People are prone to overlook Injustice and tragic events. Elie Wesel is bold enough to stand up and give a speech that demonstrates how people ignore injustices. It can be hard to convince people to act against inhumane events. Elie Wiesel uses emotional appeals to win their trust and make them care. Elie Wiesel encourages people to act for the benefit of humanity and the common good. Elie Wiesel speaks to political leaders and followers. The speech was made in front Bill and Hillary Clinton as well Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and activist, shared his view of indifferent people and how it had affected the nation. The “Perils of Indifference”, a presentation that combined ethos, pathos and humor to inspire, persuade or motivate people to address the injustices. Elie uses pathos to relate his experiences of being freed of the inhumane actions of WWII. The audience feels sympathetic towards Elie’s childhood and is drawn to his memory. “There wasn’t joy in his heart.” This is a great quote. It shows that although he wouldn’t have been as strong without the tragedy, it was also dignifying. Elie complements Bill Clinton by saying “Commander and chief of the army who freed me and tens, of thousands of other people” and Mrs. Clinton for her help (Wiesel). But Elie goes on to criticize the government’s indifference towards the conflict during WWII. We believe Auschwitz was a secret…but we found out ….”. Elie says that the United States did not find out about the camps even though they were aware. Elie Wiesel is telling the audience that their suffering and their hurt are compared to the indifference which they have not opposed to. Our indifference to the misery of others is an example of how we can never be happy. Wiesel’s childhood experiences with terrible injustices inspired him to help others learn about indifference. “Indifference, afterall, is more deadly than anger and hatred.” (Wiesel). Wiesel uses this quote to illustrate his ethos. His personal experience, in which he was targeted for hatred or anger, is what makes it significant. Because he uses words like “hatred” to make his audience feel hurt, he also creates his sense of indifference. This is because no one loves being a target. Wiesel approached the problem by asking rhetorical queries and making allusions that made his argument more relatable to the audience. His speech was easy to understand and reliable. Elie Wiesel’s life is full of tragic stories. He is able to be credible because he has personal experience with the topic. If they don’t know what the speaker is talking about, many people won’t listen. Elie Wiesel uses words that start with “our” as a way to draw the audience and set the stage. Wiesel understands that the audience will feel more comfortable if they are equal to him. Wiesel’s use of “our” builds trust and a connection with his audience. He acknowledges that everyone makes mistakes and sometimes even admits to having done it himself. The cheese makes political people equal with the rest of the community. Wiesel makes it clear that everyone should be objective about what is happening around the world. He grabs attention emotionally by making many of the Injustices being experienced at the time he gives his speech. Wiesel acknowledges the fact that people are familiar with his story and may also have knowledge of some of other brutalities occurring around the world. These are used by Wiesel to illustrate injustices, and to highlight what was not seen. “Bloodbath in Cambodia, Nigeria and Pakistan, India and Pakistan and Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sarajevo, Kosovo, and the inhumanity of the gulag, as well as the tragedy at Hiroshima. Treblinka and Auschwitz are also on another level. (Wiesel.) This quote forces the audience feel guilty and even responsible for not stopping these horrible events. Instead, the whole nation has been failing to recognize and respond to these tragic situations. Wiesel not only succeeds in reminding people of the tragedy, but also gains credibility for his involvement in the Auschwitz tragedy. Wiesel’s way of getting his point across is through using humor and ethos. Elie Wiesel accomplishes these things in many ways. His past experience makes him credible before he talks about indifference. Elie Wiesel encourages his audience members to fight indifference between nations and society. This speech is intended to bring awareness to others and expose their views about indifference.
