The sunflower

The narrator at ends ask us to put ourselves in his shoes and wonders what we would have done. He asks if we would have given the soldier forgiveness and wonders how we would have handled the situation. I think it is really hard for anyone to put themselves in that same situation that he was in because most people never have to go through such terrible things. The life that he went through and things he saw are almost unimaginable, but still he still thought about forgiving one of the people that caused him so much agony.
If it was me I don’t know I would have been able to forgive the soldier. I would have been so mad at all SS soldier for putting me in a concentration camp and for killing so many of my friends and family. I would have just seen all the German soldiers as my enemy and wouldn’t think as them as different individual people that all act different. I would just see the uniform and think that they were muddier and killed with no remorse. I think this booked showed that Simon Wiesenthal had a lot of character by being able to see through the uniform and over all think if the soldier was a good person that was just trying to serve their country. I don’t know if I would have been able to go back and talk to the soldier’s mom and sit inside his house. Simon wanted to give the soldier forgiveness but wanted to make sure he was a good person like he said, so going back to visit his mother was a way to confirm the soldier was telling the truth. I think at the end Simon gave the soldier forgiveness but I think I wouldn’t of have, but it is really hard for me to put myself in his shoes. There is no way that I have forgiven the soldier when he was telling his life story, but I think the soldier wasn’t expecting Simon to forgive hinm. He was just trying to make a confession and make peace with himself. Over time I might have forgiven but it is really hard for me to tell. Forgiveness is not something that is instant; it takes time and happens a little at a time. Again though I feel I really can’t fathom the situation because it is so extreme but this soldier really seemed to make a big impact on Simon. He takes about on page 85 this encounter with the soldier was the most unpleasant experiences of his life. I think this tells a lot with the fact that he was a prisoner in a concentration camp. Overall all I feel I like I couldn’t forgive the man but I don’t think I would of have been able to survive the situation the Simon was in either.

Logan Reames