Sorrows of the Young Werther

The Sorrows of Young Werther is much more than simply the story of a tragic unrequited love. As Goethe commented in a letter to a friend and biographer years later:

The much-talked-of Age of Werther…belongs in truth…to the course through life of every individual who, born with a sense of freedom and naturalness, must find his place and learn to accommodate himself in the constraining structures of an outdated world. (qtd. in Introduction, Wether, xxii-xxiii)

Werther is primarily about the tensions between freedom and constraint that people face in modern society: In writing The Sorrows of Young Werther, Goethe wanted to liberate his readers. If he wanted to liberate people, what/whom did he wish to liberate them from? How does he attempt to do this in The Sorrows of Young Werther?

• In formulating your thesis/argument, you may wish to consider the examples of constraints placed on various characters on the novel, the ways that they impinge upon ones individual liberty, and what alternatives might be suggested. Demonstrate your understanding of the assigned text (Werther)
• Have a clearly stated main argument/thesis which is supported throughout the
• body of the paper
• Show evidence of thoughtful and careful engagement with the text
• Point to specific evidence (quotes, details, stylistic devices, etc.) from the text
• to support your claims what is known as close reading