The Sorrows of Young Werther

How does Werther’s romantic idealism affect his ability to serve as a reliable narrator of his own life? Find specific moments in the text where his emotional sensibility is at odds with his reality.

What does the portrayal of Lotte, particularly in the June 16 letter, suggest about the qualities that Werther values in women? To what extent can she act as a female version of him?

How does the novel make the limitations of Werther’s views on class politics visible to the reader? Use specific examples of moments where the text implies that alternative views are possible.

How does Goethe show Wilhelm’s influence on Werther, despite his never appearing in the novel itself?

How does the Editor’s intervention at the end of the novel develop the broader themes identified throughout?

To what extent can Lotte’s inner life be deducted from the details given in Werther and the Editor’s accounts? Use specific examples.

Why does the story of the farmer lad hit Werther so hard, given that Werther’s love for Lotte takes a purely spiritual form? What does the farmer lad’s situation suggest about the limits of Werther’s self-image?

How does Werther’s attachment to children and childlikeness develop the novel’s broader themes?