Simon Wiesenthal is a hero. His endurance and ability to survive the horrors of a concentration camp in Nazi Germany are well documented in his book, The Sunflower. One thing about the novel confuses me though. After doing some research on Mr. Wiesenthal, I discovered that this 91 year old man has spent half his life searching for ex-Nazi soldiers in order to bring them to justice. Now, I haven't finished the book yet, but what I can gather from the back description is that Simon neither forgave nor refused to forgive the dying Nazi who asked him for absolution. If he spent nearly 45 years of his life "hunting for Nazis", why then, would he not have refused to forgive the Nazi who expressed sincere regret for his actions. It's clear that he still harbors an extreme grudge against all Nazis, and that is perfectly understandable, but if he had the chance to say "no" to this dying Nazi, to deny him his absolution once and for all, to tell him how he truly feels about the Holocaust and Hitler, why wouldn't he? If I had been in his shoes, I would have put that dispicable Nazi in his place. Maybe I will gain insight into Wiesenthal's psyche as the book progresses, but right now I am very disappointed in Simon.
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