Kevin Sung

2/2/10

Ap English Period 1

Rehugo- “The Perils of Indifference”

1. “The perils of Indifference” was a speech presented by Elie Wiesel on April 12, 1999 to the president, Mrs.Clinton, members of congress, and Ambassador.
2. Elie presented his speech at the White House during the Millenium series, which was hosted by President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hilary Clinton. In the speech, Elie expounds upon the profound dangers of indifference. He does not elaborate upon his own experiences, but it is important to note them. Elie Wiesel vividly describes the horrors he faced when he was taken to Auschwitz in the book, Night. For example, he explains about a time when he had to witness babies and women getting incarcerated by flames. He also explains the brutality of the Nazis. All these experiences make Elie a credible source. Furthermore, ever since he was liberated in 1945, he was awarded with awards. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 and wrote a bestseller called Night. Through this speech, Elie implies that indifference is a great evil, and that we must intervene in order to hope for a better future.
3. The effectiveness of the speech comes from Elie’s hypothetical inferences and diction. An example of a hypothetical inference is when Elie states: “Rooted in our tradition, some of us felt that to be abandoned by humanity then was not the ultimate. We felt that to be abandoned by God was worse than to be punished by Him. Better an unjust God than an indifferent one. For us to be ignored by God was a harsher punishment than to be a victim of His anger. Man can live far from God -- not outside God. God is wherever we are. Even in suffering? Even in suffering.” This hypothetical inference allows the readers to contemplate whether or not they pertain to the hypothetical “we” that Elie states. This draws in readers to the context and makes readers relate themselves to the speech. Furthemore, Elie’s choice of words helps evoke the tone of the speech. For example, he uses words like, “victim,punishment aggressor, death, tempting.” These all evoke the “evils” of indifference.
4. Rhetorical Questions: Elie uses rhetorical questions primarily to lure us to reconsider the impact of indifference. For example, “What is indifference? What are its courses and inescapable consequences? Is it a philosophy? Is there a philosophy of indifference conceivable? Can one possibly view indifference as a virtue?” Elie asks all these questions to define indifference in his own terms, in a negative light. Then, he is able elaborate upon these evils of indifference.

Logos (appeal to logic): Elie gives historical facts to prove his thesis that indifference only leads to demise. For example, he expounds upon the “depressing tale of the St.Louis is a case point.” He states that 1000 jews that were hoping for freedom were denied of it just because of indifference from the people and the president of the US. Furthermore, Elie states that governments knew about the brutalities going on with the Jews. However, their indifference led them to not intervene which ultimately didn’t stop the extermination of Jews. Through these facts, Elie is able to imply that indifference is indeed evil.

Wiesel, Elie. "American Rhetoric: Elie Wiesel - The Perils of Indifference." American Rhetoric: The Power of Oratory in the United States. Web. 02 Feb. 2011.