Describe symbolism in The Forgotten by Elie Wiesel

A significant irony in the novel is that a man who feels that God has preserved his life so that he may serve as a witness and remember events and people during the Holocaust discovers that he is losing his memory. The social concern of memory in Wiesel's novel is currently an issue because every year more and more Holocaust survivors die—along with their memories. Each year fewer people who witnessed the horrific events can voice their stories and their thoughts. Rosenbaum stands as a symbol of those people because even though he is still alive, his memory is dying.