I am my brother's keeper.

Ellie Wiesel isn’t just a Professor, a Nobel Laureate, an author of 57 books, and a Holocaust survivor of three concentration camps. He is a man with a cause; or in his view, he is “his brother’s keeper” (42). Through his answers to Richard D. Heffner’s questions, Wiesel makes the point that we see the evil actions and the suffering of others—yet we do not act on it. One day our attention is focused on one apartheid, and then the media switches the interest to another. Yet we simply watch and do nothing (43). Wiesel explains, “if we ignore suffering, we become accomplices, as so many did during the Holocaust” (49). Although Wiesel acknowledges that one person cannot change everything, his main point in this dialogue is that the first step humanity must take to change the world is simply to listen. The author makes this very clear through his analysis of the story of Cain and Abel, as well as through his own actions.

The traditional biblical analysis of the story of Cain and Abel usually puts an emphasis on the fact that jealousy played a large role in the murder. God refused Cain’s offering (and therefore his marriage), and Cain slew his brother in a fit of jealousy. Wiesel instead takes the story from a more human perspective and says “in the Bible it’s said, ‘And Cain spoke to Abel. And we don’t even know if Abel listened…the first act, really, among brothers, was a lack of communication” (44). Although it is unclear what Cain’s motives were for killing his brother, Wiesel makes the point that clear communication could have changed things. The author then goes on to say that he believes in clear communication—in respectful, sincere, conversation. Only good will come of it; and even if you cannot suffer for another, you can be there for them.

When asked whether he is “his brother’s keeper,” Wiesel recalls that “there were times when I needed people, and they were not there” (45). Even to a homeless man who has his hand outreached Wiesel cannot deny a dollar, despite the fact that the dollar may be used to purchase alcohol. The author makes the point that all the newspapers and magazines in America in 1945 showed pictures of the Holocaust, yet nobody took action. The author, who lived through this unspeakable tragedy, makes himself the advocate of those who suffer—of those whose voices are not heard. Although there are monetary and political boundaries to what we can do, Wiesel maintains that the most important thing is to not be ignorant—to acknowledge the horror that goes on in the world and make it a high priority to do something about it. This is what he asks of his students, and this is what he asks of the readers. “‘We can therefore we must.’ There is so much forgetfulness, so much indifference today, that we must fight it. We must for the sake of our own future” (45).

In my view, Ellie Wiesel makes an excellent insight about humanity and existence. We are so involved with our own lives that we choose to ignore what goes on around the world. It is very evident to me that I cannot solve Haiti’s political and economic problems, nor can I find a cure for the AIDS epidemic in Africa. But what makes us human is to pay attention—to be open-minded and do what we are capable of doing. For what difference does it make that I can’t afford name brand clothing when people cannot afford food to nourish themselves? We must do what we can.