...Rhetorical Analysis of The Perils of Indifference by Elie Wiesel As part of the Millennium Lecture Series hosted by the White House, notable author, Noble Peace Prize Winner, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel delivered the speech The Perils of Indifference on April 12, 1999. He delivered this speech in order to inspire the American people to take action in times of human suffering, injustice, and violence, in order to prevent events like the Holocaust from happening again in the future. Through the use of the modes of persuasion, his rhetorical situation, and word choice, Wiesel successfully appeals to his audience of President Clinton and his wife, the members of Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, his “excellencies” and the rest of the American public. Wiesel’s main point in his speech is that of indifference and what can come about because of it. In order to successfully define indifference to the audience and persuade them to never be indifferent in the future, Wiesel defines its etymology, as “no difference” and uses numerous comparisons on what may cause indifference, as “a strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur” in circumstances like light and dark and good and evil. To prove that indifference is both a sin and a punishment, Wiesel appeals to logos and ethos, stating that he is aware of how tempting it may be to be indifferent and that it can be easier to avoid something rather than take action against it. He believes that indifference benefits the aggressor...
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...Evil in the World Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel in his speech “The Perils of Indifference”, argues that indifference is a punishment to the victims and dangerous to the world because the “lines blur” between “good and evil.” He supports his claim by first stating what indifference is which is when the “lines blur” between right and wrong, then Wiesel questions indifference and how someone could possibly see it as a “virtue.” Finally, he explains how indifference could seem easier to some even though it's bad, but at the same time “seductive.” Wiesel’s purpose is to inform the audience that indifference is an aggressor to the world in order to prove that the world would be better if people weren't indifferent. He creates a serious yet hopeful tone for “Mr.President, Mrs.Clinton, members of Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, Excellencies, friends.” Ultimately, Wiesel strongly disagrees with indifference and believes it's an “end”, “not a response”, a “sin” and “punishment.” He thinks without indifference the world would be better. This is important because the innocent people wouldn't be in pain for no reason. The general argument made by author Elie Wiesel in his speech, “The Perils of Indifference”, is that indifference is a “sin.” More specifically,...
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...Anthony Graziano Mrs. Bader AP Language and Composition September 30, 2011 Perils of Indifference Rhetorical Analysis The Perils of Indifference speech by Elie Wiesel is one that is well crafted and that sends a strong message to the audience. Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, addresses the issues of the 20th century in his speech while at the same time explaining the dangers of indifference. Wiesel’s appeals to his audience, as well as his strong message and arguments are what make this speech so effective. In any powerful speech, the speaker communicates and relates directly to his or her audience. Elie Wiesel does a superb job of doing this in his Perils of Indifference speech, given in April 1999. His use of pathos throughout the speech makes the audience reflect on his words, and create a strong emotional reaction to what is being said. For one, Wiesel is a survivor of the Holocaust, one of the darkest times in the history of humanity. Due to this, sympathy is automatically drawn to the listener’s mind. When he speaks of his time in concentration camps during the Holocaust, he explains the horrible conditions that people had to live in. He then says about the people who were also there, “They no longer felt pain, hunger, thirst. They feared nothing. They felt nothing. They were dead and did not know it.” By saying this in his speech, Wiesel automatically brings forth the emotions of the audience. Specifically, these details bring out a feeling of...
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...iconic example of this is the Holocaust. The concentration camps altered the behaviors and beliefs of those in them. Elie Wiesel explains these consequences of the environment through his personal story in the book Night and his speech The Perils of Indifference. Another great example of these changes that people undergo in specific situations is in the movie Life is Beautiful. These examples justify the idea that the environment in which a person is placed helps to shape their personality,...
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...Everyday a child dies from hunger. Everyday refugees wander the streets, unable to find a place willing to take them in. Everyday someone suffers at the hand of government plots. Everyday inexplicable, (sad) events take place. And yet, these events continue to take place because we turn a blind eye, or because we refuse to offer help to those who need it. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel speaks for these people in his speech “The Perils of Indifference”. With his somber, controlled tone, Elie addresses government officials and friends and everyone in between, claiming that indifference to the plights of others is an inhuman act. Through the use of sarcasm, Elie displays the true affects of indifference. He states, “ Of course, indifference can...
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...Political activist, author, and holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel in his speech, “The Perils of Indifference”, informs his audience that indifference is a dangerous state and that being a bystander is just as bad as being “the killers” (paragraph 14), if not worse. He supports his claim by first illustrating his personal experiences and the reactions of American soldiers in the horrid concentration camps. In addition, Wiesel lists many instances that were similar to the inhumane treatment of the people in history, some in the distant past, some fairly recent. He also compares the world’s indifference to these situations to certain words with negative implications, such as “sin,” “punishment,” “tempting,” and “inhuman.” Wiesel’s purpose is to define the word “indifference” and bring awareness to the fact that we don’t realize our indifference. He establishes an informative and serious tone for his politically powerful audience of government...
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...can control it, recreate it in others, and use it to stir emotions in others as a form of persuasion. Aristotle touches on how and why people feel certain emotions and what state of mind people are in when these emotions take control of them. Two of these emotions, anger and pity, Aristotle lectured on and are prominent in Wiesel’s “The Perils of Indifference.” Knowing that anger and pity would appeal to his audience, Wiesel wields them in the form of pathos creating a persuasion that people can subconsciously agree with. So what makes people angry? Aristotle states that people “become angry whenever they are distressed; for the person who is distressed desires something” (118). What is it we desire? We desire a multitude of things. Wiesel desires for mankind to be anything but indifferent, because “indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger” (Wiesel, “The Perils of Indifference”). To elaborate on what Wiesel is trying to say, I feel that when there is anger, things will be done, but when there is indifference, people will stand by, watching, and not care of the outcome because it is not their loved ones in danger. The way that Wiesel uses this though to prompt the audience into persuasion...
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...“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference” -Elie Wiesel. During the same time period of World War II the Holocaust was happening also. However, by the time the Allies fully attacked the concentration camps the Nazi had already killed off most of the Jews. They had even closed down multiple concentration camps, because there just weren’t enough Jews left to have so many camps. Nobody really knows why the world took so long to respond. Was it a matter of importance, priority, or just plain selfishness? Elie Wiesel presented a speech entitled, “The Perils of Indifference,” and his whole speech was centered around the question, “what is indifference?” He addresses two main questions, what motivates indifference and what are its consequences?...
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...The Peril of Indifference 1. Complete steps 1, 2, and 3 (repetition, binaries and strands) Repetition: Our, American, Gratitude, Indifference, They, god, hatred, human, Strands: Light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil Binaries: America: Clinton, commander in chief, commander of the armed forces, Army, soldiers, god Germany: Auschwitz, concentration camp, Hitler, Jews, Nazis 2. Provide and respond to level 1, 2, and 3 questions. Level 2 and 3 questions should have detailed responses. Level 1 Etymologically what does the word indifference mean? Etymologically, the word means "no difference." Describe the Holocaust. The Holocaust was where people like Elie were sent to concentration camps and forced to work. Many were killed. Level 2 Analyze the way Elie uses the word gratitude. Level 3 How do you think the Holocaust impacted Elie’s life? Elie is emotionally scarred for life. Evaluate how Elie uses Roosevelt in the speech and how it affects it. 3. Provide clear, precise, and detailed evidence of the following rhetorical patterns: allusion, definition, rhetorical questions, biography, repetition, and parallel structure. Elie uses rhetorical questions by stating things like, “Does it mean that we have learned from the past? Does it mean that society has changed? Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? Have we really learned from our experiences?” He uses repetition by repeating words like...
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...What is indifference? Indifference is defined as a lack of interest, concern, or sympathy. Indifference or lack of interest could come at a terrible cost. For example, if one shows no concern for the hungry child on the street, who will be there to protect this child, to feed this child. Spreading awareness is a significant step in fighting indifference. Sandra Buford, director of diversity for the Massachusetts Port Authority, speaking about battling indifference stated “Education is critical to challenge indifference. Some of the solutions that we’ve been thinking about really emphasize education and awareness regarding history” (Four Ways to Battle Indifference). In two speeches on entirely different topics, one by Elie Wiesel who had survived the Holocaust and one by Susan B. Anthony, who "dedicated her life to women's suffrage", show us how harmful indifference can be to our society....
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...“The Perils of Indifference” is a speech that was delivered by Elie Wiesel in Washington D.C. It reflects about his time as a holocaust survivor. World War II took the lives of around 11 million people from 1939 until the last surrender in 1945. This was also the time of the Holocaust that was led by Adolf Hitler of Germany. If Hitler wanted something done it instantly became a plan for the German army. The Nazis forced families out of their homes, and took them to live brutal concentration camps to become slaves, or dead. Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, spoke at the White House to share his story. Wiesel’s used literary devices to reach his main point that was not to forget what happened in the past, but to not allow it to happen again. Wiesel’s tried to reach the emotions of the audience saying that “he was finally free, but there was no joy in his heart” as he started out his speech. Buchenwald was the camp Wiesel had been forced to live in during the war. He tells about the day he was set free from his concentration camp by the American soldiers, as he talked about remembering the look in the eyes of the American soldiers. He knew that soldiers saw what the people in the camp had suffered, and saw hope. Wiesel starts multiple phrases with the word “gratitude” to show his thanks to the...
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...What is indifference? Indifference is defined as a lack of interest, concern, or sympathy. Indifference or lack of interest could come at a terrible cost. For example, if one shows no concern for the hungry child on the street, who will be there to protect this child, to feed this child. Spreading awareness is a significant step in fighting indifference. Sandra Buford, director of diversity for the Massachusetts Port Authority, speaking about battling indifference stated “Education is critical to challenge indifference. Some of the solutions that we’ve been thinking about really emphasize education and awareness regarding history” (Four Ways to Battle Indifference). In two speeches on entirely different topics, one by Elie Wiesel who had survived the Holocaust and one by Susan B. Anthony, who "dedicated her life to women's suffrage", show us how harmful indifference can be to our society....
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...The Perils of Indifference or Night Elie Wiesel, he made a speech, Perils of Indifference and a book called, Night. Both of these had made huge impacts on the world around us. They informed us of what had happened during Wiesel’s time in the concentration camps and how indifference had affected us all when we could have acted to try and stop the Nazis sooner. America's largest corporations had even still given them the fuel and resources they had needed to continue. If we weren’t indifferent couldn’t we have stopped this from happened in the first place? But, which of these, his speech or the book, holds the most influencing power? Which could make people reflect on what had happened or make them want to learn more? The book has so many layers and layers of knowledge and meanings that even though it's small in pages its power is as strong as if he was sitting with you and saying it personally. Or the speech, which gave a clear and meaningful meaning on indifference and so much more? I feel that the book gave me a much deeper understanding than the speech did, though they both had their greatest points and had...
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...Indifference is defined as lacking empathy or concern. It’s not having strong feelings about something one way or another. Lack of concern on a large scale comes at a terrible cost. If, for example, one doesn’t care about giving up freedoms, they will one day wake up and wonder why they are so constricted. If one is indifferent to the plight of the poor and homeless, who will be there to help them? Awareness is key in combating indifference. To spread awareness, or to point out one’s lack thereof, is an important step in solving the problem that is lack of caring. Two seemingly different speeches, one by Elie Wiesel who had survived the Holocaust and one by Susan B. Anthony who pioneered Women’s Suffrage, illuminate a recurring theme that a...
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...Powerful groups are like parasites that feed off of helpless individuals. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, it shows the journey of a 15 year old boy in the Holocaust. On the other hand, Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, shows the experience of a teenage girl in the Japanese Internment Camps. Elie and Jeanne both are similar in the fact that they both had their rights violated by a powerful group, but they are different in the way that Jeanne found herself in the camp and Elie lost his faith in humanity because nobody helped him throughout most of his struggles. Elie and Jeanne both had their rights violated by a powerful group, but Elie lost a part of him in the camp whereas Jeanne found herself in her camp. “From the depths...
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