How Does Elie Wiesel Use Ethos In The Perils Of Indifference

Six million died, those that survived lives were changed forever. How does this continue to affect millions around the world? Elie Wiesel, a Jew from a small town in the Carpatian Mountains, lived to tell the story of this harsh reality. The Holocaust was, to put it lightly, genocide of a major religion. Nazi Germany aimed to wipe Jews from the face of the Earth, in order to “solve all Germany’s problems.” Elie Wiesel’s “The Perils of Indifference” uses pathos, loaded words, and rhetorical questions to persuade his audience that one must act when they see injustice, suffering, or unfair treatment. The use of pathos in “The Perils of Indifference” persuades the audience that one must act when they see injustice. “He was finally free, but there

“In the place that I come from, society was composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders.” Powerful, the way this quote is structured is powerful. The wording here sets a powerful image of what was happening and how people knew and they didn’t do anything, and that they are just as guilty as those committing the crimes. “When adults wage war, children perish.” If there is one thing that good people can agree on, it’s the innocence of children. The wording here is telling, innocent lives are lost when someone decides that war is a good solution to a much larger problem, and others sit back and let it

“What will the legacy of this vanishing century be? How will it be remembered in the new millennium?” This quote leaves us with food for thought. Will we let the legacy die off or will we learn from our mistakes and stand up for what we believe in next time? “What are its courses and inescapable consequences? Is it philosophy? Is there a philosophy of indifference conceivable? Can one possibly view indifference as a virtue? Is it necessary at times to practice it simply to keep one’s sanity, live normally, enjoy a fine meal and a glass of wine, as the world around us experiences harrowing upheavals?” These questions ask us if we will sit back and continue to live our bubble wrapped lives, ignoring the injustice around us or will we listen and take in the things going on around us and stepping in when we need to. Wiesel uses questions to make us reflect on ourselves, will we take what we learn and use it for good, will we continue to pass down stories from generation to generation so as to stop history from repeating itself, or will we let it get lost as generations