Essay Questions

Why does Karl want forgiveness from Simon?

Karl does not want forgiveness from Simon himself; he sees Simon as the "random Jew" who is able to forgive him his crimes, because the crimes were committed against other Jews. He is inherently anti-Semitic and does not see Jewish people as individuals. He also feels that only a Jewish man can forgive him for crimes against other Jewish men. To receive forgiveness from a fellow German, or another Nazi, would be meaningless, because they likely do not think he has done anything wrong and therefore would see no reason for forgiveness.

Karl also wants forgiveness because he is genuinely repentant. He knows that he has committed a crime and he is haunted by the memory of what he has done. He believes that he will only be freed from this torment when he is forgiven. In this way, the need for forgiveness is entirely self-centered, and about Karl himself rather than the people he murdered.

In what ways does Simon treat Karl with compassion even though he will not grant him his forgiveness?

Although Simon does not forgive Karl, he nonetheless treats him with enormous compassion, which is nothing short of incredible given his circumstances as a prisoner. When he sees a fly buzzing around Karl, who is unable to do anything about it, given that he is bandaged head to toe, Simon picks up a paper from the floor and swats at the fly, just as he might have done for a friend or an acquaintance in other circumstances. Similarly, he allows Karl to hold his hand whilst he tells his story, because he can see that he is genuinely repentant and in considerable pain. He holds his hand to make the telling of the story easier, which is an act of extreme compassion.

When he visits Karl's mother, Simon is also compassionate in the way in which he allows her to retain her image of her son as a good man. He does not tell her how he came to meet Karl, or that Karl was responsible for mass murder. Because she did not actively participate in the actions of the Nazis, he does not take away her view of her son, which is extremely compassionate.