REHUGO Speech

Charlene Asuncion
Mr. Soeth
AP English 3
February 3, 2011

REHUGO Analysis: History– Speech

A. The speech titled “The Perils of Indifference” was delivered by Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, who, in the speech, expressed gratitude to those who stood up for the victims of the Holocaust and denounced indifference. This captivating speech took place at the White House in Washington D.C. on the April 12, 1999; the 54th anniversary of the end of World War II.

B. World War II was a struggle for power, a fight for supremacy, and a competition between Ally and Axis powers that resulted in the death of millions of people world-wide. Contributing to a large number of these deaths, the Holocaust was a catastrophic event during World War II in which Germany’s dictator, Adolf Hitler, ordered the extermination of all European Jews out of passionate hatred for their race. Six million Jews were killed in concentration camps via “death marches,” gas chambers, guns, and cremators. In the speech, “The Perils of Indifference,” Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel praises all those who have contributed to the ending of the Holocaust and looks forward to bringing an end to indifference during the 54th commemoration of World War II. In the speech, Wiesel addresses President Bill Clinton, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, Excellencies, and friends. Looking forward to a new millennium, Wiesel speaks of the bloodshed, violence, and indifference that took place in the past and seeks peace in the future. That we may reflect upon the darkness of the past and turn into light.

C. In society, our world struggles with indifference characterized by hate and violence. For example, conflicts and war in the Middle East remain prevalent today because of indifference. According to Wiesel, we must “Fight it [indifference]…Denounce it… and disarm it” to end the hate and detestation our world encounters. In order to surpass darkness, like the Holocaust or even the wars in the Middle East or the hunger in Africa, we must “walk towards a new millennium, carried by profound fear and extraordinary hope.” From the past experiences, despite how catastrophic they were, we must learn and progress from them so that no one should experience indifference, such as starvation, homelessness, and abuse. The world should not be silent. “We do respond. This time, we intervene.”

D. Rhetorical Strategies
a. Definition: Wiesel defines the word “indifference” in order to convey how it has both shaped and destroyed humanity. Wiesel states, “Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred…Indifference elicits no response…Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment…” By defining indifference with a negative connotation with context like “anger,” “hatred,” and “punishment,” Wiesel expresses how indifference has brought about evil towards humanity. However, learning from indifference, paves the way for a brighter future.
b. Rhetorical questions: In order to provoke thought in his audience, Wiesel utilizes rhetorical questions like “How is one to explain their indifference? Does it mean that we have learned from the past? Will it discourage other dictators in other lands to do the same?” The rhetorical questions pathologically makes the audience think from a moral perspective based on the prior definition of indifference. The rhetorical questions also give the speech more emotion and connection with the audience by allowing them to engage in the morale behind indifference and Wiesel’s Holocaust experiences.

MLA Citation:
MLA Citation for Speech:
Wiesel, Elie. "The Perils of Indifference." White House, Washington, D.C. 12 Apr.
1999. Speech.

rehugo #2 speech

Ruby Mann

Mr. Soeth

English 3 AP

February 2, 2011

REHUGO Analysis: History - Speech

A. On April 12, 1999, Elie Wiesel delivers his speech: “The Perils of Indifference”.

B. The speech was given to President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton, members of the congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, Excellencies, and friends. The speech was given in regards to honoring the fifty-fourth anniversary of the end of World War II. From 1942-1945, the Wiesel family was first sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp and then to the concentration camp in Buchenwald. After the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel and two of his sister were among the few survivors.

C. “The Perils of Indifference” speech is first started by Wiesel saying “a young Jewish boy”. He is referring to himself and that is how he catches the audiences’ attention. In the speech, Elie talks about gratitude and how important it is to him. He says “gratitude is what defines the humanity of a human being.” Throughout the speech Elie talks about humanity and being inhuman. Weasel questions the United States and Franklin D. Roosevelt for not helping the Jews that were in danger and how come the Pentagon did not do any action to assist the Jews, even though they had full information of what was happening. He questions President Roosevelt’s actions for sending the St. Louis, which was carrying nearly one thousand Jews, back to Germany even though the ship had reached United States shores. Wiesel asks “Why the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims”? Elie Wiesel brings up a recent topic s like “the defeat of Nazism, the collapse of communism, the rebirth of Israel on its ancestral soil, the demise of apartheid, Israel's peace treaty with Egypt, the peace accord in Ireland”, and NATO and the United States helped the Kosovo victims. Wiesel questions the society and asks if the society has changed since it does not stay silent anymore and the world does respond. Elie Wiesel comes back into a full circle and ends his speech with “the young Jewish boy”.

D. Rhetorical strategies:

Definition: Wiesel uses definition to describe the words that he uses in his speech. By doing so he adds emphasis to the speech. In the beginning of the speech, Wiesel defines the word indifference as “no difference” a strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil”. Throughout the speech he talks about indifference and how unfair it was that not actions were taken.

Allusion: Elie Wiesel mentions World War l and World Was ll, the genocide, and Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., the Kennedys, Sadat, and Rabin being assassinated. He uses these examples to show the conflicts that have happened around the world in history, and how the society does not stay quiet anymore if a disturbance occurs.



MLA citation:

Wiesel, Elie. “The Perils of Indifference”. Millennium Lecture Series. White House, Washington D.C,. United States of America. Delivered 12 April 1999.

REHUGP

REHUGO #2 Gursimran Singh 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 in the White House.  He is giving his speech in the perspective of a Holocaust survivor.   B.    Elie Wiesel delivers this speech to President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton, members of the Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, and other attendees at the Millennium Lecture Series; which is a farewell to the past century and an introduction to the future. In his speech, Elie shares the details of his experiences and struggles he had to face as a Holocaust victim. He also illustrates the dangers of indifference to one person; because indifference is not creative, elicits no response, is not a response, is not a beginning- it is an end. "And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten."   C.    The speech is relevant today because in his speech Elie talks about indifference. "Of course, indifference can be tempting -- more than that, seductive. It is so much easier to look away from victims. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, and our hopes. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbors are of no consequence. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction."  Indifference is still happening in the world, on a regular everyday basis. People tend to see the wrong doings, but instead of doing something about it they turn their head and walk the other way; as if they have witnessed nothing. Also it's not just people, government officials also tend to look the other way when something unpleasant has come their way. For example, just recently when Obama went to India, thousands of Sikh widows who lost their beloved ones in the genocide of 1984 begged Mr. Obama and the first Lady to visit the Widow Colony. To see how bad the poverty was and how horrible treatment these widows get- but instead both Mr. and Mrs. Obama ignored the outcries of these widows. As long as there is mankind, there will always be indifference; it's like a disease no one can cure. This speech is very effective, especially since the tone of the speech is disappointment and pain such as when the author says "Why, the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims?" It hits the audience with a blow of realization of how our world acts to indifference.   D.    Rhetorical Strategies   1.    Definition: Wiesel defines the word indifference as being " 'no different', a strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil" giving a further understanding of the word. It also clarifies the audience on what Wiesel's trying to get across to them and it changes their previous understanding of the word if different. 2.    Allusion: Elie Wiesel alludes to the holocaust and the liberation of Jewish people all throughout the speech to develop his credibility as a reliable speaker. He uses allusion by referring to numerous wars, genocides and assassinations (such as World War l and World War ll, the Holocaust and Rwanda, and the assassinations of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.). He does this to support's his argument on indifference and how people tend to make mistakes by doing nothing about it.       MLA Citation for Speech: Wiesel, Elie. "The Perils of Indifference." White House, Washington, D.C. 12 Apr.             1999. Speech.

Fw:

--- On Thu, 2/3/11, gursimran nijjar <gursimran.nijjar@gmail.com> wrote: From: gursimran nijjar <gursimran.nijjar@gmail.com> Subject: To: gursimran.nijjar@yahoo.com Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011, 8:25 AM -- ~Gursimran Nijjar [Sim]

History REHUGO Analysis of Elie Wiesel's Speech: "The Perils of Indifference"

Karsha Smith

Mr. Soeth

English 3 AP

2 February 2011

History REHUGO: Analysis of Elie Wiesel’s Speech—“The Perils of Indifference”

A.    Speech: “The Perils of Indifference” – speaker: Elie Wiesel

B.     In this speech, Elie Wiesel believes indifference can cause a person to lose their humanity. Indifference is not a response to any given situation, but only an uncompassionate, hardhearted feeling. He explains why indifference should be avoided at all costs to create a hopeful future and tenderhearted people.

C.     Evidence:

a.       Wiesel effectively uses immorality versus morality to convince/convey to the reader how the past has affected us and why we should all think about what is right and wrong. We need to show compassion to those who are less fortunate (also known for the use of allusion). This idea applies to the past, present, and future. Back then, during World War II, the United States slowly began to intervene in the war against Hitler/Nazi Germany. America only entered the war after Pearl Harbor, which was the attack on one of their military bases by the Japanese. Wiesel questions why this is so. Why did America only get involved after American citizens were injured? Why did the country show such indifference at a time of need?

b.      The speaker wants to teach people today how to prevent such an act of inhumanity to happen again. He not only mentions the past, but also the present (the time the speech was given, which was 1999) when Mrs. Hillary Clinton began the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. Wiesel thanks Mrs. Clinton for helping children with these new laws. “And I am grateful to you, Hillary -- or Mrs. Clinton -- for what you said, and for what you are doing for children in the world, for the homeless, for the victims of injustice, the victims of destiny and society.”

D.    Rhetorical Strategies:

a.       Rhetorical Questions: Wiesel uses many questions so the audience can question themselves on their morality. He wants people to open their eyes to their surroundings and open their hearts to kindness, sympathy, and compassion. “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?”

b.      Appeal via credibility (Ethos): By mentioning how he was a victim of the holocaust (especially explained in his book called Night), he increases his credibility.

c.       Extended Metaphor: He explains through an extended metaphor (figurative language) how he was a boy who thought he would never have joy in his heart again after the Holocaust. “He was finally free, but there was no joy in his heart. He thought there never would be again.”

d.      Appeal via reasoning (Logos): The speaker mentions many events during that millennium to further prove his knowledge on the time period. This increases his credibility as well, and helps back up his purpose.

e.       Definition (Indifference): The word’s definition is the whole purpose of the speech. Wiesel defines “indifference” as “a strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil.”

E.     Elie Wiesel’s speech is supported with a decent amount of evidence. He wants the people of the human race to think of the word “indifference” and notice its impact in their everyday lives. Each person can stop this “feeling” if they try. For example, every day there are many instances where individuals are hurt under immoral motives. Anywhere a human being goes, they will be questioned and teased for any idea involving their race, religion, beliefs, gender, and even the simplicity of how they dress. When one gets teased, often no one will step in to stop the fighting. Elie Wiesel wants to help decrease these occurrences and to help each century learn from the world’s past mistakes.  “And together we walk towards the new millennium, carried by profound fear and extraordinary hope.”

MLA Citation for Speech:

Wiesel, Elie. “The Perils of Indifference.” White House, Washington, D.C. 12 Apr.

            1999. Speech.

rehugo analysis: history

Jana Kurita
Mr. Soeth
Ap English 3
February 2, 2011

REHUGO Analysis: History - Speech

A)The Perils of Indifference is a speech, spoken by Elie Wiesel. Elie Wiesel is speaking as a Holocaust survivor.

B) The purpose of the speech to was talk about how the Millenniums events will be remembered as “a dark shadow over humanity.” The speech addressed Wiesel’s recount of his time during the Holocaust and the part America played in World War Two, for Hilary Clinton’s Millennium Lectures. Wiesel classifies the millennium as one filled with indifference, and inhumanity; “ Two World Wars, countless civil wars, the senseless chain of assassinations, bloodbaths in Cambodia and Algeria, India and Pakistan, Ireland and Rwanda, Eritrea and Ethiopia…” At the end of the speech, Wiesel states the positive things of the millennium “the defeat of Nazism, the collapse of communism, the rebirth of Israel on its ancestral soil, the demise of the apartheid, Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt.” The difference between the beginning of the era and the end of the era was the shocking cruelty Hitler caused, forcing America to learn how to intervene. The speech was directored towards President Bill Clinton, First Lady Hilary Clinton, members of congress, and everybody else present at the Millennium Lectures.

C)The Speech is relevant today because it talks about indifference. Indifference is still happening in the Middle East, due to the terrorism citizens have to face caused by insurgents. Even to this day, America get’s involved because of what happened during the Holocaust. In World War Two, America did not intervene until after a generous amount of time passed. Elie Wiesel states, “A thousand people -- in America, a great country, the greatest democracy, the most generous of all new nations in modern history. What happened? I don't understand. Why the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims?” Wiesel continues further on saying, after the war, America learned from their mistakes, “joint decision of the United States and NATO to intervene in Kosovo and save those victims, those refugees, those who were uprooted by a man whom I believe that because of his crimes, should be charged with crimes against humanity. But this time, the world was not silent. This time, we do respond. This time, we intervene.” Wiesel asks “Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? Have we learned from our experiences?” to make the audience concentrate and dwell over if America has truly learned from their mistakes in the past. The tone of the speech is disappointment and pain such as when the author says “Why, the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims?”

D)Rhetorical Strategies:

a)Definition: Throughout the speech, Wiesel tosses out the word indifference to describe the world’s reaction towards the Holocaust. He defines indifference as “ “no difference”. A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment…..” Wiesel defining indifference changes the audience perception of their previous understanding of the word and changed it to Wiesel’s meaning of the word to understand the point he is trying to get across.

b)Rhetorical questions: From beginning to end, Wiesel asks numerous amounts of rhetorical questions. The reason he asks the questions, is to make the audience mull over the topic and to let the listener come to their own conclusion. An example of the most influential rhetorical question in the speech was when Wiesel talked about how society has stopped being indifferent and asks “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? Are we less insensitive to the plight of victims of ethnic cleansing and other forms of injustices in places near and far?” which allows the crowd to from their own opinion on if America has truly changed.

MLA citation:
Wiesel, Elie. "The Perils of Indifference." Millenium Lectures. East Room of the White House, Washington D.C. 22 Apr. 1999. Speech.

Myrna Nashed
Mr. Soeth
English 3 AP
2/2/11

A. Elie Wiesel gave the speech “Perils of Indifference” in the White House on April 12, 1999.
B. Elie Wiesel gave this speech as a result of the holocaust and how various people looked at the situation, and did nothing to prevent it. The people in the concentration camps thought that the concentration camps were kept secret from the public but in reality most people wanted to avert the truth. “The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugees -- not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own.”

C. Elie Wiesel aim is to argue that it’s so much easier to just turn your head the other way, then to face the tragedies that lie within our countries. He does a very remarkable job of opening people’s eyes to the truth. Wiesel says “It is so much easier to look away from victims. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair.” However he also makes a good point when he points out that as time goes by people are starting to change and are starting to learn from their own experiences. Stating that people have made countless mistakes in the past but have also learned from them.

D. One of the multiple rhetorical devices the Wiesel uses is definition, “What is indifference? Etymologically, the word means "no difference." A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil.” This definition, gives clarification to the rest of the speech. It’s important because the speech is mostly about indifference and to really understand and be aware of the point that Wiesel is trying to make, it is essential that you grasp the meaning of indifference. Another rhetorical device that Wiesel states is a metaphor describing that indifference can be tempting and seductive, building up indifference as a human. “Of course, indifference can be tempting -- more than that, seductive.” This states that countless people desire to be indifferent because a considerable amount of people don’t like to face the truth and find it easier to go about their jobs, hopes, and dreams.

"Great Speeches Collection: Elie Wiesel Speech The Perils of Indifference." The History Place. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. .