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NOVEL: Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

German Literature

"Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be." -Johann Wolfgang von Geothe

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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (helpˇinfo), 28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832), who is considered one of the giants of the literary world, was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, theorist, humanist, scientist, and painter. As such, he is one of few individuals considered to have been a polymath. His most enduring work, indeed, one of the peaks of world literature, is the two-part dramatic poem Faust. Goethe's other well-known literary works include the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther and the semi-autobiographical novella Elective Affinities, in which became one of the first to speculate on the nature of interpersonal chemistry.

Goethe was one of the key figures of German literature and the movement of Weimar Classicism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; this movement coincides with Enlightenment, Sentimentality ("Empfindsamkeit"), Sturm und Drang, and Romanticism. The author of Faust and Theory of Colours, he influenced Darwin with his focus on plant morphology. Goethe's influence spread across Europe, and for the next century his works were a primary source of inspiration in music, drama, poetry, and philosophy. He is widely considered to be one of the most important thinkers in Western culture.

Source: Wikipedia

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THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Summary:

The Sorrows of Young Werther is a novel that consists almost entirely of letters written by Werther to his friend Wilhelm. It begins after having just escaped from a romantic situation with a woman named Leonora. Werther has settled in a rural town, determined to spend some time painting, sketching, and taking excursions around the countryside. He finds Wahlheim, a village a short distance away from his town, to be the most charming place in the countryside. His liking of the place increases a hundredfold when he meets Lotte, at a dance. Their interaction is immediately striking, they are both enthusiasts of a new style of literature, represented by Goldsmith and Klopstock, as well as ancient writers like Homer and Ossian. Lotte, however, is engaged to Albert.

In the coming weeks, Werther grows more and more impressed with Lotte, cherishing her unique charm and insight as she uncomplainingly carries the burden of motherhood. She is the eldest of eight children, and assumed the responsibility of caring for her siblings after her mother's death. However, Albert returns, and Werther must meet the man who has Lotte's heart. After determining that he will leave, Werther instead stays, forming a friendship with Albert, who he finds to be both intelligent and open-minded.

Upon Albert's arrival, however, Werther grows increasingly infatuated with Lotte. He can't resist feeling that Lotte would be happier with him. But Lotte has no intention of leaving her fiancé, and Werther determines, at Wilhelm's recommendation, to take an official court position rather than remain in an impossible love. He leaves Wahlheim without informing Albert or Lotte of his plan.

When Werther returns to Wahlheim, he discovers that his infatuation with Lotte has only grown stronger during the separation. Three days before Christmas of 1772, in an attempt to save what is left of their relationship, Lotte orders Werther not to visit her until Christmas Eve, when he will be just another friend. Werther decides that he cannot live on such terms with Lotte, deciding instead to kill himself. He pays Lotte a final visit, during which he forces a kiss and is ordered never to see her again.

At home, Werther writes Lotte a letter. He asks her for Albert's hunting pistols, and she sends them to him. Then, Werther shoots himself in the head. He lingers until the morning; Lotte, Albert and Lotte's brothers and sisters watch him die. At the end of the novel, Werther is buried without a church service. Lotte's own life is in jeopardy as well, she is driven to desperate grief by Werther's action.

 

Characters:

Werther – A middle class man who enjoys fine arts as his pastime. He is intelligent but arrogant who finds his world in confusion after becoming infatuated with Lotte. He loves to observe family life, but is somewhat estranged from his own mother. He wishes to be married to Lotte but finds himself just a friend. This estranged sensitivity, made worse by his unrequited passion, leads him to commit suicide.

 

Wilhelm – He is the addressee of all the letters that make up The Sorrows of Young Werther. From Werther’s interactions with him, we can say that Wilhelm is a sensible fellow and a true friend.

 

Lotte – A beautiful, good-natured woman who is engaged to Albert. Her mother passed away at an early age so she had to act as a mother to her eight siblings – a burden that she accepts cheerfully and selflessly.

 

Albert – Thoughtful and responsible, Werther’s antagonist, Lotte’s fiancé. At first, he and Werther get along well enough. They are both interesting personalities and good conversationalists. If Lotte had not come between them, they might have been good friends.