Not seeing the atrocitiesThe act of forgiving a murder is out of the question for most people. Simon faces this dilemma in The Sunflower. Karl, a dying Nazi, asks for forgiveness from a Jew, the narrator. The narrator leaves the dying Nazi unanswered, leaving him with an agonizing thought: whether or not he did the right thing. Since the psychological well-being of Karl and the narrator is affected not only by wartime, but also by other mitigating factors, the narrator should extend forgiveness to Karl, because this dying man is an individual who sincerely repents of the crimes he has committed. Forgiveness will allow Karl to die with peace of mind while the narrator continues his life with a stable and clear conscience. The narrator believes that Karl is not just atoning but is genuine in his repentance. Although Karl never formally apologizes, “in his confession [there is] true repentance” (Wiesenthal 53). Throughout the confession, Karl shows many signs of honesty and remorse; his words are harsh as he confesses his sins and is forced out even because of the pain, Karl holds the narrator's hand throughout the confession and as he asks a Jew for forgiveness (28-79 ). Sven Alkalaj recognizes that forgiveness is possible when “there is a genuine recognition of guilt” (105). The narrator should grant him forgiveness because of the guilt blatantly evident in Karl's confession. Karl states that his confession is “an unanswered letter…” indeed, the letter is unaddressed (Wiesenthal 53). Although Karl confesses his sins to the narrator, he must confess them to those he has sinned against to obtain absolute forgiveness. “[Who] should [Karl] turn to? None of those he wronged [are] still alive" (81...... middle of paper ......st in his desperate plea for forgiveness. Therefore, the narrator should Grant Karl his temporary forgiveness until God and those who have sinned can personally decide whether their sins are indeed justifiable. Forgiveness is crucial for a clear conscience and peace of mind for both. be defended by the fact that today's experiences are incomparable to those of Hitler's time. We cannot begin to put ourselves in the other's shoes and know exactly how to react to events. that occur. One can only guess how they would react, but until they get to that point, all plausible reasoning can continue to be an aspect of everyday life in every century. Works Cited Wiesenthal, Simon. The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness 1969. New York: Schocken Books, 1998. Print..