The Perils of Indifference

In the first sentence, Wiesel makes an allusion—or reference—to Goethe, arguably the father of German literature. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote novels, plays, poems, and scientific studies that were revelatory in their time. Wiesel’s allusion to Goethe and his “beloved Weimar” put Goethe’s creative powers in stark contrast to the death and destructiveness at nearby Buchenwald. The contrast calls into question how German culture, known for Goethe’s beautiful artistry, can also perpetrate the horrors of the Holocaust.

Wiesel asks numerous questions in his short speech, many of which are rhetorical in nature (meaning that they do not have given answers). Rhetorical questioning can be a powerful way to drive home a point without stating the point explicitly. For example, Wiesel notes that the world has intervened in the conflict in Kosovo, which he follows with a series of questions: “Does it mean that we have learned from the past? Does it mean that society has changed? [. . . .] Is today's justified intervention in Kosovo, led by you, Mr. President, a lasting warning that never again will the deportation, the terrorization of children and their parents, be allowed anywhere in the world? Will it discourage other dictators in other lands to do the same?” (Paragraph 22).