Societies have always been made up of norms to which the general population is expected to conform. Some are more prominent than others, and some are assigned to individuals based on specific demographics, such as gender. “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and “The Unknown Citizen” by WH Auden both display this desire of members of society to conform to the standards set by the majority. These two poems share a similarity in their structure, as well as in the presence of other people and their role in the main characters' lives. Piercy's article goes on to show the more harmful effects of standards, while Auden's is more subtle. Elements of imagery are vividly present in both works; However, the images in "Barbie Doll" show visions of housewives and housewives, and how girls should look and behave, the images in "The Unknown Citizen" are objects, possessions that a man should possess to be a typical person. of these works share similarities within their structure. The titles themselves allude to certain parts of American society; Barbie dolls and tomb of the unknown soldiers. Neither tale gives the main character a name, they are always simply referred to by a pronoun, as if these people possessed no real personality, but were instead mere physical forces. Aside from neither poem giving a name, they are also both written from the third person point of view; it's easy to read these poems and feel that these stories are told from the perspective of people who simply judge these people as less than human objects. Being written in the third person, it is simple, it seems, to understand what others have thought about these people, and thus understand their role...... middle of article.... ..mentions on American norms although "Barbie Doll" criticizes the norms imposed on women, and "The Unknown Citizen" describes these. put on men. Nevertheless, both characters live in a personal hell. The woman didn't have what she needed and she was visibly sad about it; man, on the other hand, had everything, so it was assumed that he was happy in life. Conceptions of beauty are much more strictly female-centered, to the point where some might prefer to commit suicide rather than try to be someone they can't. Men's standards of having the right things and paying all their bills aren't as strict, but fulfilling them may require living a boring, dreary life. As different as these poems are, they could both encourage a reader to break their bonds and give up their desire to conform to the goals and standards of others..