Question

Look at Wiesel's use of the word abandoned in the seventh paragraph. What sort of connotation does abandoned have (as opposed to the more straightforward left behind or moved on without)? How does its use support Wiesel's purpose or ideas?

Answer 1

Abandoned as a word has a much more purposeful connotation than 'left behind' or 'moved on without'. Abandoned means that the people who were doing the leaving did it on purpose. It means that those who moved on were actively trying to leave them, not just forgetting or making a mistake, which 'left behind' feels like. 

This ties into his central idea because he is saying that by not doing anything, humanity is acting as terribly as the oppressors because they aren't actively standing up for what's right.