I Express My Shame Speech

Gerhard Schroder, in his commemoration speech, “I Express My Shame” (2005) reveals his shame for those who have lost their lives in the camps, and takes ownership for the mistakes of Germany. Gerhard Schroder develops and supports this thesis by using serious tone, repetition, strongly worded diction. Schroder’s purpose is to represent the Germans as a whole, and apologize for their actions during World War II. In order to recognize the Jewish people that have lost their lives. Schroder directs this speech to Jewish survivors, as he expresses his empathy towards the past. Gerhard was born on April 7th, 1944, in Mossenberg, Germany. His father was a soldier during WWII and died, leaving Gerhard and his four siblings in poverty. His mother worked as a cleaning lady, as the children would help out neighbors at the farm to stay afloat. In Gerhards youth he formed a

What is left are the remains of the sites of these murders and the historical record. What is left also is the certainty that these extermination camps were a manifestation of absolute evil.”

Schroder also uses pathos and emotional appeal to connect with his audience. He takes responsibility for the German population, but then states the beginning point to when the Jews were first free and he uses statistics to show that the Jewish community is a large part in Germany creating a sense of formality. He also states that this community is an irreplaceable part of their society and culture and it is a brilliant and painful part in history (Schroder).

Schroder uses strong diction and word choice to encourage the audience feel empathy to those who have lost their lives or the Holocaust survivors. For example, he states that millions of men, women, and children were gassed, starved, and shot (Schroder). It is also very obvious he feels shame for the German population and is empathetic towards those who have died by this