The Sunflower: critical book for High School Student by Pascale

The Sunflower: critical book for High School Student by Pascale - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

Among all the books that I've read during my high school career, I think all high school students should read The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal before they graduate. In the book, Wiesenthal relates his personal experience of being asking for forgiveness by a dying SS man who committed crimes against the Jewish people during WWII. This book is powerful and important because at the end Wiesenthal prompts his readers to reflect on what they would have done if they were in this situation. By challenging readers to answer this question, the book promotes a sense of reflection that I have not seen in other books before.
I chose this book for students to read because there are a lot of a things going on in it including the important life lesson about who has the right to forgive when a wrong has been done to a society. For instance, in the book the dying man committed many wrongs in his life; putting Jewish prisoners in houses to burn them and destroy property. While maltreating them, the dying man did not think at all about the impact these acts would have on his life. He also didn't know what kind of personal suffering life reserves for those who abuse a society. The dying man’s plea for forgiveness creates a Man vs. Society issue, which Wiesenthal approaches in an open and exploratory way.

As a survivor of the holocaust, Wiesenthal presents an interesting perspective. By turning the matter over to the readers as to whether or not he should forgive the dying man, the reader’s opinion becomes the aspect of the book that matters most. The nature of humanity itself does not allow others to decide on the behalf of others. Rather, it depends on the society to decide what judgment should be passed on those who have caused the society distress. At the end of the book many authors write their responses to the prompt. Now it’s our turn to let people hear about what they feel would be right to do in a situation like this.
Compassion and self-consciousness are the qualities that will help every single member of our society express our thoughts. Some may choose to forget all the bad people have done and forgive because of their religious beliefs. Others may forgive but won’t forget. The rest will not forgive or pardon the wrong done against the Jewish people. Regardless of the decision made by the individual reader, this book is useful for high school students to read because it pushes them to reflect on their role in society.