Rhetorical Analysis Of The Perils Of Indifference

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In the speech, “The Perils of Indifference,” (1999) Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, asserts that indifference is cruel and brings pain to those who are on the receiving end. His main purpose is to motivate his audience, the American people, to stand up against the injustice and suffering instead of being indifferent to others situations so that past events, such as the Holocaust, can be prevented in the new millennium. Wiesel is able to reach out to his audience by creating a strong image of himself for his audience, using past historical events, playing on the emotions of his audience, as well as the use of the various tropes and schemes such as erotemas, antithesis, anaphoras, and the his own past experiences. Towards the beginning of …show more content…
His choice of tropes and schemes helps to create a good flow of his speech and helps transition his assertion into his next topic. When Wiesel asks, “What is indifference?” he answers by giving an etymological definition of the word indifference and gives some antithesis statements that help the audience define the word. In the next paragraph, Wiesel proclaims that indifference is seductive so he asks, “Is it necessary at times to practice it simply to keep one’s sanity, live normally, enjoy a fine meal and a glass of wine, as the world around us experiences harrowing upheavals?” Through the use of this rhetorical question, Wiesel moves onto his next topic in his speech without confusing his audience as to how it connects with indifference. The purpose of all this was to try and fill in the gap between the audience and the actions that came from indifference. He felt that his audience was clueless of the effects that occurred from indifference because they had never experienced the pains and horrors that followed. Wiesel aims at appealing to his audience by giving other examples that could help his audience understand his argument at a higher
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Rhetorical Analysis: The Perils Of Indifference

happen. After the war, he had a story to tell. And it was one that not for the faint of heart, but to evoke people. And to tell them that it was okay to take a stand. The Perils of Indifference convinces the public to take start taking action through rhetorical devices, rhetorical appeals, and an empathetic tone. Wiesel uses rhetorical devices to convince the audience to start taking action. In his speech, he begins to ask one question after another. “Does it mean that we have learned from the past?…

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