Skip to main content

"Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair." What do you think Elie Wiesel meant by this statement from...

The quote comes from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize lecture in 1986, almost thirty years after the publication of his memoir Night, which recounts the year he spent in Nazi concentration camps and his miraculous liberation. In his speech he urges mankind not to forget the atrocities of the Nazis, as well as other examples where senseless brutality has proliferated. His memoir is part of that "remembering." The Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said,...

The quote comes from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize lecture in 1986, almost thirty years after the publication of his memoir Night, which recounts the year he spent in Nazi concentration camps and his miraculous liberation. In his speech he urges mankind not to forget the atrocities of the Nazis, as well as other examples where senseless brutality has proliferated. His memoir is part of that "remembering." The Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This seems to sum up what Wiesel had in mind. In order not to forget, one must recall the despair that one felt in the face of hardship and move on from there.


Wiesel uses the Biblical example of Job, who had everything taken away from him, but remained hopeful and eventually rebuilt his life. Wiesel did the same thing, yet he has dedicated his life to remembering the despair he experienced in the camps and spreading the word about those horrors. In Night, he produces a litany of ways in which men could perform inhumane acts toward their fellow men, yet throughout the book there are also examples of acts of hope and generosity. Ultimately, Wiesel believes mankind must "reject" despair for the hope which drove Job to rebuild. In 2016, with wars raging on four of the seven continents and terrorism an imminent threat, Wiesel's words are even more important for the world, even if it seems that, in the ensuing years, his speech has fallen on deaf ears. Moreover, his book Night remains an important reminder and a document of protest against the sort of inhumanity which mankind seems unable to overcome.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...