Rhetorical Analysis Of Ellie Wiesel's Perils Of Indifference

Ellie Wiesel’s “Perils of Indifference” emphasizes the vital need to take action against injustice, illustrating how indifference can have devastating consequences for both individuals and society. In this speech, Wiesel addresses the urgent necessity of fighting indifference to human suffering, particularly in the context of historical events like the Holocaust. He speaks to prominent figures, including the President and members of Congress, emphasizing their moral duty to remember the past and act against current injustices. The purpose of the speech is to honor Holocaust victims and survivors while condemning apathy. Wiesel calls for empathy, especially towards vulnerable groups like children affected by violence, ultimately inspiring leaders
They felt nothing but a sigh. They were dead and did not know it”(Wiesel). Wiesel’s use of imagery evokes emotion, the use of his descriptive language stirs feelings, and makes the audience more invested in the message. The emotional connection can drive the point home more powerfully than just saying they were scared. This leads to the middle of the speech. After starting off his speech strong, Wiesel continues to use many rhetorical devices to convey the audience, and show the dangers of indifference. Wiesel uses a tricolon to show how indifferent and separated the society was at the concentration camps that he has attended. Wiesel states,” In the place that I come from, society was composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders”(Wiesel). The use of this tricolon categorizes the society into killers, victims, and bystanders; this highlights the clear choices people make in situations of conflict and injustice. Wiesel emphasizes the dangers of indifference, suggesting that bystanders, by failing to act, contribute to all of the suffering. Wiesel is truly stating that when people do not take action for what is wrong, they also play a big role in indifference and