Elie Wiesel’s View on Indifference On April 12th, 1999 Elie Wiesel gave a speech before President Clinton and members of Congress. His speech was about his personal feelings regarding what should have been done to help the Jews in the concentration camps. While he did criticize the United States government about what they did not do, he expressed his gratitude to America for what they did to liberate the people in the concentration camps. Mr. Wiesel gave a speech on April 12th, 1999 before Congress, First Lady Clinton, and President Clinton. In Mr. Weisel’s speech, he had gave examples about how the American government showed indifference towards the Jews. To be noted, he given multiple meanings of indifference to him personally and in others …show more content…
Wiesel’s point of view is important, the listener or reader has to be aware he witnessed this atrocity as a child. To a child, problems to them seem simple to fix, because to a child, the world is simpler to them. A child cannot comprehend some of the problems that may be happening around them. To prove the point stated before, the chances for modern day computers to precisely strike bombs on a railroad is a very slim probability. Now to imagine a plane from World War II to hit a target that small is close to impossible, and if they did hit the target there would have been a high chance of innocent civilians being injured. Regarding the boat that Roosevelt turned backed, while it was wrong he that he forced the Jewish people to back to Nazi Germany. He did not and could not know what was on the boat. During that time Germany was expanding its territory, and Roosevelt took a chance and protected the citizens of his state. Finally about his point on why the Allies did not liberate the camps immediately. Not one member knew what the Germans were doing to those innocent people. Sadly even if they did knew about Concentration camps they would have not been a priority. Liberating the camps first could have lost the war and winning was the main priority, or liberating all the camps first would have been for nothing. Mr. Wiesel was a child during the time of the Holocaust, so his solution to how to help the Jews during that time would have been improbable or
Wiesel pinpoints the indifference of humans as the real enemy, causing further suffering and lost to those already in peril. Wiesel commenced the speech with an interesting attention getter: a story about a young Jewish from a small town that was at the end of war liberated from Nazi rule by American soldiers. This young boy was in fact himself. The first-hand experience of cruelty gave him credibility in discussing the dangers of indifference; he was a victim himself.
Wiesel introduces his first claim by asking the audience about their perspective of the word Indifference and gives it definition and his own to then again question his audience about its effects. The reason for this structure was to get to audience to really think about what he is asking to provide their own perspective of Indifference and to see if their answer is like his own. He repeats the first letter of every word to emphasize the contrast between those who are indifferent and those who are not (which is his answer). He therefore backs up his answer by providing another one of his personal experience about what happened behind the gates of Auschwitz and the people. As he grows more towards the topic of indifference, he takes the time
In conclusion, Elie Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor that delivers his effective speech on effects of indifference and makes sure the audience is aware coming into this new century. He uses facts from his history multiple time to back up his purpose. Furthermore, he leaves the audience with sympathy due to his history, but his ambition was to act as an admonition towards all the American people; that we should not only focus on what’s affecting our nation but to look over those who are on the verge of suffering. Not to mention that Wiesel’s message can be reflected as a reminder for today’s generation to prevent history from repeating.
Elie Wiesel enlightens his audience of the injustice Roosevelt submitted Jewish refugees to. Wiesel exclaims that he doesn't not understand if, "Roosevelt was a good man, with a heart." Wiesel questions the indifference in the president of the free world and why he didn't allow these refugees into the country. If Wiesel had not presented this information to his audience about the root and extreme problem of indifference in the country, do you think people would have realized just how terrible the problem is and how neglectful we are of our
I believe the audience was in shock with that excpert from Wiesel's speech. That was probably the first time the audience had heard that a thousand Jews were on American shores and were turned back into Nazi hands. I believe that the government conceals innumerable incidents from us, the people of the United States. The quote from Wiesel was impactful to the speech. It made the audience think about what else the government hides from
Indifference need to be gain awareness and be stopped. He develops his claim by narrating the dangers of indifference, and how it affected his life then, describes how wrongful it is to be treated in such a way. Finally Wiesel illustrates examples of how indifference affected the world. Wiesel’s purpose is to inform us about the dangers of indifference in order to bring change about it. He establishes a straightforward tone for the president, ambassadors, politicians, and congressmen.
Elie Wiesel Rhetorical Speech Analysis Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor and winner of a Nobel peace prize, stood up on April 12, 1999 at the White House to give his speech, “The Perils of Indifference”. In Wiesel’s speech he was addressing to the nation, the audience only consisted of President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton, congress, and other officials. The speech he gave was an eye-opener to the world in his perspective. Wiesel uses a variety of rhetorical strategies and devices to bring lots of emotion and to educate the indifference people have towards the holocaust. “You fight it.
In the speech, titled “The Perils of Indifference,” Elie Wiesel showed gratitude to the American people, President Clinton, and Mrs. Hillary Clinton for the help they brought and apprised the audience about the violent consequences and human suffering due to indifference against humanity (Wiesel). This speech was persuasive. It was also effective because it conveyed to the audience the understanding of
Elie Wiesel voiced his emotions and thoughts of the horrors done to Jewish people during World War II whilst developing his claim. Wiesel “remember[s] his bewilderment,” “his astonishment,” and “his anguish” when he saw they were dropped into the ghetto to become slaves and to be slaughtered. He repeats the words “I remember” because he and the world, especially those who suffered in the ghettos and camps, would never be able to forget how innocent suffered. Consequently, he emphasized that “no one” has the right to advocate for the dead. Like many other people in the world, he lost his family during the war.
When the young boy asks, “Who would allow such crimes to be committed? How could the world remain silent”, (paragraph 5) again the audience is prompted to emotionally respond. They have to realize that it was all of them, all of us, who remained silent and that this silence must never happen again. Wiesel demonstrates a strong use of pathos throughout his speech to encourage his audience to commit to never sitting silently by while any human beings are being treated
To begin with, Wiesel could not believe what was happening. He didn’t believe how cruel the Germans were. Wiesel was living a nightmare and couldn’t escape it. For instance, Wiesel stated, “I pinched myself; was I still alive? Was I awake?
Cydnee Lopez Ms.Trelease English 1010 23 October 2015 Rhetorical Analysis-Perils of Indifference Well known writer, world activist, and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, in his speech, Perils of Indifference, elaborates on on the topic of indifference, within our country/society and consequences and achievements because of it. The speech was delivered on the 12th of April 1999, in Washington, D.C., as part of the Millennium Lecture Series hosted by the White House. Directed towards the audience of the White House, Government officials, and Americans. Wiesel's purpose is to show reference to how indifference has allowed many good and and bad things to happen throughout america's history.
Wiesel uses a lot of very detailed descriptions and expresses his feelings in a way that we easily start to trust him. He knows that this is one of the most terrible periods in the history and he tries “to help prevent history from repeating itself” (Wiesel VII). “He does not want his past to become [the children’s] future” and that is why he writes his book to be seen by the people who do not realize how poorly people were treated (Wiesel XV). These two quotes from Night show that the holocaust shouldn’t be repeated. The author shows this with all of the feelings, facts and descriptions he uses.
The entire world was so ignorant to such a massacre of horrific events that were right under their noses, so Elie Wiesel persuades and expresses his viewpoint of neutrality to an audience. Wiesel uses the ignorance of the countries during World War II to express the effects of their involvement on the civilians, “And then I explain to him how naive we were, that the world did know and remained silent. And that is why I swore never to be silent when and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation” (Weisel). To persuade the audience, Elie uses facts to make the people become sentimental toward the victims of the Holocaust. Also, when Weisel shares his opinion with the audience, he gains people onto his side because of his authority and good reputation.
In 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel, makes two strong statements in his acceptance speech. Wiesel was 15 years old when he entered the camp in Auschuitz. His mom and little sister got killed as soon as they got to the gates. His father went into the gates with him the first time. He moved in January 1945 to Buchenwald in a cattle car.