The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness: Nechama Tec Summary & Analysis

Tec writes that she intuitively knew after reading Simon’s story that, for her, forgiveness would not be an option. Her initial certainty was followed by a “flood of arguments,” through which she came to recognize the complexity of the situation. As a Holocaust survivor, Tec has been asked whether she thought Jews should stop prosecuting the Nazis, particularly as so many of them are now so old. Her answer had been a clear-cut no, because the survivors have no right to forgive crimes committed against others.

Tec points out that Karl’s guilt over a single family did not seem to include the Jews in general, nor did he show any compassion for Simon. His self-pity blinds him to the suffering of others. Karl himself states “I do not know who you are, I only know that you are a Jew and that is enough.” Only Simon’s Jewishness matters, making him a faceless representative of a mass of people.

On the other hand, Tec believes that Simon’s actions are remarkable. His silence not only shows an appropriate lack of forgiveness, but also a measure of compassion. Whereas Karl was indifferent to issues that did not bear on him directly, Simon and his friends demonstrated immense humanity in considering the moral implications of forgiveness in the concentration camp.