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Christopher Hollis
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Forgiveness and Compassion
Religion and Moral Truth
Remembrance
Anti-Semitism and Dehumanization
Silence, Guilt, and Resistance
Summary
Analysis
Kamanetz states that Simon’s response to Karl was the best possible response. He makes a simple point: Karl did not view Simon as an individual because he simply asked for “a Jew.” While Simon saw Karl as a specific person, Karl did not afford him that same courtesy. Perhaps if he had, a conversation about forgiveness could begin.
