Francesca Espiritu

Mr.Soeth

English 3 AP

Febuary 2, 2011

REHUGO: Analysis- History

A. The speaker, Elie Wiesel, addressed his speech called “The Perils of Indifference” on April 12, 1999 in Washington D.C.

B. Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, is famous for telling stories about his past experiences during World War II. The novel “Night” for example, was one of his well known books that is still great today. The speech he delivered was to the President, Bill Clinton, and his wife who arranged the occasion in order to remember past events such as the Holocaust. In the speech, Wiesel expresses his gratitude to the United States who helped him and others just like him during that time.

C. Throughout the speech, Wiesel explains the troublesome situations indifference has had on many people and the strong hope of equality he has for the next generations to come. Many people are able to relate to this indifference through ways of being racial or through experiencing one’s behavior. It is seen everyday by observing a homeless man begging for food, a wealthy customer buying an expensive item or even by two countries who don’t share the same interests. Indifference is a characteristic that will always be around.

D. Rhetorical Strategies:

a. Rhetorical questions: By asking questions such as, “What about the children? Do we hear their pleas? Do we feel their pain, their agony?” Wiesel gives off a persuasive effect to his audience. He makes them think about what others could have done to help the children who have suffered. He also makes the point that they experienced these difficult situations because of the adults who waged wars.

b. Repetition: The word indifference was repeated many times throughout Wiesel’s speech. He emphasizes this word by saying it with a strong feeling and pausing right after it. He uses this word in terms of judgment. By describing the evil deeds people have done and asking why no one attempted to stop their motives, Wiesel is able to make his audience understand his purpose and think about the mistakes they have made in the past.