REHUGO Analysis: Reading – Speech

A.“The Perils of Indifference” was presented by Elie Wiesel at the Millennium Lecture Series hosted by President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton, members of Congress, and Ambassador Holbrooke on April 12, 1999.

B.In his speech, he points out how nothing was done about the maltreatment of the Jews during World War II. He cites examples of those who knew but still did nothing to help them, and urges the current generations to refuse indifference and to take action.

C.Effectiveness:

a.Elie Wiesel gave an effective and persuasive speech by capturing the audience’s attention using logos, ethos and pathos. Wiesel appealed to logos because he organized his argument in a logical way. He began his speech by defining the term indifference as “no difference”. He discussed the risk of accepting indifference and gave few examples that occurred in the past and their unfortunate results. For example, “The depressing tale of the St. Louis,” when a boat filled with nearly one thousand Jews was turned away from America and sent back to Germany. His speech also appealed to ethos because of his trustworthiness as a Holocaust survivor who experienced the horrifying things that happened during World War II. Since he is reliable, his argument is realistic and proves to be more effective. Lastly, the speech appeals to pathos because it captured the audience’s compassion. For example, emotionally connects to the audiences through cruel imagery: “Wrapped in their torn blankets, they would sit or lie on the ground, staring vacantly into space, unaware of who or where they are -- strangers to their surroundings. They felt pain, hunger, thirst. They feared nothing. They felt nothing. They were dead and did not know it.

D. Rhetorical Strategies:

a.Wiesel uses anaphora to strengthen his speech. For example, he states that while hatred can be good in some circumstances, indifference is never positive: “Even hatred may elicit a response. You fight it. You denounce it. You disarm it. Indifference elicits no response.” He uses anaphora to highlight actions and evaluation, imprinting a lasting image in the audience’s mind of indifference.

b.Wiesel also uses allusions and anecdotes to make his speech more persuasive. He shares the stories about his view of God: “We felt that to be abandoned by God was worse than to be punished by Him.” The experiences with the “Muselmanner” in Auschwitz gave a vivid imagery of the terrifyingly real Holocaust, to explain the audience the indifference that so many Jewish people experience during World War II: “Wrapped in their torn blankets, they would sit or lie on the ground, staring vacantly into space, unaware of who or where they are - - strangers to their surroundings. They felt pain, hunger, thirst. They feared nothing. They felt nothing.” Wiesel anecdotes of the depressing tale of St. Louis and the personal experiences as a child make his speech stronger and persuasive.


MLA Citation:

"American Rhetoric: Elie Wiesel - The Perils of Indifference." American Rhetoric: The Power of Oratory in the United States. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. .
"Great Speeches Collection: Elie Wiesel Speech The Perils of Indifference." The History Place. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. .