REHUGO #2

Jochebed Ramat

Mr. Soeth

English 3 AP

February 3, 2011

REHUGO Analysis: History - Speech

A. Elie Wiesel delivers his speech, "The Perils of Indifference," on April 12, 1999.

B. Wiesel gives this speech before President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton

to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the end of World War II and to participate in the

Millennium Lecture series. Elie Wiesel was one of the survivors of the Holocaust as he and

his family were sent to the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps from 1942 to

April 11, 1945.

C. Wiesel effectively captures the audience's attention by narrating how he felt as "a young

Jewish boy" during the liberation of the Buchenwald camp. He further goes on to define

indifference as "not only a sin" but a "punishment" as well. Wiesel connects indifference

to how it "benefits the aggressor -- never his victim" by providing an example of how the

"Muselmanner" prisoners were unaware that they were "dead." He defines the indifference

of the provoker as "what makes the human being inhuman." Wiesel also relates indifference

to "bystanders" such as the Pentagon and State Department by raising questions as to why such

groups were not able to act quickly. He even mentions Franklin Delano Roosevelt's decision of

rejecting the arrival of the St. Louis full of Jews and sending them back to Germany. This leads

Wiesel to ask: "Why the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims?" He

further contrasts this with the present intervention of the United States and NATO to help the

victims in Kosovo. Wiesel evokes a proud tone as he says "this time, the world was not silent."

He effectively concludes his speech by referring back to the "young Jewish boy" at the

beginning of his speech.

D. Rhetorical Strategies:

a. Allusion: Wiesel refers to World War I and World War II, the assassinations of Martin Luther

King, Jr., Gandhi, John and Robert Kennedy, and the Rwandan genocide to exemplify universal

strife that has occurred throughout history. He also refers to the liberation of Buchenwald when

he was a "young Jewish boy" at the beginning of his speech to establish his credibility for his

audience.

b. Repetition: Wiesel describes indifference by stating "Indifference is not a response.

Indifference is not a beginning..." to further appeal to the emotions. He also says "This time,

we..." in order to contrast the difference of the actions the United States did during World War II

and the present situation concerning Kosovo.

MLA Citation for Speech:

Wiesel, Elie. "The Perils of Indifference." Millennium Lecture Series. White House,

Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 12 April 1999. Guest Lecture.