Abstract- Elie Wiesel is a writer who writes fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work that was shown in "Why I Write: Baking No Become Yes." He happens to be more than an ordinary writer; he's a concentration camp survivor. His only role he said he sought was that of witness. He believed that his real purpose for surviving was to write about the holocaust so that the world would not forget them or the people who did those terrible things to them. Through his writing he wanted to bring the readers onto the side that he and fellow survivors were on, but knew that it would be impossible for the readers to understand. Though he does write so that everyone can be warned, he always first and foremost writes to wrench those victims from oblivion and to help the dead vanquish death. Contextual- After reading this text it made me think; how is it we can read, hear, or even see something that makes us cringe and feel depressed and even still not possible imagine how someone else felt or feels. The text talks of how it’s impossible to know the way they felt or the pains they suffered; I totally agree but to not move on doesn't make it easier and sometimes forgetting things can not only make feelings of bitterness or even grudges go away. After reading the whole text I thought back to all that I have learned on this subject and I realized something that most be don't think of; how incomprehensible the emotions, thoughts, and the feelings of the victims and even more the perpetrators. Content-1) In this text's context witness could be basically those survivors of the concentration camps. Places in the text that show this are: “It is for them I write, and yet the survivor may experience remorse. He has tried to bear witness; it was all in vain." Another example is: "The only role I sought was that of a witness. I believed that, having survived by chance, I was duty-bound to give meaning to my survival, to justify each moment of my life." 2) I believe he says transmit rather than telling, simply because you always miss parts or leave small detail out that probably were necessary pieces. Transmitting the experience would take the whole experience down to the smallest details, leaving nothing out. He wants to transmit his survival experience as well as what those who died experienced, which makes it so much more important because it can help him heal. It’s important to humanity so that we won't allow something like it happen, if we the people can help it. 3) "Why I Write" alone doesn't feel Elie's commitment to "make no become yes." It is more on the lines of a prologue for his other book "Night" which tells his story and makes people then know of what had transpired long ago. 4)Writing for Elie is his duty because he survived and since he can't just shout it he writes his story. I believe he sees it as an honor because in his story the dead find refuge. 5)InElie Wiesel's book, "Night" there is found on the last or second to last page a phrase that says something similar to this: "After liberation we did not seek revenge nor did we hold any ill will to anyone we only sought to live the rest of our lives." The fact that he writes books with great talent, is a concentration camp survivor, and through all of it he held no ill will or need for vengeance within him and still all he wants is to make sure we understand and remember those cruel and evil days more than qualifies him for the Nobel Peace Prize he received. Strategies/Structures- Elie Wiesel's audience is no one in particular. His writings are a warning that we as the people in the outside will not understand the tragedies that took place. Though he does expect us to have some understanding of Judaism, like the Kaddish, the Zohar, and to even some knowledge of the Bible. Most of all he expects us to know the things that took place during World War II. At a glance it does seem that he expects a lot from us in his writing but in actuality he expects we won't just understand, but that we won’t care. He believes that no matter how much prior knowledge we possess if we can't understand the events that occurred within those concentration camps as well as why they occurred; we will just simply not care or care as much as those who do know and understand.
Contextual- After reading this text it made me think; how is it we can read, hear, or even see something that makes us cringe and feel depressed and even still not possible imagine how someone else felt or feels. The text talks of how it’s impossible to know the way they felt or the pains they suffered; I totally agree but to not move on doesn't make it easier and sometimes forgetting things can not only make feelings of bitterness or even grudges go away. After reading the whole text I thought back to all that I have learned on this subject and I realized something that most be don't think of; how incomprehensible the emotions, thoughts, and the feelings of the victims and even more the perpetrators.
Content- 1) In this text's context witness could be basically those survivors of the concentration camps. Places in the text that show this are: “It is for them I write, and yet the survivor may experience remorse. He has tried to bear witness; it was all in vain." Another example is: "The only role I sought was that of a witness. I believed that, having survived by chance, I was duty-bound to give meaning to my survival, to justify each moment of my life."
2) I believe he says transmit rather than telling, simply because you always miss parts or leave small detail out that probably were necessary pieces. Transmitting the experience would take the whole experience down to the smallest details, leaving nothing out. He wants to transmit his survival experience as well as what those who died experienced, which makes it so much more important because it can help him heal. It’s important to humanity so that we won't allow something like it happen, if we the people can help it.
3) "Why I Write" alone doesn't feel Elie's commitment to "make no become yes." It is more on the lines of a prologue for his other book "Night" which tells his story and makes people then know of what had transpired long ago.
4) Writing for Elie is his duty because he survived and since he can't just shout it he writes his story. I believe he sees it as an honor because in his story the dead find refuge.
5) In Elie Wiesel's book, "Night" there is found on the last or second to last page a phrase that says something similar to this: "After liberation we did not seek revenge nor did we hold any ill will to anyone we only sought to live the rest of our lives." The fact that he writes books with great talent, is a concentration camp survivor, and through all of it he held no ill will or need for vengeance within him and still all he wants is to make sure we understand and remember those cruel and evil days more than qualifies him for the Nobel Peace Prize he received.
Strategies/Structures- Elie Wiesel's audience is no one in particular. His writings are a warning that we as the people in the outside will not understand the tragedies that took place. Though he does expect us to have some understanding of Judaism, like the Kaddish, the Zohar, and to even some knowledge of the Bible. Most of all he expects us to know the things that took place during World War II. At a glance it does seem that he expects a lot from us in his writing but in actuality he expects we won't just understand, but that we won’t care. He believes that no matter how much prior knowledge we possess if we can't understand the events that occurred within those concentration camps as well as why they occurred; we will just simply not care or care as much as those who do know and understand.