Using The Sunflower Discussion Questions, as well as anything else from Simon’s opening narrative, type a 3-5 paragraph response explaining what questions or considerations are most crucial in order to address Simon’s question. If you refer to specific passages from The Sunflower, please be sure to cite the page numbers in a parenthetical ( ).
At the end of The Sunflower Simon Wiesenthal writes, “You, who have just read this sad and tragic episode in my life, can mentally change places with me and ask yourself the crucial question, ‘What would I have done?’”
But this is not an easy question.It contains many difficult moral and philosophical considerations embedded in the context.As you think about your potential response to Simon’s question, note what aspects of the situation you would need to consider most deeply.
Using The Sunflower Discussion Questions, as well as anything else from Simon’s opening narrative, type a 1-2 page response explaining what questions or considerations are most crucial in order to address Simon’s question.If you refer to specific passages from The Sunflower, please be sure to cite the page numbers in a parenthetical ( ).
The following are some questions to consider, but are certainly not exhaustive:
What are the differences between forgiveness, repentance, and atonement?Are they all necessary to consider in Simon’s situation?
Do you think Karl would have confessed to Simon if he were not on his deathbed?Should this be taken into account when considering whether or not to grant him forgiveness? (page 54)
On page 66 Simon writes of Karl, “Obviously he was not born a murderer nor did he want to be a murderer.It was the Nazis who made him kill defenseless people.” Was Karl a construction of his context, or did he have free will to choose?How should this affect how we judge Karl’s actions?
Does Simon, who was not a direct victim of Karl, have a right to forgive him?If yes, why?If not, why not? (page 65)
What makes a person worthy of forgiveness?Is the only condition “genuine repentance” as Bolek claims?
Should we, who were not victims of the Holocaust, even consider Simon’s question from our historical distance and privileged lives?
To what degree was silence an appropriate response/non-response?
Are there any other significant questions that you can think of?
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