Rhetorical Analysis Of Elie Wiesel's Speech

Wiesel emphasizes the problem of apathy using pathos and ethos to make his case. Elie Wiesel achieves this in a number of ways by putting the audience and himself on an equal footing, and because of his earlier success, he has credibility even before he starts talking about the idea of indifference. Elie Wiesel urges his audience to take action to fight the indifference in society and between nations. This speech attempts to educate listeners on the speaker's viewpoint on indifference and how societies respond to disasters.audience in his shoes and the shoes of others who have suffered as a result of indifference. Elie Wiesel's life has been marred by tragedy. And knowing that his audience is educated on the subject lends him credibility because

Elie Wiesel equalizes the environment and the audience to him by using phrases like "us." Wiesel is aware that by making them equal, he will not only increase his credibility but also their pity for the predicament. By repeatedly utilizing the pronoun "our," Wiesel establishes a sense of trust and camaraderie with the audience. He admits that everyone has made the error of turning a deaf ear and even admits that he has. His listeners must have noticed how cheese treats politicians the same as other members of the community. In this address, Wiesel urges listeners to maintain perspective regarding the state of the world, regardless of whether it directly affects them or not. He also urges listeners to act to right wrongs and uphold the rights of others. He emotionally engages the audience by bringing up the injustices that were occurring at the time this speech was

The audience is made sympathetic to his upbringing by invoking this reminiscence, which grabs their interest. “There was no joy in his heart”. The implication in this quotation is that, despite having become stronger in certain ways, the tragedy would not have made him the man he was at the time. Afterwards, Elie compliments Bill Clinton “Commander and Chief of the army that freed me, and tens of thousands of others” and Mrs. Clinton is thanked for her efforts to help (Wiesel)” But after that, Elie accuses the government of being indifferent during World War II by literally calling them out. By saying, “We believe that Auschwitz and Treblinka were closely guarded secrets…but we learned that….” (Wiesel). Elie claims that even after learning about the camps, the US did nothing. He employs the word "we," making the audience feel guilty but equal.Although Wiesel accepts that people are aware of his story, they may also be aware of one of the numerous acts of brutality taking place around the globe. He cites these as illustrations of injustices that have gone unnoticed. “... bloodbath in Cambodia in Nigeria, India and Pakistan, Ireland and Rwanda, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sarajevo and Kosovo; the inhumanity in the gulag and the tragedy of Hiroshima. And, on a different level, of course, Auschwitz and Treblinka.(Wiesel)” The audience is made to feel guilty or even partially responsible for not intervening