The Use Of Rhetorical Devices In We Choose Honor By Elie Wiesel
In Elie Wiesel’s story, “We Choose Honor”, he grieves the attacks of September 11 yet makes the point that the event did the opposite of what it was intended to do. Throughout the story, Wiesel’s tone shifts from disbelief to resent to optimistic. Wiesel uses visual imagery to paint a moment of 9/11 in the reader’s mind and to develop the same standpoint as the author. One example is when he says, “ at the gigantic cloud of smoke and ashes hanging over the lower part of the city.
Someone we love worked on Wall Street. Cell phones remained mute ” He draws attention to the falling tower and the victims inside in order to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A close reading of the quote reveals what was running through their minds during the time and how everything felt so surreal that they could break down any moment. Wiesel uses ‘love’ to stir the reader’s emotions. In addition, he uses ‘mute’ to evoke sympathy for losing a loved one. Another rhetorical device used in the speech is diction. Wiesel uses diction to ponders terrorist actions through short and abrupt sentences. When talking about terrorist, he explains the reasons why they planned the attack, “A human earthquake, it was caused by people whose faith had been perverted. There can be no justification for it. Can it be explained? Yes, by hatred. Hatred is at the root of evil everywhere. ” Wiesel uses ‘human earthquake’ to display the panic that took over their emotions and make an uproar within the community. In the text, hatred is used repeatedly to highlight terrorist corrupted behavior and their wrongdoings. Finally, Wiesel also uses syntax. Another rhetorical device used in this story is the syntax. He explained the actions Americans took during the aftermath of the attack, “ But the American people did not bend.
Instead of trying to save themselves, men and women, young, and old, ran to Ground Zero to offer assistance. Some stood in line for hours to donate blood terrorist achieved the opposite of what they wanted. ” He describes that creating fear impacted their critical thinking and impulsive decisions to help those in need. This event caused Americans to unite and become stronger than ever. The author’s message is trying to make a memorable connection with the reader that shifts the tone from resentful to optimistic. In conclusion, Wiesel’s purpose is to convey the idea that if you come to a conclusion on what you can do instead of standing there, you can make a difference in people’s lives.
