How would the meaning of this passage change if he had used the word “anger” instead of the word “rage”?

Question

In the following passage from "The Perils of Indifference," Elie Wiesel describes the memory of being liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp by American soldiers. How would the meaning of this passage change if he had used the word “anger” instead of the word “rage”?

"Liberated a day earlier by American soldiers, he remembers their rage at what they saw. And even if he lives to be a very old man, he will always be grateful to them for that rage, and also for their compassion."

my answer is : The word “rage” lessens the intensity of their feelings. “Anger” does not./ The word “rage” emphasizes the intensity of their feelings. “Anger” does not.

Answer 1

Hello Kacim

Looking at Merriam-Webster's dictionary (it is free online !), I found this:

Definition of anger: a strong feeling of displeasure (and usually antagonism)

Definiton of rage: violent and uncontrolled anger

Based on just those two definitions, which would you say is stronger - a strong feeling of displeasure or a strong feeling of displeasure that is also violent and uncontrolled ? The answer should be easy, and that is part one of your task. You can safely say that rage is the more intense reaction.

Now to the second part: would the liberated man be content with mere anger as a reaction to his plight? He said he would "always be grateful" for the soldiers' reaction. Given that the concentration camp he was liberated from stands for unimaginable horrors - it seems impossible to think of anything worse - is it even conceivable that he would be content with a mere feeling of displeasure however strong?

The task you were given in class is about the meaning of words in context. Words often have many meanings and nuances. They can be appropriate in one context and less so in another. No dictionary can account for the infinite possibilities of context, and no definition fully captures a word. A fancy linguistic term for this is "semantic range". No two words ever are 100% synonyms. But in your example (man liberated from greatest possible horrors) it is not mere nuance we are looking for. Clearly only the strongest word is appropriate.

So please, never underestimate the usefulness of a good dictionary. Never underestimate how far you can go on your own before turning to help. You can do it!

Answer 2

I think most people would rate "rage" as intense "anger" not the other way around.

anger can be suppressed, subdued, & expressed in a range of manners far less than violent, while "rage" evokes far more violent images, like a charging raging bull with steam coming out its ears attacking the matador.

Etymology of rage includes Sanskrit where it literally means violent. In Latin, it means fury, as in furious. Anger can be directed at a situation as much as a person and at oneself. Rage seems to be directed at other people.