The unknown citizen is not known by his name, but he is honored for conforming to society's rules and not rebelling against the government. The monument does not even have the name of the citizen inscribed on it, which shows how the government treats people as numbers. The "Bureau of Statistics" is a symbol that also shows this theme. The "Bureau of Statistics" and the other agencies who reported on the unknown citizen represent the government. These agencies symbolize how the government can potentially be a threat to individuality and freedom. If the agencies know information about one citizen, then they must know about all of the citizens as well. These agencies also know a lot of statistical information about the unknown citizen, yet he is unknown which seems to be ironic. .
There is irony that can be seen in the symbols of "The Unknown Citizen." The "Bureau of Statistics" and the monument being dedicated to the citizen are symbols that are also very ironic. Literary critic Bruce Meyer states, "The irony comes when the reader realizes that this is not someone else he is reading about, but himself. To this end, this citizen 'known but to God' stands as a symbol of everyone in society, and as a grim reminder of how the modern state of mass man is a desert for individual identity" (3). It is also ironic how the government is aware of information about the citizen, yet, the government is unaware of who the citizen really is because his name is not even on the epigraph of the monument. Another example of irony is the accomplishments for which the citizen is being commended. These accomplishments are not actual accomplishments, but more of expectations that the government has of their citizens, "He worked in a factory and never got fired,/ [] He was married and added five children to the population,/ Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation" (lines 7, 26-27).
