A review of the psychological process of forgiveness within Simon Wiesenthal’s ‘The Sunflower’
Date
2005-12
Authors
Van der Heyden, Yoav
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
This paper examines the notion of forgiveness by highlighting the personal psychological experience that may be discarded in the moral and political debate. Faced with his dilemma of whether or not to forgive the heinous crimes of a dying man, Simon Wiesenthal’s invites readers of his personal story in The Sunflower to ask themselves what they would have done in his place. Most respondents have considered this a moral, theological or political issue. This paper chooses to view his question from a psychological perspective. By analysing his autobiographical account in The Sunflower and process model of forgiveness developed by Enright and the Human Development Study Group (1991, 1994), Wiesenthal’s psychological responses have been investigated on behavioural, cognitive and emotional levels.
Description
Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
Keywords
Forgiveness -- Psychological aspects, Forgiveness in literature, Wiesenthal, Simon. Sonnenblume, Dissertations -- Psychology, Theses -- Psychology, Dissertations -- Clinical psychology, Theses -- Clinical psychology