. â€Å"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 (Auden 864-865)† shows that his performance was based upon how his employer felt. Fudge Motors Inc. would be a parody for Ford Motors Inc. He basically dehumanized himself just so he could please the state. Auden intentionally wrote this poem in a very clinical way to make a point about how flawed the government is. Auden compares the Eugenics from the odern society to the Nazi’s in Germany. â€Å"He was married and added five children to the population which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation (Auden 865)† can be used as connection between the two. The Nazi’s were known mainly for trying to create the perfect society. From this it is possible that Auden could be suggesting that with conformity comes chaos. Auden wrote â€Å"The Unknown Citizen† during World War II leaving the perception that maybe he wrote it about an unknown citizen who served in the war and warning the soldiers to question the government who are sending them out to fight. He points out that the government judge people based off of reports and documents and what they considered to be right. The title suggests he is talking about one person when in reality he is talking about society as a whole and how the government saw it. We as people see the government as leaders who represent and enforce our values while we are considered to be just another number. Lastly an unknown citizen falls prey to government control. The government itself is the speaker in Auden’s poem. This is why Auden uses plurals like ours. In the eyes of the state, the man they considered a saint was the governments idea of the perfect man. The government does not truly care about him just the fact that he does what he is told. Words such as Greater Community, Installment Plan, Modern Man, and Public Opinion are capitalized to show the emphasis that the government puts on these concepts. Everything about his life is closely monitored, even his private life. The fact that the government knows things like he likes to drink helps support that. Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard (Auden 864) suggests that the government does not care about people’s happiness or freedom. It is human nature for a person to want to belong and be part of something. Even though the poem was written over sixty five years ago it does have some truth. As technology becomes better, faster and accurate we are becoming more of a statistic and less human. Yet in a society that dehumanizes us, we still want to be a part of it. No one wants to be considered as an outcast or looked down upon for being different.

Two Romantic poems concerning nature are To Autumn by John Keats Essay

Two Romantic poems concerning nature are To Autumn by John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s To a Skylark. These two poems celebrate different aspects of nature: ‘Compare how nature is presented two Romantic poems’ Poets of the Romantic Era tried to express their feelings of beauty, nature and decay through poems and other means of literature. Two Romantic poems concerning nature are â€Å"To Autumn† by John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s â€Å"To a Skylark†. These two poems celebrate different aspects of nature: as the title of the poem suggests â€Å"To Autumn† is about the season of autumn, whereas â€Å"To a Skylark† is about a skylark, a miniscule bird that is famous for its song. Percy Bysshe Shelley compares the skylark to many different beautiful things to show that the skylark is far more superior to them. The vivid use of imagery throughout the two poems attracts the reader's interest and conveys the writers' creativity. Both of the poems are packed with imagery which not only shows their uniqueness but also the intensity and sophistication of the poets. The first stanza in â€Å"To Autumn† concerns itself with extolling the beauty and floridity of autumn, appealing to the senses of sight and taste. The first line immediately arouses visual senses with â€Å"mists and mellow fruitfulness†. Keats uses â€Å"mellow† to depict the colour of autumn, this is most likely to be the rustic colour of ripe fruits and leaves. The purpose of â€Å"fruitfulness† reminds us of the harvest. The reason that Keats chose â€Å"mists† is to remind us that we have more than just the sense of sight. If something is misty it is unclear and perhaps we have to rely on other senses more. Taste is also displayed in the first stanza; Keats refers to the â€Å"sw... ...al questions of which he reflects on and reaches conclusions to. In terms of the way nature is presented, â€Å"To Autumn† is more tangible since we can identify with most of the images presented whereas â€Å"To a Skylark† is based on opinion and the personal feelings and emotions of Percy Bysshe Shelley. John Keats used imagery to depict the different aspects of autumn but Shelley uses imagery to create a mystical environment. The poems have different sounds: â€Å"To a Skylark† is a poem of many questions and â€Å"To Autumn† has a number of words being emphasised to create a long period of time and giving a general feeling of abundance. The Romanticists wanted to express their opinions of beauty, nature and decay and certainly John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley have conveyed them strongly and use poetry to admirable effect; they have certainly been heard by the world.

Reflective Diary on “Presentation”

Presentation As I know from my lecturer in class of Enterprises Development, presentation is a â€Å"performance, and like any actor, you must rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. † I don’t find myself as a good in presentation as presenter. Though I rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, my presentation goes wrong during middle of performance. That time I found myself in hell, which makes me and my group disappointment. I have tried to improve my presentation skills lot, achieved some positive act in myself but still with problems. I am so glad and very thankful to my lecturer that providing clear information about how to do presentation?She provided us with lot of information about presentation which can help us in develop personal skills for presentation. During our last class, we all student are surprised to know that she choose three student for presentation. Through their presentation she said us about positive and negative about presentation. And from that presentation, I found that as Presenter it is very important to engage with audience, asking question, keeping eye contact, using hands, making sure the audience to understand and need to enjoy sharing knowledge on clear topic make presentation attractive and better.From my classmate’s presentation in class, I learned that preparation and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication are very importance for performance as speaker in presentation. Presentation is simply a means of communication which can be adapted to various speaking situation, such as talking to group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. I remembered that when there was a group presentation in class it was always a pressure in my head. But, now knowing all this I would do my best for upcoming group presentation for this year.

Transgender Rights In Pakistan - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2493 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Transgender Essay Did you like this example? People who identify as transgender often have been, and still are mistreated and discriminated against throughout the world. Discrimination against any group of people usually stems from a lack of knowledge and understanding when it comes to who that person, or people, on a fundamental level. Identifying as transgender is described as a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Transgender Rights In Pakistan" essay for you Create order This can be a hard and difficult truth to come to terms with for many young men and women who deny that they are born to be and lead normal lives in an attempt to suppress who they truly are. (?) Those in the community who have accepted and recognized themselves completely, often go through painful surgeries to be closer to the gender they identify as. For example, this is the case for young transgender women in Pakistan, who complete transitional surgeries without anesthesia. It takes an immense amount of courage and bravery to stand up in front of the people they love and share their innermost thoughts. With the social stigma surrounding transgenders in Pakistan many young people are shunned from their families and denied basic rights due to gender that they have chosen. Recently, Transgender rights in Pakistan were essentially nonexistent. Not only were transgender rights not established, but also no lesbian, gay, or bisexual rights implemented at all. In Pakistan, which is deeply set in religious and conservative values, many LGBT rights were and still are widely considered taboo. This belief is unfortunately nothing new, the Pakistan Penal Code of 1860, developed under colonialism, punishes sodomy with a possible prison sentence under the guise of protecting public morality and order. Although this act is not uniformly prosecuted in the country the LGBT community must go about their normal lives in secret. People identifying as someone of the LGBT community are still able to organize, date, and live together as couples but must do so in secret due to the discrimination, disapproval, and social stigma stemming from oppressive religious beliefs. These beliefs are widely held in leadership roles throughout the country with no civil rights laws to pro hibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This is, of course, also held in laws permitting same sex marriage or civil unions. The thought of transgender rights were considered laughable by the majority of people in Pakistan. Transgenders were nothing but a bad omen that could curse a business or a person, people who were nothing more than freaks of nature whose place was to dance for the entertainment of others. People identifying with a third gender are often denied jobs, places to live, and sometimes even simple services. A transgender activist, by the name of Alisha, was shot six times and when brought to a hospital by her friend Farzana Jan. Died as the doctors debated for hours over which ward to treat her in, male or female. Ms. Jan, who identifies as intersex, received her fair share of mistreatment by her peers and even teachers, who would make her dance in the middle of the classroom while her peers laughed and watched. Transgender women are subject to such discrimination that in most cases, the only form of compensation they can receive is through prostitution and begging. Media organizations that have been focused on this issue have brought this knowledge to the general public. As a matter of fact, The New York Times spoke of the lives transgender men and women lead and how people perceive those who fall under the term khawaja siras. This is an umbrella term dating back centuries denoting a third sex that includes eunuchs, cross-dressers, and intersex people, as well as transgender men and women. Young people shunned by their families and subjected to systematic discrimination usually leave everything and everyone they know to live under the protecting the khwaja siras communities provide. Although these communities give persecuted individuals the gift of protection and community, the different laws they govern themselves under are often oppressive and exploitive. The khawaja siras follow a mother figure, called a guru, who offers said protection and shelter at a price. A guru gains followers, or chehlas, by buying them from other gurus or contracting them as novices. To become a novice a young woman must go through a right of passage to be an official member of the community. Novices are fined by their guru if they are rude or misbehave and they are also bought between gurus for a price more than what the original guru bought them for, ensuring there are no losses. Its also common practice for a guru to demand a percentage of the income their novices receive through sex work , dancing, or begging. This, of course, can be dangerous for those involved. One professional call girl, Maggie, who has been in the business for four years says I never know what might happen, I could be shot, hit by a car, or kidnapped. She also speaks of people forcing her to do unspeakable things and recalls a story of a group of four men that broke her back so badly she couldnt walk. Unfortunately, Maggie couldnt go to the police because they would just make the claim that its the nature of her job. Despite the obvious dangers, she was still forced to return to sex work because potential employers have denied her work and stated, Youre a transgender, go dance and sing. In a futile effort to improve the lives of people identifying as someone of a third sex, a transgender woman, by the name of Mehlab Jameel, helped draft the Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Bill. This bill will give people whose gender identity or expression differs from social norms and cultural expectations based on the sex they are assigned at the time of their birth the right to identify as a transgender person and have the same rights as other men and women in Pakistan. The Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Bill, passed in 2017, was so incredibly progressive for the country of Pakistan. What made the bills passage so revolutionary was the fact that even though a large portion of the country had possessed a mindset deeply rooted in conservative and religious beliefs, the bill was still surprisingly easy to pass through Parliament. Mehlab Jameel, a transgender person of feminine expression who helped draft the bill stated, We are overwhelmed by how supportive the state has been to this law- we have so much hope. She spoke to The New York Times in a piece titled Transgender Pakistanis Win Legal Victories, but Violence Goes On, and its true violence and discrimination still continue despite the passing of the bill. The Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Bill gives equal rights to intersex people, eunuchs, transgender men, and women as-well-as anyone whose gender identity is out of the social and cultural norms. This is not the first time that the Pakistani Government has recognised transgenders though. As a matter of fact, in 2009, the supreme court legally recognized transgenders as a third gender and promised the mass circulation and utilization of National identity cards. Furthermore, the most recent bill took the supreme court ruling several steps further. It allowed people to choose their gender and have their chosen identity recognised on official documents including the National Identification Cards, passports, and drivers licenses. The bill also prohibited discrimination in public places and while receiving medical care. Mehlab Jameel told the National Public Radio I was in a state of shock because I never thought something like this could happen within my own life in Pakistan. This kind of development is not only unprecedented in Pakistani history, but its one of the most progressive laws in the world. Shes referring to the the bill stating transgender people cannot be deprived the right to vote or run for office. It lays out their inheritance rights in accordance to their chosen gender, and obligates the government to establish protection Centers and Safe houses, along with seperate prisons for those of a third sex. With officials being so pro gressive the general consensus is that people who are different in regards to their sexual orientation and gender identity are being well represented and treated equally in Pakistani culture . However, this is contrary to what is actually occuring in Pakistan. Something as sensitive and personal as the issue of gender identity has to be approached with the care and compassion that a good leader would possess. The many different positions, and the people that occupy these positions, of the Pakistani Government and leadership brings to question of how people felt with such a progressive bill being passed. As with many governments, it is a painstakingly slow and laborious process to bring about truly revolutionary and inclusive change in an entire country. People who believe in what they are petitioning for will fight for their cause to extreme ends. Oppressed people will never stop fighting for what they deserve, what they believe, or their community because this is what defines them as a people. With the Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Bill being passed in Pakistan, people identifying as transgender have encountered an incredible triumph in their fight for equality that many never believed would happen in their lifetimes. This has, of course, been met with joy and happiness throughout the LGBT community and the Khawaja Siras especially. With positive outcomes for one party another must also see a negative. Some people in Pakistan just see the bill being passed as encouragement for gay men, who have no rights due to old laws, to try to reap benefits of being a transgender per son. A majority of the population see transgender people and their sexual ambiguities as God-given, act as intermediaries with the divine and have the ability to give blessings or curses. This makes transgender women a common source of entertainment at weddings as dancers to bless the ceremony. Despite all of this, transgender people are still shunned by their parents, discriminated against, and denied their newfound rights. Although the Supreme Court of Pakistan gave transgender peoples the right to a national identification card in 2009. However, a majority of men and women can sadly say they have never received their card from the appropriate offices. The Protection of Rights Bill has the opportunity to change almost nothing at the ground level due to such a high level of corruption and discrimination. This is due to change with the emergence of thirteen transgender candidates who are running for Parliament. With the acceptance transgender people by the Council of Islamic ideology, that pushed Parliament to pass the Transgender Persons protection of Rights Bill, leaders are bound begin to adapt to the slowly changing views of their superiors and their peers around them. Leaders in the Pakistan community can see a slow rise in the respect for transgender peoples stemming from the beliefs of the Council of Islamic Ideologies. This government body was the first to validate the rights that transgenders de serve in Pakistan. Surprisingly enough the same council has controversial beliefs that often subject them to scrutiny from the general population. Some of these beliefs include but are not limited to, nine year-old girls being old enough to marry, prohibiting female nurses from treating male patients, and the most radical of them all, men reserving the right to lightly beat their wives. Thankfully this twenty member council only advises the government on religious aspects of law and society; with its recommendations being nonbinding. With a government body such crafted like this, being able to guide and recommend the passage of laws, other government officials must truly understand the significance of what they are suggesting and adapt their own way of thinking to achieve such a goal. As with any country that permits the oppression of any minority group, it could be said that many of their leaders lack an understanding of Ethical Leadership. Instead of looking at the question of ethics in leadership as the kinds of values or morals a society has, look instead at any leader as an individual and see what he or she deems ethically moral and acceptable in their specific situation. Most leaders would do what is best for all of their peoples regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, color, or sex, but with the continuation of discrimination of individuals who identify as a gender out of social norms or cultural expectations leaders are only following with what a specific portion of their followers want. That leaders morals are often-times misguided and coerced by the social norms to believe in something that the leader themselves dont truly believe in. This type of conventional morality is what oppressive societies rule under, without a leader that will step out and demand change for the good of everyone how can any change truly come about? The discourses of identity are deeply set in religious beliefs and superstition in Pakistani culture. As a young man you are brought up to learning about the social hierarchy that still places men at the head of a household and places women as little more than an obedient servant. Young women are taught to cook and c lean to provide for their husbands in anyway that they can. Everyone is taught that homosexuality is taboo, and is still punishable by law. Ingrained in their personalities from such a young age people go on to lead many different lives. The leaders and governments that support oppressive laws are made up of men who fully believe in what they were taught as children and that can make it hard for some of them to see a situation from a totally different perspective. People see from the perspective of their fathers, and their fathers before them, instead of learning and growing as an individual they are stuck in a repeating cycle of outdated ideologies. Social stigma, religious beliefs, superstition, and family. As a transgender person in Pakistan there are several factors that aim to oppress and degrade. Even their own established communities resemble little more than slave traders and their property. People in power have kept those who are different from speaking up and being heard. Being outside of the social norm is seen as taboo instead of being embraced for individuality and courage. The courage to be who you were born to be no matter the odds stacked against you, the courage to step up when no one wants to listen and demand to be heard, and the persistence to fight for what is right no matter what the cost. Being a part of a community that is seen as unnatural, and cast aside as nothing more than street beggars and sex workers creates an environment of adversity that only the strongest can overcome. With the help of a surprisingly supportive government and outspoken members of their society, Khawaja siras have encountered the first step in the right direction of change.