Morgan McMahan

Topics in Lit

Journal #4

The Sunflower

After reading the responses to the text, I am left with even more thoughts and feelings about the book and Simon’s ultimate question. The responses were very different, with each person responding to different aspects of the book, and also a few who, in a way, respond with no answer.

As for my response to his question, I would define forgiveness as something that must be asked for, because one cannot be forgiven unless they repent their wrongdoing and ask to be forgiven for it. It is also something that must be granted by the person that was wronged. In the case of the dying SS man, only half of the equation is present. It’s not his place to forgive the man for what he did. I think he did the right thing by just staying silent. He could have easily made the man feel even worse and say mean things to him. In the circumstances, I wouldn’t have thought him a bad person for telling the man off. His silence showed he felt bad for the man, but on the other hand, didn’t find it right to forgive him.

However, the thing that I have been wondering throughout the whole text is why he cares what others think about what he did in that specific situation and why is weighed so heavily upon him? With all that Simon has gone through, why does this one incident matter so much to him? I almost want to side with some of the responders who almost scold Wiesenthal for caring so much. In the grand scheme of things, what does it matter? What he did in that situation, at that time, was what he thought was best. We, as people, cannot second guess and obsess over situation as he does. Everyone has internal battles of morality, but those are personal and once a decision has been made, there isn’t much room to amend it. In my opinion, what’s done is done. The man killed many innocent people and when he reflected upon these acts he wished he hadn’t committed them, but he can’t right what he did no matter how many Jews he finds to forgive him. This is also true for Wiesenthal. Say he did decide, after reading many responses to his question, that he was wrong in his choice, that he should have forgiven the dying SS man. Where would that leave him? What’s done is done.

Due to this, I don’t feel that this need for an answer to this incessant question on the author’s mind is the true reason for writing this book. I think he wants to remind of a few things. One, and most obvious, being that the Holocaust is a horrible scar left on the world, and that we must never forget this tragic mistreatment of mankind. This can never be forgotten because we need to remind ourselves of the dangers of power, hatred, intolerance, and ignorance. Second, that one should never loose faith in what they believe in, because everyone will have to face their God (whatever God that maybe) upon their leave from earth. Lastly, he wants us to question things we have done in our own lives and decided where our morals lie so that, presented with a tough situation as he was, we would know how to respond in good conscious.