Topic > Morality and political issues as described in Auden's The Unknown Citizen and Spain

A composer's depiction of political motivations and actions can influence an individual and larger society. W. H. Auden reflects on the moral and political issues of his context in the poems The Unknown Citizen (1939) and Spain (1937), to criticize the indoctrination and manipulation of people by political systems and advocate individuality. Similarly, Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List (1993) reflects on the suffering of individuals during the Holocaust to highlight the importance of freedom and action against political unrest. Both Auden and Spielberg manipulate textual form and linguistic choices to convey a politically astute message and urge individuals to engage in political conflict. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In The Unknown Citizen, Auden urges his audience to ridicule bureaucratic government that fosters conformity and anonymity through his satirical portrayal of the perfect, unknown citizen. Auden, an Englishman who returned to the “colonies” in 1939, expresses his culture shock at the American-style chaos and consumerism and reveals his exasperation with the submissive attitudes and ignorance idolized by the United States government. Through the alphanumeric identification of the model citizen, “JS/07 M 378,” Auden reveals the death of individuality. It implies that the citizen is reduced to a “cog” in society through the mechanical rhythm of the text, established by iambic tetrameter, to criticize conformity. Auden's sardonic tone, "his reactions to the advertisement were normal in every sense," warns his audience of the government's ability to psychologically manipulate acquiescent citizens. Therefore, he exhorts his audience to defy the expectations of the industrialist through the accumulation of “a photograph, a radio, a car,” implying that the citizen is a perpetual mental slave of consumerism. Auden insinuates that governments value sociopolitical obedience over autonomy through rhetorical questions: “Was he free? Was he happy?" to encourage his audience to fight oppressive regimes. Thus, Auden's satire represents the debilitating effects of political pressures on individuals. Similarly, Spielberg contrasts the corrupt interests of a brutal government with the heroic desire of an individual of saving persecuted citizens to urge his audience to support action against oppressive political systems Spielberg depicts the Holocaust in 1939 after the passage of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935. Schindler initially exploits Jews for economic profit, but after. having witnessed the inhumanities committed against them, he decides to save them by keeping them occupied. Spielberg defends religious freedom before the war through the symbolic use of warm colors at the beginning of the film representing the Jewish Sabbath grays foreshadows their political imprisonment. Spielberg depicts the way political persecution can frighten children in a long crane shot of a little girl in a red coat walking among SS officers and Jews. His prominent red coat symbolizes bloodshed while diegetic gunshots distress the audience into recognizing the atrocities of the Holocaust. The low-angle close-up of Schindler's paralyzed expressions as he witnesses the killing of Jews in the street reveals his sympathy for their unjust political treatment. Although both Auden and Spielberg encourage viewers to condemn political supremacy, Spielberg.