Wiesels Perils of Indifference for Holocaust Study

At the end of the 20th-century, author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel delivered a speech titled  The Perils of Indifference  to a joint session of the United States Congress.   Wiesel was the Nobel-Peace Prize-winning author of the haunting memoir ​​Night, a slim memoir that traces his struggle for survival at the  Auschwitz/Buchenwald  work complex when he was a teenager. The book is often assigned to students in grades 7-12, and it is sometimes a cross-over between English and social studies or humanities classes. Secondary school educators who plan units on World War II and who want to include primary source materials on the Holocaust will appreciate the length of his speech. It is 1818 words  long and it can be read at the 8th-grade reading level. A  video  of Wiesel delivering the speechcan be found on the  American Rhetoric website. The video runs 21 minutes. When he delivered this speech, Wiesel had come before the U.S. Congress to thank the American soldiers and the American people for liberating the camps at the end of World War II. Wiesel had spent nine months in the Buchenwald/Aushwitcz complex. In a terrifying retell, he explains how his mother and sisters had been separated from him when they first arrived.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Eight short, simple words†¦ Men to the left! Women to the right!(27). Shortly after this separation, Wiesel concludes, these family members were killed in the gas chambers at the concentration camp. Yet Wiesel and his father survived starvation, disease, and the deprivation of spirit until shortly before liberation when his father eventually succumbed. At the conclusion of the memoir, Wiesel admits with guilt that at time of his fathers death, he felt relieved. Eventually, Wiesel felt compelled to testify against the Nazi regime, and he wrote the memoir to bear witness against the genocide which killed his family along with six million Jews.   The Perils of Indifference Speech In the speech, Wiesel focuses on one word in order to connect the concentration camp at  Auschwitz  with the  genocides of the late 20th Century. That one word is  indifference.  which is defined at  CollinsDictionary.com  as  a lack of interest or concern.   Wiesel, however, defines indifference in more spiritual terms: Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment. And this is one of the most important lessons of this outgoing centurys wide-ranging experiments in good and evil. This speech was delivered 54 years after he had been liberated by American forces. His gratitude to the American forces who liberated him is what opens the speech, but after the opening paragraph, Wiesel seriously admonishes Americans to do more to halt genocides all over the world. By not intervening on behalf of those victims of genocide, he states clearly, we are collectively indifferent to their suffering: Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Anger can at times be creative. One writes a great poem, a great symphony, one does something special for the sake of humanity because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. But indifference is never creative. In continuing to define his interpretation of indifference, Wiesel asks the audience to think beyond themselves: Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten.   Wiesel then includes those populations of people who are victims, victims of political change, economic hardship, or natural disasters: The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugees -- not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity we betray our own. Students are often asked what does the author mean, and in this paragraph, Wiesel spells out quite clearly how indifference to the suffering of others causes a betrayal of being human, of having the human qualities of kindness or benevolence.  Indifference means a rejection of an ability to take action and accept responsibility in the light of injustice. To be indifferent is to be inhuman. Literary Qualities Throughout the speech, Wiesel uses a variety of literary elements. There is the personification of indifference as a friend of the enemy or the metaphor about the Muselmanner  who he describes as being those who were ...  dead and did not know it. One of the most common literary devices Wiesel uses is the rhetorical question.  In  The Perils of Indifference, Wiesel asks a total of 26 questions, not to receive an answer form his audience, but to  emphasize a point or focus the audience’s attention on his argument. He asks  the listeners: Does it mean that we have learned from the past? Does it mean that society has changed? Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? Have we really learned from our experiences? Are we less insensitive to the plight of victims of ethnic cleansing and other forms of injustices in places near and far? Speaking at the conclusion of the 20th Century, Wiesel poses these rhetorical questions for students to consider in their century. Meets Academic Standards in English and Social Studies The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) demand that students read informational texts, but the framework does not require specific texts. Wiesel’s The Perils of Indifference contains the information and rhetorical devices that meet the text complexity criteria of the CCSS.   This speech also connects to the C3 Frameworks for Social Studies. While there are many different disciplinary lenses in these frameworks, the historical lens is particularly appropriate: D2.His.6.9-12. Analyze the ways in which the perspectives of those writing history shaped the history that they produced. Wiesels memoir Night centers on his experience in the concentration camp as both a record for history and a reflection on that experience. More specifically, Wiesel’s message is necessary if we want our students to confront the conflicts in this new 21st-century. Our students must be prepared to question as Wiesel does why â€Å"deportation, the terrorization of children and their parents be allowed anywhere in the world?   Conclusion Wiesel has made many literary contributions to helping others all over the world understand the Holocaust. He has written extensively in a wide variety of genres, but it is through his memoir Night and the words of this speech The Perils of Indifference   that students can best understand the critical importance of learning from the past. Wiesel has written about the Holocaust and delivered this speech so that we all, students, teachers, and citizens of the world, may never forget.

Corporate Social Responsibility and The Peace Panda...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as an initiative by companies to manage its business, positive image and reputation that reflects from its business on the society, such as the environment and its impact on the society. BreadTalk, with business expansions into China, had a program which practiced corporate social responsibility during the Sichuan Earthquake incident. It was undoubtedly one of China’s most devastating natural disasters. BreadTalk came up with a â€Å"Peace Panda† program which showed their support for the victims and to play a part in the relief efforts. The â€Å"Peace Panda† program is basically panda-shaped bread which was an iconic symbol of Sichuan was meant to appeal to consumers. BreadTalk then had the†¦show more content†¦Culture represents the customs and social behaviour of a society. To have dealings with one’s culture, one must understand another’s culture to prevent venturing into taboos which might be perfectly normal in other cultures. For example, Power Distance in United States is such that superiors and subordinates often interact socially as equals. However in China, superiors and subordinates do not interact socially as equals. Respect between superiors and subordinates exist heavily regardless whether is during work hours or after work. For most expansions into a foreign country, companies will hire locals to aid in manpower. Higher management positions are usually brought over with the company. The higher management staff will have to supervise the local workers to provide the company with the productivity they want. In this case the higher management staff will have to understand the work culture for the locals in order to not breach any taboos or customs to the local working culture. By understanding the work culture it will also show that the company has respect for the locals and that they gave effort to study the local work customs. 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Rock Music and Outstanding Rock Bands Essay Example For Students

Rock Music and Outstanding Rock Bands Essay It was truly a sensory overloading festival and nearly drove me crazy. My body shook as if they stood on the middle of the big earthquake because of the monstrous excitement that held me. Also, the quality of sound was so extremely magnificent that I could feel every step of guitarists fingering with superb performances. And every time drummer hit the drum, my heartbeat followed that rhythm. So, I was afraid that if my heart Jumped out of my chest. It even made my teeth chatter. The whole space seemed to be Jammed of thrilling atmosphere and moved with the beat of each song. The passion of people was enormous. They frantically rocked and danced to the rhythm of the rock song, so I had to actually become one with the people around me. The crowd didnt allow any personal space. We were all closely packed in there like Handed Beach during the peak of summer. The first artist of the concert is Basso. He is an Indies rapper in Korea. At first, I didnt know about him much so my reaction was passive. But, as the song began, I was captured by his unique music style and fantastic lyrics. Then, my reaction turned to be enthusiastic. Especially, I was fall in love with the song, Hero. This song was absolutely a masterpiece. All the strong beats, powerful rapping, and supremely confident lyrics Everything was perfect. After the performances over, I couldnt utter a word, even a sigh, because I overwhelmed by the magnificence of Bassos music style.. Then, band Teardrop came upon the second stage. As soon as stepped onto stage, they played their song, Die To Live Right away without any comment. So I was embarrassed at first, but soon I was easily immersed in their ardent performances. I was so excited that I ran, Jumped high, and rocked my body harshly. It was literally made me almost dead because It was too hard for me. After the performances, they said that the reason they played their music right away was to make the audience concentrate on music. And I did as they intended. So I thought they succeeded what they want to do. On third stage, the band who was well known for their frantic music and performances, Galaxy Express showed up. Even before the music started, all audiences were shouted their name and made a noise with great expectations of crazy performances. And, as soon as their representative song Oh yeah! Was played, all audiences raved like a madman and screamed as if they had seen a monster. The concert hall almost seemed to collapse because of the heavy weight of frantic and lunatic atmosphere. And finally, my favorite Indies band came. The last band was Dibble. When the first song Abandoned was played, I couldnt take my eyes off the stage. The Fantastic performances and plenty of lighting technicians kept my eyes filled with colorful enders as the music played on. The stage was a cons tant flurry of excitement. This was generally caused by the two great guitarists, Sunshiny and Rock. Add to this, As befitted to their band name Dibble, they showed completely good harmony and superlative performances. It was a best stage I had ever experienced of my life. After the all performances over, I couldnt take my feet off the ground because my heart and legs were shook like the old branches swayed in the wind. It was truly amazing to that extent. Im sure I cant forget the experience I had that day. Rock will never die!

Shakespeare Effect On Theatre Essays - Kings Men,

Shakespeare Effect On Theatre William Shakespeare and all of his works greatly contributed to contemporary theater in many ways. His understanding of other people allowed him to fully grasp the quality he wrote of. The works of Shakespeare contain a strong and constant truth, touching emotional and supernatural aspects of life. These realities make Shakespeare's works vital, even on toady's learning institutions and theatrical realms, accounting for his enormous success. Shakespeare was born in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire on April 23rd, 1564. Though his family fell into hard times financially, young William's education was not neglected. He attended local schools in Stratford. Shakespeare viewed annual plays and travelling artists at a young age. It is possible that these plays and performances ignited a spark that continued to burn. During the winter of 1582, at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway who was 26 and already six months pregnant by him. Two years later Anne gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. With a wife and three children to maintain, things were getting a bit difficult. Shakespeare moved to London in 1585, where he was very successful. In London Shakespeare worked as an actor and a writer and even owned his own playhouse. He was a very respected man there. He was the first playwright to have his formal biography written and published with his works. Between 1592 and 1594, all theaters were closed due to an outbreak of the plague. During this time Shakespeare turned to poetry, writing sonnets and long narrative poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. When the theaters reopened in 1594, Shakespeare joined the newly formed Lord Chamberlains Men, under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth. Being an important part of the troupe, he eventually became an honored senior member. Writing plays soon became a demanding business. Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays, which were separated into three basic categories, comedy, tragedy, and history. Shakespeare retired t Stratford and became one of its leading citizens. In April of 1616, William Shakespeare at fifty-two years of age was laid to rest. Without William Shakespeare and his many great works, contemporary theater would not be anything like it is today. His verse, especially the power of his metaphors and his characters, so well rounded and carefully detailed that they often seem like living people. He was also a master of plot construction, notably episodic plot structure, which stands alongside climatic structure as one of the two main forms that have been predominant throughout the history of western theater. With Shakespear's vast influence on many different cultures, he tried and tested variations of grammar and word usage. He experimented so the stuffy English language would not be so common and boring. Shakespeare was to be a writer for all time, to be highly acclaimed. He deserves applause by all playwrights, past and present. His works are timeless and vary according to the interest of the reader, making him universal. In Shakespear's own day and time, no one ever imagined what a huge success his works would become. No writer since William Shakespeare has ever been as well known. No other writer has evoked so many emendations, speculations, and commentaries than Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was indeed an Elizabethan who took advantage of his time and talents, in turn changing today's time and talents of contemporary theater.