Forgiveness Theme in The Sunflower Essay Example

A historical perspective on forgiveness is presented in Book 1 of The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness. It describes events that took place during the time Simon Wiesenthal (the author) was imprisoned in the concentration camp. Through the development of the conflict in The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness, Simon Wiesenthal conveys that only the sufferer is qualified to make the decision to forgive someone or not. 

At the beginning of Book 1, Karl, the dying SS man, shares the story of his life with Simon and confesses to the crimes he committed against Jews. “And now I began to ask myself why a Jew must listen to the confession of a dying Nazi.” (Wiesenthal, 34) At first, it did not make sense to Simon why he had to listen to such a man. He attempted to leave Karl and go back to his work. Despite this, Karl grabbed him and continued on with his story. As Karl’s cruel narrative went on, Simon became aghast. Also, questions arosed in him such as, “Why didn’t he say what he want from me?” and “Did he want to fortify himself—or me?—what was to come?” 

While Simon’s reluctance to listen to Karl’s life story, Simon was semi-forced by the heartfelt request that he stayed with Karl until the end of his storytelling. Then, as the story progressed, he even felt some compassion for Karl. “I know that what I am asking is almost too much for you, but without your answer I cannot die in peace.” (Wiesenthal, 54) When the story ended, Karl asked Simon’s forgiveness. This could have been a selfish request, only for his own peace. On the other hand, this could be a last chance for the dying man to grant a forgiveness. What is the best course of action for Simon? Should he forgive him? Should he reject the request?

“At last I made up my mind and without a word I left the room.” (Wiesenthal, 55) Silence was Simon’s answer. In his mind, he didn't have the right to forgive him. His belief was that he was not a victim who was representative of the larger mass of victims. Was his silence at the bedside of the dying Nazi right or wrong?

At a later point in the book, Simon asked what was the right thing to do to his concentration camp and prison friends: Arthur, Josek, and Bolek. Arthur said, “A superhuman has asked an subhuman to do something which is superhuman. If you had forgiven him, you would never have forgiven yourself all your life.” (Wiesenthal, 66) Josek replied, “…What people have done to you yourself, you can, if you like, forgive and forget. That is your own affair. But it would have been a terrible sin to burden your conscience with other people’s sufferings.” (Wiesenthal, 65) Similar to Simon, Arthur and Josek argued that Simon could not forgive Karl since Karl did not really wrong Simon, that Karl can’t be an offender to Simon, and Simon can’t be a victim of Karl. Bolek, a new prisoner who studied theology, was a religious man who came to the prison. Without a hesitation when Simon asked him about the request, he responded, “In our religion repentance is the most important element in seeking forgiveness…And he certainly repented. You ought to have thought of something; here was a dying man and you failed to grant his last wish.” (Wiesenthal, 83) In contrast to Arthur and Josek's idea, Bolek believed that Simon had to forgive Karl since he deserved forgiveness (repentance). 

In Book 1, Simon Wiesenthal concluded his speech by saying, “Forgetting is something that time alone takes care of, but forgiveness is an act of volition, and only the sufferer is qualified to make the decision.” (Wiesenthal, 97) Therefore, throughout this text, Simon Wiesenthal teaches that only the sufferer is qualified to make the decision to forgive someone or not.