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A Messenger Of The Dead Among The Living Analysis

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“A Messenger of the Dead Among the Living” Elie Wiesel Lasting over six years, the Holocaust is frequently considered to be the largest annihilation of humans in history; yet, even during its climax, the western powers were practically unaware of the scope of genocide Hitler’s army was committing until after Germany lost the war. Although Robert Brown aptly described the Holocaust as “such depressing subject matter” (v), he furthers, “Those who hope for hope--after an eternity--are entitled to do so only if they have measured that which has the power to obscure hope, only if they have lived in the shadow of utter denial. The rest of us, who have not inhabited the innermost circle of hell, can never know what it was like to be there” (vi). Yet, there are …show more content…

Prior to the Holocaust, he lived with his Jewish family in the Transylvanian town of Sighet. Although aware of Hitler’s attack on Jews, the Jews in Sighet remained unconcerned. Even after forewarnings from a foreign Jew in late 1942, they continued to remained unconcerned. In 1943, after hearing of advancements of Allied forces over The London radio, Wiesel describes the attitude as “[...] we, the Jews of Sighet, were waiting for better days, which would not be long in coming now” (5). In spring of 1944, blinded by the so-called “certainty” of Germany’s defeat, the Jews even began to discredit the rumors of Hitler’s desire to exterminate them! “Was he going to wipe out a whole people? Could he exterminate a population so scattered throughout so many countries? So many millions! What methods could he use?” (Wiesel 6). From here, the naiveness of the Jews of Sighet quickly led to their downfall: German troops had entered the Hungarian territory. Three days later, the town of Sighet was occupied by German forces. From here, Wiesel discusses the horrors that the Jews were subjected to and the impacts of the torture that he

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