Elie Wiesel's Acceptance Speech

Who is Elie Wiesel? Elie Wiesel is the author of the memoir Night, a holocaust survivor, and also an advocate for anti-semitism. In Elie’s early life, he was taken to a concentration camp, Auschwitz. Elie went on to write, and later perform two speeches. Within the speeches, Elie conveyed the message that evils is among us. In one of his speeches named the Acceptance Speech, he speaks about how the Nazis “... mutilated dreams and visions.” By Elie saying this, he conveys that the Nazis killed children, who had dreams of becoming parents, doctors, or even athletes. He goes on to say, “no one may speak for the dead.” Although he’s right by saying that you cannot speak for the dead, he makes assumptions that the people they did kill, had dreams of being something special. Elie goes on to say “What have you done with my future? What have you done with your life?” This comes from a little boy nearby. This direct quote of Elie’s speech conveys the message that even little kids, who have yet to comprehend what life truly is nor know what death is, know that their lives are nearing an end. Elie and his …show more content…
Elie starts off his speech by writing in the third person narrative by saying “He was finally free, but there was no joy in his heart.” Elie is referring to himself as a young, liberated Jewish boy who has the spirit ripped out of him. Elie feels no happiness knowing he barely survived, and he is all alone, with no family left alive. Elie goes onto say that ¨Grateful is a word that I cherish.¨ Elie is grateful to be alive, grateful to be able to speak about his life's journey. In this speech Elie seems more braud about what he saw; unlike the Acceptance speech where he was talking mainly about himself. He claims that the Nazis practically brainwashed the Jews, ¨staring vacantly into space, unaware of who or where they