Simon Wiesenthal The Sunflower

The Sunflower In the book The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal, Wiesenthal speaks to the reader and states, “You, who have just read this sad tragic episode in my life...and ask yourself the crucial question, ‘What would I have done?’” (98). Wiesenthal was task with the decision of whether to forgive Karl, and 22-year-old SS soldier, for his sins committed against the Jews. Wiesenthal, doesn’t forgive Karl, and I agree with this decision. If placed in Wiesenthal’s shoes, I would not, and could not, forgive Karl for his sins, and crimes, against European Jewry because only God can forgive man for sins against God, but also because Karl never seemed to show any true remorse. One of the issues I would have with forgiving Karl and the SS officer
is that I wouldn’t truly have the ability to forgive them even if I had wanted to. If they wanted to relieve the guilt they had, they needed to seek forgiveness from God. As the SS officer is on his death bed he does ask Simon to be forgiven so his soul can rest eternally. “When an SS man plagued by a bad conscience begged him for forgiveness, he saw no choice but to refuse. Most likely I would have done the same in his situation.” (Balic 109). I believe that Smail Balic is right; therefore I too wouldn’t have forgiven the SS officer. Again I wouldn’t have any stand in forgiving the man, but I wouldn’t have just handed over mercy because it is only for his own benefit of the doubt. Karl on the other didn’t really care about the forgiveness personally from Simon he just wanted it from any Jew. Karl could have cared less of what Jew that would be giving him the forgiveness. He just wanted any of them to provide it in order to move on from what he had done. Simon couldn’t have given him that because he wasn’t the Jewish society that he had effected badly only one of them. “To be forgiven is a miracle. It comes from God, and it comes when God chooses to grant it, not when we order it up.” (Kushner 184). I agree, but would also add that even though Karl asked for forgiveness, he did not at all mean his remorse. He simply assumed he would have received it, but it was his own decision to do all the crucial things to those innocent Jews and shouldn’t ask for forgiveness unless he truly meant it.