Keeping Memory Alive Elie Wiesel

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Neutrality during World War II Imagine living in such a time period, where thousands of children are confused and families are scared. That is what life was like during World War II. In the story, “Keeping Memory Alive”, the author, Elie Wiesel, discussed why remembering the concentration camps is important. “The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family” by Yoshiko Uchida describes daily life in the internment camps. Both stories are connected by sharing their feelings about the unfair treatment received during World War II in the 1940s. In “Keeping Memory Alive”, Elie Wiesel shared his remembrance of living in the ghetto and surviving World War II. He stated, “That I have tried to keep memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.” Wiesel feels as if we should all remember the concentration camps and stand up for the unfair treatment that they received. “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim,” Wiesel …show more content…

The people in the internment camps were treated poorly, receiving small living areas, very few belongings, little food, and little warm water. Although the American-Japanese living in the internment camps were not treated as badly as Jew’s in the concentration camp, there was still no reason for their poor actions. Uchida wrote this autobiography to teach the reader about the life in the internment camps, which are not well-known in today’s society. As Wiesel said in “Keeping Memory Alive”, citizens should have spoken up and tried to defend themselves. The American-Japanese families went along with the flow of things, not choosing sides or voicing their opinion. Both of these stories show how you should speak up for the tormented and never stay silent, which helps the

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