56 pages 1 hour read

Simon Wiesenthal

The Sunflower

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1969

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Essay Topics

1.

Josek tells the story about the four angels, “angels of Mercy, Truth, Peace, and Justice” (6), who stood as godparents at the creation of the world. Discuss how each of these four qualities arises in the initial story and subsequent discussions in The Sunflower.  

2.

Alan Berger characterizes Wiesenthal’s story as a morality tale. What is a morality tale, and how does The Sunflower fit this description? Are there ways in which it does not meet the criteria for a morality tale?

3.

Some respondents to Wiesenthal’s question talk about forgetting as a function of forgiveness, while others assert that remembering is the means by which true reconciliation can take place. Using three or four of the respondents in The Sunflower as your basis, discuss forgetting and remembrance as they relate to reconciliation.