"Perhaps it was a mistake not to have told her the truth. Perhaps her tears might help to wash away some of the misery in the world (94)". If you were in Simon's position when he went to see Karl's mother, would you have done the same thing (kept silent)?
If the SS man had not been dying would he have been so truly repentant? Would he have felt the same way if he had survived the war and was reflecting on his acts?
Some of the commentators in The Sunflower believe that those who were following orders were just as guilty as those who gave them; others, like Dith Pran, draw a moral line between followers and leaders. Would you hold them equally responsible?
What do you *give* when you grant forgiveness? What does forgiveness look like? Is there a connection to justice?
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