Why should Eliezer Wiesel be considered a legend in his own time? Why should he be considered a humanitarian and a hero? When asked what it means to be a writer today, Wiesel has consistently said that it means to correct injustices, to soothe suffering, to create hope. He has done all these things, not only through his writings but also through his examples, through his foundation for humanity, and through his teachings. He is in many ways a model for young children and adults alike.

He is a great author who writes for people, and a purpose, and a goal that we might one day live in a society, which is able to live up the morals that it has set up for itself, and for its future. Elie Wiesel once said, when expressing what a true writer, for many a true hero should be, "True writers want to tell the story simply because they believe they can do something with it, their lives are not fruitless and are not spent in vain. True listeners want to listen to stories to enrich their own lives and to understand them. What is happening to me happens to you. Both the listener and the reader are participants in the same story and both make it the story it is. I speak only of true writers and true readers and true listeners. As for the others, they are entertainers and their work doesn't really matter. There are very few great storytellers and great writers today. Actually, I believe that today literature has changed its purpose and its dimension. Once upon a time it was possible to write l'art pour l'art, art for art's sake. People were looking only for beauty. Now we know that beauty without an ethical dimension cannot exist. We have seen what they did with culture in Germany during the war; what they called culture did not have any ethical purpose or motivation. I believe in the ethical thrust, in the ethical function, in the human adventure in science or in culture or in writing."

As we have seen, Wiesel believes that he owes his literary works to the victims of the Holocaust. Their dying wish was that at least someone might live to tell how they died, and Wiesel senses a great responsibility to testify for them. Wiesel is able to take his religion, his philosophy and his experience to convey to society a wonderful message. Wiesel says that if one is able to remain human even in the face of absurd inhumanity, then that is the real message of Jewish tradition. Some people might wonder what Elie Wiesel has done besides just being an author. He has been able to take any anger, or resentment, or emotion left inside of him after the Holocaust and channel it toward a better purpose for all humans. He has seen humanity at its worst, and yet, through all his misfortune and calamity, he has never fully given up his will to live, but rather opened himself up, no matter how hard the task, to mankind, to the world, so that they may see the complete and utter nightmare that our "so-called" civilized societies have cost to so many people.

Elie Wiesel's message is one of tranquility and peace, not of war and revenge. He knows no boundaries to what a person is able to accomplish even in the face of adversity. Elie Wiesel is a gifted author and an intellectual man, and his writings are not only words, they are an art, with a conveying message who's line of reasoning is so clearly demonstrated that it is unimaginable to miss the impacting message sent within each word. It is a message of peace disguised within each page as a dramatic description, to captivate, and move, and show to its audience the reality of the Holocaust and the cruelty and apathy that humans are able to display when pressured exceedingly into a road of iniquity and injustice.

Elie Wiesel has been the voice of a generation, the voice of his people, the voice of injustice, and the voice of tolerance all at once. He has altruisticly shared his experiences, opinions, philosophies for the better of not only this generation, but future generations to come. He has inspired, moved, and enlightened people through his writings and sayings.