The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal
Freshmen and Sophomore Assignment
YOU ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO READ BOOK 1 OF THE SUNFLOWER.
Please respond to the the following questions in 3-5 sentences. Be sure to type your responses.
This assignment is due on the 1st day of school.
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Who are Simon, Arthur and Josek? Summarize their conversation. Whose perspective do
you agree with the most? Why?
Describe the crime that Karl confesses to Simon.
Do you think Karl is entirely responsible for the crimes he committed? Or was he
unfairly influenced by his environment? Explain your answer.
What do sunflowers represent to the Nazis? What do they represent to Simon?
Briefly describe the conversation between Simon and Karl’s mother. Do you think it is
fair to Karl’s mother and to the Jewish people that Simon withheld the truth about his
relationship with Karl?
How does Karl’s mother describe her son? Does her description affect your perception of
Karl?
Describe how Simon responded to Karl’s confession. Why do you think his response
continued to bother him throughout his life?
If you were Simon, would you forgive Karl? Why or why not?