Question

3.4.2 review: the rhetoric of speeches
indifference elicits no response. indifference is not a response.
indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. and, therefore,
indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the
aggressor — never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he
or she feels forgotten. the political prisoner in his cell, the hungry
children, the homeless refugees — not to respond to their plight,
not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to
exile them from human memory. and in denying their humanity,
we betray our own.
which part of this excerpt best contributes to wiesels central argument that it is
wrong to be indifferent to human suffering?

○ a. and in denying their humanity, we betray our own.

○ b. indifference elicits no response.

○ c. suffering is never relieved by indifference.

○ d. the political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homele refugees

Explanation:

To determine the best option, we analyze each choice:

• Option A: "And in denying their humanity, we betray our own." This directly connects the act of being indifferent (denying others' humanity) to a negative consequence for ourselves, emphasizing why indifference to human suffering is wrong. It ties the idea of indifference to a moral betrayal, which supports the central argument.
• Option B: "Indifference elicits no response." This is a statement about indifference's nature but doesn't directly argue why it's wrong to be indifferent to suffering.
• Option C: "Suffering is never relieved by indifference." While related, it focuses on the effect on suffering rather than the moral wrong of indifference.
• Option D: "The political prisoner...refugees" is just examples of those suffering, not an argument about why indifference to them is wrong.

So, Option A best contributes to the central argument.

Answer:

A. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own.