Is that why my manuscript was rejected by every major publisher?” (Wiesel x). Publishers wanted to stay away from intense topics that are difficult to write about, read about, and understand, let alone experience it. Even attempting to comprehend the cruelty human beings are capable of is terrifying, yet that is the reason it must be talked about. If one distances oneself from the horrors humans are capable of commiting and transforms people into caricatures of the worst parts of themselves, then one is able to refuse to acknowledge what people are capable of. This leaves people, especially those with less societal and political power, vulnerable. Wiesel, despite resistance, shared his story. The horrors of the Holocaust, while difficult to read about, must have awareness raised for it, which Wiesel contributed to in writing his memoir. This is vital to understand the trauma that the victims went through and, as Wiesel states, “for the youth of today, for the children who will be born tomorrow. He does not want his past to become their future” (Wiesel xv). This statement sums up the importance of sharing one’s experience. Additionally, understanding the historical context of such events is important as well. For example, Nazis heavily used propaganda to quell the public’s protests about the treatment of their fellow citizens, creating promotional videos depicting peaceful scenes of Jewish people in concentration camps. These films were far from the truth. Also, the author states, “‘Auschwitz.’ Nobody had ever heard that name” (Wiesel 27) This emphasizes the lack of information the public
Is that why my manuscript was rejected by every major publisher?” (Wiesel x). Publishers wanted to stay away from intense topics that are difficult to write about, read about, and understand, let alone experience it. Even attempting to comprehend the cruelty human beings are capable of is terrifying, yet that is the reason it must be talked about. If one distances oneself from the horrors humans are capable of commiting and transforms people into caricatures of the worst parts of themselves, then one is able to refuse to acknowledge what people are capable of. This leaves people, especially those with less societal and political power, vulnerable. Wiesel, despite resistance, shared his story. The horrors of the Holocaust, while difficult to read about, must have awareness raised for it, which Wiesel contributed to in writing his memoir. This is vital to understand the trauma that the victims went through and, as Wiesel states, “for the youth of today, for the children who will be born tomorrow. He does not want his past to become their future” (Wiesel xv). This statement sums up the importance of sharing one’s experience. Additionally, understanding the historical context of such events is important as well. For example, Nazis heavily used propaganda to quell the public’s protests about the treatment of their fellow citizens, creating promotional videos depicting peaceful scenes of Jewish people in concentration camps. These films were far from the truth. Also, the author states, “‘Auschwitz.’ Nobody had ever heard that name” (Wiesel 27) This emphasizes the lack of information the public