Goethe
Sorrows of Young Werther
Character Sketches
Zerrissenheit - Disintegration
- An individual's inability to reconcile their subject
view with object reality
- "The world is my idea..." - Schopenhauer
- Werther's disintegration (3 groups of 6 weeks)
- 1st six weeks - already signs
- Life is an illusion
- Life is a prison
- 2nd six weeks - Lotte enters
- Werther pursues Lotte despite her engagement
- Infatuated to point of distraction
- Lotte's love?
- Drunk with love
- 3rd six weeks - Albert enters
- Conflict between fantasy and reality causes jealousy
and rage
- Werther taunts Albert
- Book II - Test of Reality
- Lotte's marriage
- Debacle at the party
- He fears his own violence
First vs. Second Wave
- Werther - first wave
- Rejects social structure
- Idealizes peasants and primitive life
- Lotte tells Werther to be more "manly" - less
emotional
- Albert - second wave
- Practical and punctual
- A second wave business man
- Werther pleads on behalf of the peasant murderer
- Judge says his views would destroy law and violate
security
- Albert supports the judge
- Nature vs. the city conflict
- Class conflict
Christian Themes
- They are in an orchard and he tempts her
with fruit
- Werther as martyr
- Crown of thorns
- Psalm-like lament
- His death is a sacrifice to save the others from his
violence
Humanities
Resource of Mark Hunter