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Julia Broughton

Prof. Geiselman

English 1101-01

19 September 2018

Compassion is Key

In the spring of 1999, a wise old Jewish man told his story in front of an audience that

included the President of the United States. The man's name was Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust

survivor. At age sixteen, he was liberated from Auschwitz, a brutal German concentration camp.

At age seventy, now a famous author and Noble Prize Laureate, he stood behind a podium in

Washington D.C. and gave a powerful speech titled "The Perils of Indifference." The speech

reflects on how indifference played a part in the dark times of the quickly fading twentieth

century and how that same indifference could affect the new century. Mr. Wiesel's speech was

incredibly moving because of his use of three classic rhetorical appeals: pathos, logos, and

Kairos. He also used his knowledge of American values in order to inspire the American people

to set an example for the world in being kinder to their fellow man.

Mr. Wiesel appeals to the emotions of the audience by painting a vivid picture of how

indifference negatively affects a person. He states that indifference "benefits the aggressor—

never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten." His statement plays

on the empathy of the audience, as everyone has felt forgotten or ignored and can relate to that

feeling. The audience begins to realize the injustice of allowing people to feel abandoned. In

turn, it gives them a chance to reflect on whether their indifference could have caused someone

to feel as if he or she was of no consequence. To illustrate his strong feelings, Mr. Wiesel
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declares that to "not to relieve their solitude by offering a spark of hope is to exile them from

human memory." By providing his listeners with a stark description of what happens when

someone is forgotten by society, they begin to understand the cruelty of ignoring those who are

suffering. This effectively creates a sense of alarm in the audience and instills in them a sense of

duty to show their compassion towards those who are hurting.

By using an enthymeme, Mr. Wiesel effectively explains why humans can be so

indifferent and how that indifference affects those around them. He begins with his claim that

"indifference can be tempting" and follows with his reasoning as to why indifference is so

appealing. He believes that for humans, "it is so much easier to avoid such interruptions to our

work, or dreams, and our hopes." The audience can then conclude that humans do not like to

sympathize with others because that would require them to put aside their desires and place

other's needs before their own. Mr. Wiesel is showing his listeners that the root of indifference is

selfishness. He warns that by ignoring the suffering of others, their "hidden or even visible

anguish is of no interest." His warning convicts the audience, as they realize that by not

sympathizing with those who are going through hard times, they are sending them the silent

message that they do not matter.

Knowing that his audience would question his belief that indifference is the cruelest

human response, Mr. Wiesel presents a logical argument to back up his claim. He argues that

being indifferent to "suffering is what makes the human being inhuman." Well aware of the fact

that this is a bold claim, as most people would argue anger or hatred brings out the worst in a

human being, he reminds the audience that "anger at times can be creative" and "hatred at times

may elicit a response." Both hate and anger take action in some way, whereas indifference does

nothing, as it purposely ignores the hardships that others are going through. He wants the
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audience to know that by being indifferent, one develops a cold callousness that is worse than

burning anger or bitter hate. To his listeners, this is a shocking revelation, which inclines them to

think deeply about how they can be more compassionate and caring.

As potent as Mr. Wiesel's speech is, it had an even more significant effect on his listeners

because of when it was spoken. The year 1999 was a time for reflection, as humanity was about

to embark on a new century. This new era was symbolic in that it signaled new beginnings and a

fresh start. Mr. Wiesel puts this into words when he says "We are on the threshold of a new

century, a new millennium." He asks the audience "What will the legacy of this vanishing

century be?". Then, he goes on to list all the horrible mistakes humanity had made in the

twentieth century. The audience realizes that those mistakes would forever be engrained in

history, giving them the resolve to do better in the upcoming century. Mr. Wiesel is proposing

that if humans could be kinder towards each other, then the future can be better than the past. His

proposal is in essence, a call to action for humanity, as everyone wants the chance to be able to

leave behind a positive legacy.

Not only does Mr. Wiesel speak at an opportune moment in history, but he also takes into

account the American values his audience holds. He appeals to the American ideal found in the

Declaration of Independence, which is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He

tells the story of 1,000 Jewish refugees who traveled by ship from Nazi Germany to America

seeking safety, only to be turned back once they landed. The worst part of the story was that at

that point in time, the American government was well aware of the persecution that the Jews

suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Knowing this story would effectively shock his listeners, he

asks his audience why America, "the great country, the greatest democracy, the most generous of

all new nations in modern history" would deny the refugees the same privileges that its people
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enjoy. Why couldn't the Jews also have the right to live a life of freedom, a life where they could

worship and live as they choose? Mr. Wiesel's question seeks an answer that the American

people cannot give him. This convicts his listeners and gives them the drive to be more

compassionate towards others rather than ignoring them or turning them away. Mr. Wiesel

targeted the Americans specifically because he knew that other nations looked up to the United

States. If this nation set the example for compassion, other nations would follow.

Mr. Wiesel's speech was a message of both hope and warning. He wanted to encourage

people as a whole to be less indifferent and more loving towards those who are suffering.

However, he knew that humans were creatures of habit and would fall back into their old ways of

callousness, so he provided dark illustrations of what happens to the outcasts of society. His use

of classic rhetorical appeals and his knowledge of American ideals made his speech incredibly

powerful and effective. Humanity is now in the new century Mr. Wiesel spoke of, and horrible

mistakes have already been made. But this is not the end. We still have a great opportunity to do

good for our fellow humans. We still have time to shower our love and compassion on those who

feel helpless and forgotten. We do not have to wait until the next century to rectify our mistakes.

Every day is a new day, a chance to start over and do better. Let us start each new sunrise with

the resolution to act in love, not indifference, so that we may look forward to the future with

what Mr. Wiesel calls "extraordinary hope."

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Works Cited

Wiesel, Elie. “The Perils of Indifference.” Millennium Lecture Series. White House East Room,

12 Apr. 1999, White House, Washington D.C. Speech.