Monday, July 27, 2009
The Power of One Person
In his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Wiesel says: "[O]ne person of integrity can make a difference, a difference of life and death. As long as one dissident is in prison, our freedom will not be true. As long as one child is hungry, our life will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs" (p. 120). How has Elie Wiesel fulfilled this purpose with this book? How does this statement make you feel about your place in the world?
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Stacy,
ReplyDeleteElie Wiesel has fulfilled this purpose with this book because as bad things continued to happen to the Jews and as the people continued to lose hope, happiness and joy, there was always someone there for them even if things did not go as planned with the end of their lives. Just like it says, as one person is hungry, our life will be filled with annguish and shame. That is because as we continue to eat and eat, we remeber those that can not enjoy the food and therefore we feel shame and pain for them. This statement makes me feel that i have more reliling company with me. It shows me that no matter what, there will always be someone there to help me with anything that i need.
Stacy, it is very important to know that we are not alone and that people love us and are willing to help us. Can you (or any other classmates) give some specific examples from the text of times when a character was saved from feeling alone because of the kindness of another?
ReplyDeletethis book gave people a messrge of hope and strength, to not only the people who where in the holocoust but to prople who were also strugguling.
ReplyDeletethat stament made me feel that i can do something to something to good or just help out who needs my help. this stament made me feel that i am important to the people that needs help because i can help them. also it makes me that if someone needs my help i need to help them because i might be the only that can help them.
kaira