Passions of a Young Romantic

A detailed Summary of Passions of a Young Romantic

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe is not just about a young man who is obsessed with a young woman and kills himself because he cannot have her. The main theme is more about passion. Werther is passionate about practically anything. Werther clearly values nature, youthfulness, society and the love for Lotte. He is totally dominated by his hopeless passion for all things in life.

From the beginning of the story Werther takes particular pleasure in nature. He tells William " I feel content here...the abundance of this youthful season gives warmth to a heart...every tree, every hedgerow is a bouquet" (24). Werther is devoted to nature; his "whole being is filled with a marvelous gaiety, like the sweet spring morning" (24). When his mother first sends him on the journey he says he is " alone and glad to be alive" (24). He talks about a spring he is mysteriously drawn to: the natural beauty that surrounds him enchants him. He goes on to talk about the "footpath that leads to the village...overlooking the entire valley" (30). He puts so much emotion into his letters to William about the "most marvelous sunrise...the trees, wet, the fields refreshed...blustering wind storms...rush of a forest" (92) that we can see exactly why he

At times we may despise him, or admire him, or even more accurately we do both. Werther writes, discovers, and defines himself through his writing. The drama that lies beneath this novel shows Werther's true feelings and his sense of himself. The Sorrows of Young Werther is more than a story of doomed love; it explores the particular workings of desire in one individual. This novel also goes as far as to demonstrate that Werther's critique of society is still relevant in today society.

has such a passion for nature. He has an "appreciation of nature down to the most significant stone or blade of grass" (54). Werthers passions of nature tends to be seen in his emotions the same way as nature changes the season he writes "as all nature tends toward autumn, it becomes autumn with in me.... my leaves turn yellow" (88).

Werther not only values nature but he values children and the innocence that children bring to this world. Soon after arriving to this small town he writes to his friend telling him "the simple folk already know me and seem to be fond of me, especially the children" (26). It brings joy to his simple life, giving some relief to his loneliness, to know that he has children in his life-from giving pennies to a woman's less fortunate children to reading and playing with Lotte's younger brothers and sisters. In a letter to William he writes "Yes, dear William, nothing is dearer to me than children...as I watch them...I recognize...the ability to pass lightly...everything so unspoiled" (44). Children represent simplicity to life, innocence, and a purity he longs for.

Werther values his love for Lotte greater than any other passion he may have. From the first time they meet his passion for her is clear. He writes to William about how h

Some common words found in the essay are:
Werther Goethe, Albert Werther, William Werther, Sorrows Werther, werther values, lady von, lower class, appreciation nature, werther values nature, love lotte, nature tends, albert comes, values nature, hopeless passion, werther writes,

Approximate Word count = 1188
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English