Analysis Of Elie Wiesel's The Perils Of Indifference

The Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, in the text, “The Perils of Indifference,” uses numerous of effective rhetorical strategies in order to build his credibility and engage his audience. Wiesel’s purpose is to persuade his audience to denounce indifference and act to stop the suffering and intolerance that occurs around the globe. Throughout the text, Wiesel describes historical events during the Holocaust and how indifference allowed for suffering and injustices to continue. Nevertheless, Wiesel acknowledges with gratitude the efforts of America and the actions of the brave. Wiesel, with a hopeful tone, encourages change and undertaking to save sufferers from inhuman and woeful experiences. In “The Perils of

Nobel Prize Winner, Elie Wiesel in his powerful speech, The Perils of Indifference, claims that the greater evils that lay within indifference are far worse than what any anger or hatred could ever accomplish. He develops his message by highlighting past tragedies and where he holds indifference. The meaning of the word as well as where it ranks among other words of war. Wiesel explains that “to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman.” and that “Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end”. All wrapped in a serious tone throughout the speech to keep us immersed in history. Wiesel’s purpose is to criticize mistakes we’ve made in the past situations like his in order to bring about change in our actions to be a better people. He establishes a serious tone for readers by using stylistic devices(and/or rhetorical devices such as metaphor, hyperbole, and personification in order to develop his message that we have room for improvement and just because we’ve done some honorable deeds doesn’t mean that we should settle at that.

On April 12, 1999, Elie Wiesel, a prominent figure and Holocaust survivor, voiced his empowered speech “The Perils of Indifference” in the East Room of the White House which was hosted by President Bill Clinton and wife, Hillary Clinton. The speech was a direct call-to-action reaching out to society for a change. This change that he desperately pleaded for warranted a need of our society to help aid assistance to those they have ignored in the past. Throughout the course of Wiesel’s speech, he managed to employ Aristotle’s means of persuasion with an ease capable of jarring his audience to want to stop such indifferences from ensuing, so that future generations could have renewed sense of hope and promise. Pathos reigned heavily in his speech through his many, notable experiences and rhetorical questions. The majority of Wiesel’s speech focused on appeals to pathos, logos, and ethos which were used to attract the audiences’ attention as well as to develop their understanding of the problem. Through these measures, Wiesel’s main goal was to persuade them to take action against indifference which he successfully achieved. Wiesel was able to use his painful memories of the torture from the Holocaust to express what he noted as “perils of indifference” and ultimately how it can lead future generations to learn from history’s mistakes.

Distinguished Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, in his speech, “The Perils of Indifference”, discusses the effects indifference has on one’s humanity in both? societal and individual terms. Wiesel’s purpose is to illustrate the plight of those who suffer because of indifference and to appeal to the audience's consciences. He adopts a sympathetic, haunting, and accusatory tone in order to convey to audiences that society had not learned and many victims have and will continue to suffer injustices because of indifference. Ultimately, through the means of syntax devices such as juxtaposition, anaphora, diction, and rhetorical questioning, Weisel bolsters the supporting logic of his claim that indifference is a grave malady of humanity and to amend such an ailment one must look no further than the self. Wiesel’s comprehensive speech, “The Perils of Indifference” can be divided into three definitive sections: the contextualization of the suffering that occurs both past and present, an explication of “indifference”, and lastly Wiesel's earnest undertaking and rhetorical questioning of why we practice indifference.

Starting from the “two World Wars” to “the tragedy of Hiroshima”, Wiesel elaborately chosen the well known historical violent events to draw attention of his audience. The amount of and scope of events he refers to are much more than sufficient to prove his point that there are many violence events happened due to indifference. These enormous amount of facts would blow up his audience’s minds, setting up the scope and seriousness of the issues of indifference. These familiar past events bridge the audience together with Wiesel to agree on the shared statement that indifference is

Juxtaposition plays an essential role throughout the oration in evoking pathos, more specifically guilt and abhorrence. What Wiesel does to evoke this emotion is the contrast between the horrors of Nazi Germany,

Writer, Elie Wiesel in his moving speech, “The Perils of Indifference” asserts that indifference is dangerous and recognized as inhumane. Wiesel supports his message through the emphases of the darkness behind indifference. For instance, the definition for indifferent is identified as “A strange and unnatural state” or “lines blur between light and darkness, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, and good and evil.”(pg 1, par. 6) Which helps emphasize the need for awareness to end indifference in order for generations to protect their future. In addition, Wiesel aims to recognize how further generations can never fix mistakes, but only learn from them. The author’s purpose is to inform today’s audience, and future generations, how indifference is the worst possible feeling; therefore, individual understand how this could be a possible risk. He creates a informative tone for readers by using stylistic devices such as foreshadowing, similes, and alliteration in order to achieve his message that defines the effects of indifference so we can stop a series of unfortunate events from happening. Wiesel’s message about the inhumanity of indifference and the importance of resistance is still relevant today.

Indifference is a peril. Indifference is a “blurred line” between good and evil. Indifference is “unnatural.” But most of all, indifference is an end. Famous author and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel in his speech, “Perils of Indifference,” argues that since indifference is the inability to tell the difference between good and evil, indifference is dangerous. He supports his claim by first expressing his thanks to America for saving him from a horrid fate during the Holocaust. From this point, Wiesel goes on to explain how indifference is the key to conflict and how ¨dangerous¨ and ¨seductive¨ indifference can be. Wiesel also asks his audience, which are a variety of politicians, law makers, ambassadors, and members of congress, why hadn't

On April 12, 1999 Elie Wiesel delivered the speech “The Perils of Indifference” to honor those in Germany during Hitler’s reign and in remembrance of Franklin Roosevelt to the President of the United States and congress. In “The Perils of Indifference” Elie Wiesel uses several techniques to carry his point across. Three techniques used in the speech are Ethos, repetition, and Pathos. He uses a combination of all three elements throughout the paragraphs of his speech to attract the readers. The combination of these fundamentals helps draw the reader’s emotions and interest towards his subject. He focuses on word choice that would pertain to his audience’s level of vocabulary.

This not only makes the audience think, but gives them insight to what Wiesel was thinking regarding that question. The use of hypophora in his speech was effective in developing his purpose because he was able to answer the questions many people wanted to know with regards to indifference. Wiesel asked his audience “What will the legacy of this vanishing century be? How will it be remembered in the new millennium ?” he then goes on to answer this question by saying “Surely it will be judged, and judged severely, in both moral and metaphysical terms. These failures have cast a dark shadow over humanity… So much violence, so much indifference” (page 1). Wiesel essentially answers his question, the legacy of the century will be judged because of the failures and remembered as a violent time because of all the indifference being felt around the world. Although Wiesel did answer the question he had asked originally, he wanted to ask the audience this question so that they were able to respond and think about how they feel their generation will be seen years later. Wiesel uses anaphora in his speech to make an impact on his audience. He repeats “this time” to make a statement that “this time” things have changed and “this time, the world was not silent” (page 6). He uses this to repeat the important phrase, “this time,” so that it is instilled in his audience’s mind, this way the audience can remember and is able to take in consideration the meaning behind those powerful lines. Lastly Wiesel uses epistrophe in the end in his statement “Some of them —so many of them — could be saved” (page 7). By repeating “of them” he is able to emphasize that so many children could have been saved had people not become indifferent and actually cared about the lives of those many children. He uses this again to point out how powerful indifference can be, “so many

In Elie Wiesel’s speech “The Perils of Indifference”, he discusses how many people have suffered and continue to suffer throughout time. A central idea he makes is that by not caring about others, many people are harmed. To emphasize his point, Wiesel asks many rhetorical questions.

The author, Elie Wiesel in his powerful speech, The Perils of Indifference, claims that Indifference has so much violence and danger. He shows how there is so much Indifference in the world. Wiesel develops his message through the use of allusion on his speech. Specifically, In paragraph 9, he states, “the most tragic of all prisoners were the “Muselmann,” as they were called.. They no longer felt pain, hunger, thirst…” Wiesel is trying to describe the pain that he has been through and if people were aware of the Holocaust sooner, than not millions of people would have died from the tragic event which is the Holocaust. Additionally, the use of imagery in the speech helps audience imagine the tragic things that has happened to the world. In

Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, in his significant speech, “The Perils of Indifference,” clearly states that indifference is very dangerous to humanity and shall be put to an end. He develops his message through emphasizing the cruel results of indifference. For example, Wiesel explains how a person’s life feels “meaningless” when their neighbor is indifferent. It is indifference that can “reduce the other to an abstraction” (par 8). The author describes what indifference means to him as well. In particular, indifference is “more dangerous than anger and hatred.” It is “not a beginning, it is an end.” It is “not only a sin, it is a punishment” (par 11-13). Lastly, indifference, is viewed as an adverse situation. By being indifferent, it makes it easier for people to “avoid” certain cases that affect their “work,” “dreams,” and “hopes” (par 8). Wiesel’s purpose is to inform, warn, and define indifference in order to bring awareness therefore something can be done to stop the madness. He establishes a formal and serious tone for readers by using stylistic devices such as repetition, imagery, and word choice in order to develop his message that indifference is what can lead to history repeating itself, and we should not risk it at all. Wiesel’s message about the inhumanity of indifference and the importance of resistance is still relevant today.

Elie Wiesel, an award winning author, Nobel Prize winner, and Holocaust survivor, delivered a speech to government officials at the White House the year before the new millennia. His speech “The Perils of Indifference” calls on his own personal experience in the Jewish Concentration Camps and other historical events to show the harm feeling indifferent can cause to society. Wiesel succeeded in invoking empathy and understanding in his audience by describing indifference, using everyday examples that they can relate to, expressing historical knowledge, and offering a melancholic yet hopeful tone to encourage them to resent indifferent feelings in the new century.

Elie Wiesel’s speech “The Perils of Indifference” provides a powerful message for the world today. Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor who has experienced many things that many people have not experienced before. When he was liberated by American troops in April of 1945, all his family members had perished. Wiesel is one of the most respected and influential people in the world today. His speech allows all the people in the world to see the impact that indifference can have. Wiesel talks about the causes and effects of indifference in his speech while also using many literary techniques.