48 pages 1 hour read

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Sorrows of Young Werther

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1774

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

How does Goethe make use of irony to reveal the limits of Werther’s rejection of social convention? Use examples from the text.

2.

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.

3.

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?

Related Titles

By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Plot Summary

logo

Elective Affinities

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Elective Affinities

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Study Guide

logo

Faust

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Faust, Part One

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Plot Summary

logo

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe