Hope Despair And Memory By Elie Wiesel Rhetorical Analysis

Oppression is the systematic method of prolonged cruelty and unjust treatment, often intended for those who are deemed “different” by a hierarchical society. It’s a basis that can be found in the plot of a fictional movie or novel, but most importantly, it’s an aspect of both past and modern life that has affected multiple nations. Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, is a humanitarian who embodies the personal experiences of what being oppressed feels like – how it itches at one’s skin like the hatred and stares directed at them. The reason he is so important is because of his stories; what he has seen. The insight and intelligence he has brought forth further educates those who had previously accepted the world with their eyes closed.

To this day, oppression is no stranger – it crawls underneath the surface and allows others to become internalized with preconceived notions of those with unalike races and religions. When comparing the similarities of subjection from 1933-1945 to contemporary eras, empathy for those affected by systematic oppression is vital for political and societal advances.
In an excerpt from one of his passages, “Hope, Despair, and Memory,” Elie Wiesel relates Jewish experience during the Holocaust to universal humanitarian issues such as Nelson Mandela’s racially profiled arrest.

By stating, “racism itself is dreadful, but when it pretends to be legal, and therefore just, when a man like Nelson Mandela is imprisoned, it becomes even more repugnant” and “one cannot help but assign the two systems, in their supposed legality, to the same camp” (Wiesel, p.1), the Holocaust survivor is creating solidarity within two separate decades that are connected by the government’s tyranny. The rationale behind constructing a system of unity is to ensure the lives of the oppressed, regardless of their personal beliefs and cultures. Mandela is not affiliated with the Holocaust, nor is he a Jew – rather the former President of South Africa who stood up against anti-black movements – but he is still bound by a common

matter.
Additionally, like racism, terrorism is concomitant with oppression. It’s televised, printed; spread by word-of-mouth from those who either stand behind the aggressors or the oppressed, but never both. Terrorists use violence in the pursuit of political aims, frequently targeting groups that are vulnerable to acts of despotism. The rioting of rebels was found in “the hostages in Iran, the senseless deaths in the streets of Paris” (Wiesel, p.1) and continues to be relevant in affairs around the globe. It was relevant when Hitler aimed his offenses at Jews and other minorities. It is pertinent in current events that take the world by storm and shake it to its core through gruesome undertakings. Wiesel suggests that “terrorism must be outlawed by all civilized nations” (p.1). If comprehension is not obtained by those who are living now, opposed to those who already experienced insurrection, the comparisons between situations lose their purpose. Standing back in silence does not help the oppressed.
Although morbid situations that lack in human compassion, maltreatment can create cohesion between completely unrelated events.

Mandela was not initially connected to the incidents surrounding the Holocaust, but he was mentioned by Wiesel because of the similarities in their oppression. The hostages in Iran and the deaths in Paris had nothing to do with Hitler’s reign, but the terrorism connected to the murders correlated in tune with his plans of genocide. Whatever the reason an act of oppression is prevalent within a society, it can always be traced back to earlier days and issues. Wiesel said that, “mankind must remember that peace is not God’s gift to his creatures, it is our gift to each other” (p.2) and by studying the way oppression once was, and how it has translated into more modern times, a safer world has the opportunity to

flourish.