Tom Parsons And The Unknown Citizen Analysis

Tom Parsons is the Unknown Citizen. Victims of the government, Parsons and the Unknown Citizen live to serve their commanders. The parallels between Parsons and the Unknown Citizen can be drawn through the lack of influence they have on society, their vigorous work for the Greater Community, and their consent to the ways of the higher powers. In the first place, Parsons and the Unknown Citizen have no influence on any aspect of society, even the education of their children. While talking about the children of the Unknown Citizen, the poem states “And our teachers report states that he never interfered with their education,” (line 27). Tom Parsons allows his children to be brainwashed by the Party and is proud of them for it. Parsons shows this when he informs Winston that “all they think about is the Spies, and the war, of course,” (Orwell 57). Attention is something that both try to evade. Furthermore, if either disputed the education of their children, they would draw attention to themselves.

“For everything he did he served the Greater Community… worked in a factory and never got fired,” (line 7) the author states this to emphasize that the Unknown Citizen dedicated his life to following the rules and regulations of his job in order to help the society in which he lives. Parsons works in the Ministry of Truth correcting “errors” made in past publications and “was employed in some subordinate post for which intelligence was not required” (Orwell 22). Parsons unquestionably and willingly contributes to destroying the past and hiding the evil of the Party. The Unknown Citizen and Parsons are alike by assisting their leaders’ incessant desire to regulate and control the world in which they