CONFORMITY AND HERD MENTALITY: A STUDY OF POEM “THE UNKNOWN CITIZEN” By Nihal Umar NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES ISLAMABAD July 2020 iii Conformity and Herd Mentality: A Study of Poem “The Unknown Citizen” By Nihal Umar A RESEARCH ARTICLE SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Bachelor of Studies In ENGLISH LITERATURE AND LINGUISTICS To DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH UGS NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES, ISLAMABAD  Nihal Umar 2020 iv Name of Student Degree Name in Full Name of Discipline Name of Research Supervisor Signature of Research Supervisor Name of Head of English Department (UGS) Signature of Head of English Department (GS) Name of the Research Chairperson Signature of the Research Chairperson RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND DEFENSE APPROVAL FORM The undersigned certify that they have read the following research proposal, examined the defense, are satisfied with the overall exam performance, and recommend the topic for acceptance: Proposed Research Topic: CONFORMITY AND HERD MENTALITY: A STUDY OF POEM “THE UNKNOWN CITIZEN” Submitted By: NIHAL UMAR Registration #: ML-PSC-FL16/Eng BS 285 BACHELOR OF STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE AND LINGUISTICS ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE MR. MUHAMMAD ARIF ______________________________ MR. ISLAM BADSHAH ______________________________ MR. TARIQ MAHMOOD ______________________________ _______________________ Date NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES v CANDIDATE DECLARATION FORM I NIHAL UMAR Son of HAZRAT UMAR KHATTAK Registration # ML-PSC-FL16/Eng BS-285 Discipline _English Literature and Linguistics Candidate of BS (HONS) ENGLISH at the National University of Modern Languages do hereby declare that the research article CONFORMITY AND HERD MENTALITY: A STUDY OF POEM “THE UNKNOWN CITIZEN” submitted by me in partial fulfillment of BACHELOR OF STUDIES degree, is my original work, and has not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it shall not, in future, be submitted by me for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or institution. I also understand that if evidence of plagiarism is found in my thesis/dissertation at any stage, even after the award of a degree, the work may be cancelled, and the degree revoked. ______________________________ ___________________________ Signature of Candidate Date of submission of article for evaluation _____Nihal Umar____ Name of Candidate vi Abstract The researcher has attempted to study the poem “The Unknown Citizen” written in 1940 by a renowned modern poet W.H Auden (1907-1973), with the lens of Conformity and Herd Mentality. The researcher discusses the elements of Conformity and Herd Mentality in the poem “The Unknown Citizen”, and its cause and effects on society. No previous investigations have been carried out in this particular subject under study. The researcher has opened up the topic to provide clues to his readers that conformity causes failure of a nation, by proving it a barrier in the path of mental development, innovation and creativity, as well as to propagate the message of belief in self-instincts and self-reliance. To unveil the factors that leads to the conformity of an individual. There is constant development of human consciousness, but elements of conformity suppress this process of development. The research will probe aspects of conformity and herd mentality, common in modern men, and will try to establish possible links between conformity, herd morality and herd mentality. Keywords: The Unknown Citizen, Conformity, Herd Mentality, Herd Morality, Modern Man, self-reliance. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page RESEARCH ARTICLE AND DEFENCE APPROVAL FORM……...ii CANDIDATE DECLARATION FORM………………………………..iii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………….iv TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………v DEDICATION……………………………………………………………vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………...viii 1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………..1 1.1 Thesis statement………..……………………………..............3 1.2 Research Objectives…………………………………………...3 1.3 Research Questions…………………………………………...3 1.4 Rational……………………………………………………….4 1.5 Significance…………………………………………………...4 1.6 Delimitation…………………………………………………...4 2 LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………..5 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……………………………………..7 3.1 Research Methods…………………………………………….7 3.2 Textual Analysis………………………………………………7 3.3 Theoretical Framework………………………………………. 7 4 DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………..8 5 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………...11 6 SUGGESTIONS………………………………………………………..11 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………...12 viii DEDICATION I dedicate this Thesis to Allah Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of Universe, Who gave me the strength to accomplish this task. I also dedicate this work to my dear deceased Parents, who guided me in the valley of darkness, with the beacon of hope and encouragement to reach my destination. They had always supported me and boosted up my morale. It would not have been possible without their prayers and immense sacrifices. I also dedicate this research to my siblings and especially my elder brother, Jamal Umar, who has always been the source of inspiration and motivation for me, and assisted me throughout my educational career. To all friends and well-wishers, who helped me and remembered me in their prayers. ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge the indebtedness and render my warmest thanks to my Research Supervisor, Mr. Muhammad Arif, who was always available to me during this Research Work. It would not have been possible without his guidance and support. I learned a lot under his supervision. I would also like to praise the invaluable suggestions of Miss Mehnaz, whose advices helped me to a lot. I am also thankful to all faculty members for the bestowal of their knowledge and wisdom upon me. At last I am thankful to this prestigious institution, which gave me the opportunity to enhance my capabilities. 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Literature is a form of human expression. Literature is mirror to life and portrays challenges, difficulties and complications which humans face in day to day life. Literature is an expression of human feelings and aspirations, as human feelings and aspirations are generally universal in nature, so literary works remain relevant even after centuries. Psychology is the study of human mind and behavior. Literature and Psychology go hand in hand, while studying any literary work Psychology plays a vital role to develop proper understanding. Psychology helps in evaluating the mind of a writer, as well as of characters discussed by the writer. Conformity is a terminology in psychology which refers to the act of compliance with already established beliefs and following of others. It is a mental and psychological dependency of a person upon an existing set of beliefs and norms of part icular group or society. Conformity is defined as yielding to a group’s pressure. A conformist never takes a risk and chooses to follow a trodden path. A conformist feels a sense of belongingness in conforming to society, and does not want to lose this sense. Conformity in simple words is social influence, and a conformist adopts certain behaviors to ‘‘fit in’’ and to ‘‘go along’’ with the herd. Herd behavior is normal in an animal, to secure its life, each animal rushes towards center of the herd. A conformist conforms, because violation of set rules leads to a social isolation of a nonconformist, thus to ensure the security of himself, the idea of nonconformity dies in unconscious part of a person’s mind, because unwillingness to conform carries the risk of social rejection. A conformist locks the doors of creativity and hesitates to follow a new path based on his own reasoning. The measurement of good and bad is rusted in his mind, because his security and social acceptance dominate over his morality. Morality is then defined by shared social behavior, which has been well-defined by Friedrich Nietzsche as ‘’herd morality’’, as a result a conformist starts following crowd, whether that crowd is the army of Satan or the representatives of God. The terminology of conformity is well discussed by Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), he divides the crowd behavior in three stages: submergence, contagion, and suggestion. Thus, Gustave Le Bon’s “Crowd Psychology” echoes with conformity of individual. Similarly, Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of “Herd Morality” is similar to the aspects of conformity presented in “Unknown Citizen” by W.H Auden. Terminology of conformity works as bridge between the poem “Unknown Citizen” and “Herd Mentality” by Gustave Le Bon and “Herd Morality” by Friedrich Nietzsche. “The Unknown Citizen” is a poem written in 1940 by a renowned modern poet Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973), in this poem he portrays a man who blindly conforms to social norms and laws of the state, in the eye of state institutions, he is acknowledged but he has lost his actual identity due to blind acceptance of rules. He has been given a clean chit by society and government, but this clean chit is based on statistical analysis. In his pursuit to become a good citizen, he becomes a conformist and is being portrayed as ‘’Unknown’’, as he has lost his will power and is no more a creative individual but a man going with the flow, who never questions status quo. The unknown citizen has seized to take flights of creativity 2 and innovation and is no more an individualized self. He is meek and passive, and does everything that others expect from him, He can never assert his individuality and is easily manipulated by pressure group. He is conformist because he does not want to lose the sense of belongingness. At the end of the poem W.H Auden levels a question about the freedom and happiness of that unknown citizen, but these questions are absurd because statistical judgment cannot measure the happiness and freedom of individual, as both these terms are part of emotional life of an individual. Furthermore, W.H Auden was born in York on 21 February, 1907 in middle- class family. His father was doctor and a rational individual, while his mother was nurse by profession and a devout Anglo Catholic. We find in him the combination of both, a rational and humanitarian or sentimental at the same time. His approach is like a clinical psychologist. He diagnosis ills of his society and prescribe a remedy like a social reformer or as a humanist. He is a realist in depiction and portrayal of human day to day life. We find his characters in a bleak atmosphere of modern, industrialized and non-sentimental world. For him, poetry is a kind of therapy and has the power to vanish ills from human society. He is considered as a successor of T.S Eliot, because both, along with W.B Yeats, depicted the social evils and dealt with moral and psychological problems of public concern. He, being a flag bearer of modern era has captured true picture of modern man. Modern man’s sense of emptiness, skepticism, economic disparity, post war uncertainty and anxiety has been discussed by many modern intellectuals, but no one has represented them more perfectly than W.H Auden. He represented the dreadful picture of modern world, where men have been robbed of their freedom by mechanical, exploitative and non-sentimental society. Modern man has been disillusioned and finds himself nowhere. Modern man has been uprooted and his belief system has been shaken, by some powerful and unforgettable events. W.H Auden is the master of satire and irony; it is through ironic tone that he criticizes and points out some serious issues in the modern society. In this poem W.H Auden wants to draw our attention to a modern man, who has been struck in the chains of conformity and is going with the flow, without questioning anything imposed on him. Throughout the poem, we have been told that he is good man and follows order, and no complaint has been filed against him. In modern terms, he is Saint, because he does not harm anyone and leads the life of anonymity. He worked in a factory and was never suspended. His employers were satisfied, because he acknowledged their policies and his overall attitude was satisfactory towards his fellow workers. When there was war he went to war, when there was peace he was for peace. He was also member of the union, and he never broke the rules. He had a company and he drank occasionally. His health card’s data shows that he became ill only once, and left hospital as soon as he got well, thus he never became burden on the state. His feedback to the advertisements was normal, and had every necessities that a modern man had to have. He was married and had five children. He works for the well-being of greater community and all state institutions are happy with his conduct. He pays all his bills and takes part in every installment plan that benefits the state. Whole community is satisfied with his behavior, because he never opposes anyone. All state’s institutions have given him a clean chit. In short, he compromised everything, to be deemed as good citizen. However, emotionally he is dead, everyone is satisfied with his behavior, but no one asks about his feelings and emotions. At the end of the poem, poet levels a question about his freedom and happiness, and asserts that these questions are absurd, 3 because statistical analysis can never measure happiness and freedom of an individual. He has been made to conform to the state and in no way, he can assert his individuality. His creative spirit has been choked by the state, which poses itself like a ‘‘Big Brother’’. Attitude of the state is very necessary to understand in this poem, because state’s policies are such that appreciates individuals, who never say No, and follows the orders without questioning. The irony is that the same individual who has been praised throughout the poem has been confined to a number and title. Such states cannot be called welfare state, rather it is Totalitarian Socialist state, which appreciates conformity, and pulverizes the marvels of creativity to the ground. A state, which is bureaucratic and technocratic, which concentrates on controlling rather than exploring. In such states, one who criticizes status quo is deemed as anti-national and the contradictor also faces social boycott. Apart from the role of state, society also does not encourage an individual who chooses separate path for himself, by using his\her rationality. Society is like herd, and the one who tries to leave the herd faces severe consequences. Thus, the idea of nonconformity dies in unconscious part of a person’s mind, because unwillingness to conform carries the risk of social rejection. In this way, an individual is compelled to follow the mob, and makes his inner voice silent. Only few individuals are brave enough to walk on the path of nonconformity, by listening to their inner voices and realize the gleam of light that sparks from within. Great people had always swum against the tide and not along the stream. Great people go against the dominant opinions, by bringing new ideas to the table, because they think differently. These few individuals, among millions, are free spirits, and history remembers them in great words, because they are the once who bring change to the masses. As said by Emerson in his essay self-reliance that ‘‘He who would be a man must therefore be a nonconformist’’. W.H Auden has depicted a psyche and behavior of a modern man ensnared in the chains of conformity. A person who never contradicts with predetermined rules and regulation of the hierarchy. He is under the observation of the authorities, his daily life actions are keenly observed by those groups, who have never heard ‘’No’’ about their rules. Although, he is physically free but he is mentally a slave of society with the weapon of conformity. 1.1 Thesis Statement: The research study discusses the elements of conformity and Herd Mentality and Conformity of a modern man in the poem ‘’The Unknown Citizen’’ written by a renowned modern poet Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973). 1.2 Research objectives:  To identify the aspects of conformity among modern men in the poem, and the factors which leads to conformity of an individual.  To make a bond between the concepts of “Herd Mentality’’ and “The Unknown Citizen’’, and to understand the thread of connectivity between “Herd mentality’’ and the terminology of conformity. 1.3 Research Questions:  How has the writer portrayed the conformist aspects of modern man in the poem? 4  How does the poem “The Unknown Citizen’’ represents a “Herd Mentality’’? 1.4 Rational: The basic purpose of this research thesis is to analyze the causes of failure of nation due to conformity, by proving it a barrier in the path of mental development, innovation and creativity, as well as to propagate the message of belief in self instincts and self-reliance. To dig out the factors which lead to the conformity of an individual. There is constant development of consciousness in human beings, but elements of conformity suppress this process of development. 1.5 Significance: This topic is of vital significance as it has been discussed by renowned social scientists like Gustave Le Bon, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. According to the psychologist and sociologist of modern world, there is constant tussle between the elements of hierarchy and the groups of rebels or nonconformists. Thus, this thesis will help in the recognition of good and bad aspects of both the groups. This topic has its roots in social psychology and is being applied to literature, thus contributing to society, field of psychology and Literature. 1.6 Delimitation: Although, the poet has thrown light on so many aspects of a modern man, so many theories and concepts can be applied. However, this research thesis will only focus on aspects of Conformity and Herd Mentality. 5 Chapter 2 Literature Review Many research articles, research papers have been written and published in the account of Conformity and Herd Mentality. In this section, researcher will look at the works done by researchers Deshmukh (2012) argues that W.H Auden has presented a picture of ‘’Totalitarian’’ state where an ordinary citizen finds himself nowhere and leads a life of anonymity, thus having no social identity. Conformity of a modern man has confined him to the number only, though all state institutions are satisfied due to his behavior of not questioning status quo, but his own creative spirit had been suppressed. This unknown citizen has no individuality and is submissive, meek and passive. He swims along the stream and not against the stream, thus leading to his conformity and anonymity. He listens to his mind and not of his heart. He conforms to the norms and rules of society and state. The questions regarding his freedom and happiness are absurd, because freedom and happiness cannot be measured statistically, thus he is enslaved due to his conformity and blind acceptance of set beliefs. Das (2019) calls our attention towards the tragedy of a modern man, in the form of anonymity. He believes that society everywhere is in conspiracy against an individual, as it tries to shape every individual in the mold, designed by the society. Human being by nature, struggles to maintain his unique identity, but society never allows an individual to have his sustain his/her identity. Thus, one loses his “self’ amidst the crowd, and become one among many, saying adieu to his creativity and individuality. He gains worldly reputation and success but loses himself. Society acts like a god, and dictates an individual on how to live and how to think, not taking into consideration individuality, creativity and uniqueness. Human being is force to live a life in accordance to the set standards, based on falsehood. Emerson (1841) advocates the significance of nonconformity and drawbacks of conformity, he asserts that every human being is born with creative spirit, thus he does not need to imitate others rather he should detect the gleam of light which sparks within the being of that individual. According to Emerson, we should praise these flashes of individual insight even more than those of famous writers and philosophers. He argues that virtue in most respect is conformity while nonconformity is aversion, but a man should listen to the voices which arise out of his being in solitude. He believes that one of the good attributes of man is nonconformity and following the path of truth rather than joining the herd. He argues that society does not appreciate nonconformity. Russell (1928) questions the value judgement of modern era his where traditional standards that are set for judging morality and immorality, in this essay “harm that Good Man do”. He argues that the one deemed by society as “ideal good man” is not doing any good to the society, while the one regarded as “ideal bad man” is doing good in its true essence, but still he is not able to qualify as “Good Man”, due to the flaws, that are residing, in the whole system of value judgement. A man who is not so perfect in his conduct, but is good for the well-being of society, is deemed as bad. On the contrary, a man who never works for the progress and well-being of society, and is meek, passive, a devoted conformist, asks no 6 question, and does not bring new ideas is labeled as “Ideal Good Man”. Russell is questioning the traditional standards of judgement, on the base of which man is deemed as good and bad. According to Russell, one who goes regularly to church and does not converse unsophisticated language, is not necessarily the only good man, and the one who smokes and drinks, and uses a foul language is not necessarily a bad man. A so called good man give charity, but on the contrary, his other actions might be exploiting the poor masses. Thus, one should be judged rationally, keeping into consideration his contributions and utility, and not according to the traditional standards, that are based on falsehood. Hoodbhoy (2015) says that Humans are smart enough to make it to Plato, but that’s only if we use our brains well. At the instinctual level nature condemns our species to conformity and uniformity. Our brains are hardwired in a way that belief often gets precedence over reason and conformity over individual judgment. He argues that herd mentality is one of the instincts of human behavior, it is necessary for cooperation among human beings, but places where critical thinking is unusual, herds are readily manipulated by political leaders and demagogues. Just look at the nonchalance of Imran Khan and his followers after the judicial commission issued its report last month, during their dharna carnival last year, they made Islamabad grind to a halt. 7 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology is the specific procedure or technique used to identify, select, process, and analyze information about a topic. In a research paper, the methodology section allows the reader to critically evaluate a study's overall validity and reliability. 3.1) Research Method: Research methods are the strategies, processes or techniques utilized in the collection of data or evidence for analysis in order to uncover new information or create better understanding of a topic. There are different types of research methods which use different tools for data collection. 3.2) Textual analysis: Textual analysis is a methodology that involves understanding language, symbols, and/or pictures present in texts to gain information regarding how people make sense of and communicate life and life experiences. Visual, written, or spoken messages provide cues to ways through which communication may be understood. This research thesis follows the steps of qualitative research based on the analysis of human behavior of a modern man with the tool of conformity and ‘’Herd Mentality’’. The primary source of the research thesis is the original text of the poem, while the secondary sources of research thesis are: research articles, books and library searches related to the topic. 3.3) Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is the structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study. The theoretical framework introduces and describes the theory that explains why the research problem under study exists. Conformity is act of matching attitude, norms and beliefs with members of the group; it refers to the terminology of following others without having solid reasons. A member is isolated when he violates the shared rules and beliefs of social group, as a result an individual is compelled to follow the trodden path, but this conformity is the death of creativity and social development. In such situation morality is thus defined by sheared behavior of a group (Nietzsche). “Herd Mentality” or “Crowd Mentality” is the terminology in social psychology which refers to collective behaviors of individuals without centralized direction. Herd Morality and Herd Mentality has been discussed by many prominent philosophers and social scientists. Herd morality gives birth to herd mentality and conformity, which consequently leads to absurdity and nihilism. The aims of this research thesis are to analyze the elements of conformity in the aforementioned poem, by relating it to herd morality discussed by Nietzsche, and crowd behavior explained by Gustave Le Bon. 8 CHAPTER 4 DISCUSSION: Human being is born free and has been blessed with the creative spirit and an innate morality. Here by creative spirit we mean that every human is unique in capabilities, and innate morality means that regardless of culture, religion, creed, gender and ethnicity, every human being has the sense to differentiate between good and bad. Men can do marvels, if he/she realizes the inner strength. A person who realizes the inner gleam of light that sparks from within, are the one who can do marvels. They are actually the one who change the course of History, because they think differently and bring new ideas to the table, and bring revolution in their respective fields. Almost all great people went against the popular opinion of their time. Our holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW), whose life has been exemplary, as His contributions are reaching to the peak of human potential, which is the biggest phenomena, that has ever happened in human life. That all became possible, because of his commitment, consistency, consciousness, rationality, spirituality, self-awareness, excellence, risk management, strategy, non-conformity and so on. He (SAWW) went against the popular opinion of his time, based of His rationality and in the light of the message bestowed upon Him by Allah Almighty. He (SAWW) challenged the irrational and illogical norms that existed in contemporary society. He (SAWW) went against the stream and not along with it. He did not join the herd, and had a unifying project of life. His project was not for the short term gratification, rather His project had a noble cause, which under pinned well-being of humanity. Thus, He changed the course of history, and brought beacon and enlightenment to entire humanity. Furthermore, people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King (junior), and Muhammad Ali Jinnah and few others who had vision and ideas, through which they did marvels, and we still remember them in golden words. They all had one thing in common, and that is their act of not going with the flow. All who had accomplished noble projects, are the ones who thought differently, who did not choose the trodden path. Non-conformity is the tool, which differentiates them from common people. Human potential is without limit, but it depends upon that individual, how he showcases his capabilities. It is he, who has the domain to decide for himself, whether he contribute his potential to the noble cause, meaner cause or evil cause. In addition, society never appreciate non-conformity, not realizing the potential a person has, and can do marvels if those capabilities got polished. Emerson (1918) argues that “Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater”. (p. 3) Society is a kind of herd, and herd never want an individual to choose new path for himself. Members of the herd formulate and regulate morality, on the bases of falsified and odd principles and impose it on each member of the herd, and also tries to expand it beyond the herd, to engulf those higher humans who have the potential, and are never ready to join the herd, due to their rationality and creativity. Nietzsche (1901) believes that herd morality claims that “I am morality itself, and nothing besides is morality” (p. 116). Herd judges every individual in the light of this morality, and deems the one as either good or 9 bad. Most of the time, people who are creative and who think differently are labeled as bad and evil, just because they think differently. From last 2000 years, anti-natural morality is prevailing in the Europe, which is against the instincts of life, and is danger of dangers. A morality which brings down all that is rare, unique, creative and extraordinary. Modern world can be divided into two groups of people; the higher human and the herd, higher human are those who are creative, have unifying project in life and have clear vision. Higher humans try their level best to actualize their lofty goals. The fruits of their projects stay long for the welfare of mankind, even after the physical death of higher man. On the contrary, the herd is a larger group of people who always rushes towards comfort zone, and is never willing to take a risk, or to work for the betterment of mankind. Members of the herd are quintessential mediocre men, who strive solely for comfort and contentment, they are lazy and blindly accept, whatever is being imposed on them, let it be in the form of social norms, customs or laws of authoritative regime. In the herd there are the ones known as “The slave”, who due to their personal failures, and sick behaviors, cannot digest the success of higher humans, and miss no chance to bring them down, they express their envy under the pretext of calls for equality. The slaves are suffering from resentment, and are driven by envy and hatred towards all those who do not suffer like him, namely the higher humans. The slave strives to acquire power, for the sole purpose of exploitation and destruction, as a compensation for his own failure. In contrast, Friedrich Nietzsche and Ralph Waldo Emerson and other great intellectuals have always advocated the concept of non-conformity, as the path that ensures creative endeavors which contribute to the betterment of human society. One should not confined himself to the ideas of others, because he is not more than a slave. Society always tries to shape individuals according to the mold it has designed. Human being should analyze the pros and cons of any action, and should decide rationally what is good or bad. Innate morality can render help in decision making and value judgement. A wise person analyzes the pros and cons of an action, and derives a conclusion, based on his rationality and critical thinking. In the poem “The Unknown citizen” we find the government and society, which both, in various disguises compels and induces an individual to conform to the so called morality and laws, and to sacrifice his freedom and creative endeavors. A common man has been judged in the light of morality that is full of flaws and errors, and is just a blind belief systems, based on traditional mores and myths. An individual has been presented, who is just the product of semi-robotic and mechanical world, who has no say in the affairs of the state and that of the society. Auden (1940) argues that “That, in the modern sense of an old- fashioned word, he was a saint,” (p. 1) He adopts every behavior to be deemed as good by the state and society. He is socially successful, but failure as an individual. He thinks and acts, the way other wants him. Auden (1940) believes that “For in everything he did he served the Greater Community”. (p. 1). He is ideal good citizen in the eyes of the state, but the harm he is doing, by conforming to everything should not be undermined. Auden (1940) says that “One against whom there was no official complaint”. (p. 1). His behavior echoes with the character of an essay harm that good man do, by not questioning the social ills. He has no enemies, and everyone is satisfied with his behavior, which means that he agrees with everyone, without 10 using his critical thinking faculty. He is a coward, and a coward cannot achieve success in its true essence. Moreover, we find the traces of conformity, herd mentality and herd morality in the aforementioned poem. Auden has intentionally chosen the ironic tone, to call our attention to errors and flaws in the morality of modern world, which is anti-natural, thus it is against the basic instincts of human being, because there is a constant development of human consciousness, and herd morality is the impediment in the way of this development. This unknown citizen is the part of herd that is why he has been praised by the herd. He is the part of the herd, because he is lazy and dull. If he had been a higher human, he would have been an evil in the eyes of state and society. This unknown citizen is devoid of creative spirit, and is blind to higher values. He has no individuality, and is one among many. State institution are pleased with him because is never questions anything, and has turned blind eye to the ills around him. On other hand, Society never appreciates nonconformity rather considering it an aversion, not realizing the fact that nonconformity is the birth of ideas and creativity. Thus conformity does not render inner satisfaction and happiness. Auden (1940) asks that “Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard”. (p. 1) The herd is like a powerful beast, and has backing of masses, which adopts the shape of crowd or mob, and wages a war against everyone who tries to rise above the mediocrity. This war is also against those few higher humans, who are on the journey to accomplish to their lofty goals. The members of the crowd do not use their brains, and their behaviors are akin to primitive beings. They are the slaves of the impulses they receive from their masters, who may have their own evil agendas, but crowds are oblivious to those hidden agendas. They have no reasoning of their own, and are concerned solely with the instructions they receive from their masters. Crowds are often intolerant and possess extreme sentiments, and can cause harm to those few higher humans who contradicts with them. Riots, mob violence, extremism and sectarianism are all violent actions that often occurs, due to intolerant crowds. (Bon, 1895) Moreover, higher human have free spirits, have vast historical perspective, and can foresee the future. It has to be an eye opener that all great people were misunderstood at start, and the crowd left no stone unturned to inflict pain on them, but through strong commitment and consistency, they stood fast and accomplished the respective unifying projects of their lives. Higher human are the true hero, who never rush towards majority, rather maintain their individuality, and go along the path of righteousness and virtue, and at last they accomplish their goals. There is a constant conflict between the higher humans and the herd, while members of the herd strive for uniformity and conformity, on the contrary, higher humans are always committed to create a fruitful and vibrant society. The dilemma is that higher humans are few in number, while herd is gigantic, and has the backing of masses. More and more people are rushing towards herd because it requires less effort, to be the part of the herd, while higher humans have to struggle a lot, to accomplish their goals and project, to contribute to the well-being of mankind. 11 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION In conclusion, herd morality, as a part and parcel of herd mentality, is the danger of dangers, not only to the few higher humans, but also to the masses. Herding is the behavior of animals, and does not suit human beings, because human beings are blessed with creative spirit, and are ought to realize their inner strength and potential. Society and state should encourage individuals to come up with new ideas that can contribute to the welfare of mankind. Higher humans and intellectuals must not be tempted by the fallacious ideas of the herd, and should accomplish their lofty goals, despite the robust resistance from the herd. One should not conform blindly to the ideas of others, and should realize his/her potential, and his individuality. One should use the faculty of critical thinking in decision making and value judgement. Conformity, herd mentality and herd morality are the impediments in the way of creativity, innovation and development. The whole system of value judgement of a herd is falsified. Herd morality should not be regarded as universal and objective. I f herd morality became so effective in bringing down everything that is rare, unique and extra ordinary, nihilism will prevail in the world, which in turn will mark the death of human development and progress. The first question of the research thesis was that how had the poet portrayed the Conformity aspect of a modern man. The findings related to the question are such that the poet reveals various elements of modern era, which compel an individual to conformity. Poet unveils the evils of modern, materialistic and semi-robotic world by using ironic tone. Modern man has been presented as a conformist and helpless in the face of technocratic and bureaucratic government as well as in the face of society that celebrates Conformity. The second question of the research was that how does W.H Auden represent Herd Mentality and Conformity in the poem. So, in each line of the poem we find the traces of Herd Mentality which is the part and parcel of Herd Morality. Conformity has been shown as one of the aspects of Herd Mentality. The way an individual has been depicted as conforming everything reflects his Herd Mentality. Suggestions: This research study only focuses on aspects of Conformity and Herd Mentality of a modern man. The aforementioned poem can also be studied from other perspectives like:  Psychoanalytic approach  Totalitarianism  Absurdity  Existentialism 12 Bibliography  Deshmukh, A.V. (2012). 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