The Sorrows of Young Werther

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and death by suicide.

“Poor Leonore! And yet I was innocent. Was it my fault that, while I was taking pleasure and amusement in the wilful charms of her sister, a passion was growing in that poor heart?”

The brief reference to Leonore and her sister is all the novel reveals about Werther’s romantic past. However, it is enough to reveal that he has some experience in matters regarding the opposite sex, but not enough experience to take responsibility for his actions. He attributes everything to the sister and, rather than working out the situation, is relieved to have left town.

“Do I need to tell you that you who have so often endured seeing me pass from sorrow to excessive joy, from sweet melancholy to destructive passion? And I am treating my poor heart like an ailing child; every whim is granted.”

Werther sees himself as highly emotional and prone to impulsiveness. He openly admits to his disregard for managing his emotions; for him, it is a sign of his sensibility and sincerity. It also hints at his view of the superiority of children’s innocence and simplicity.

“It is better for me to see her with the eyes of her lover; perhaps she would not appear to my own eyes as she does now, and why should I ruin the beautiful image I have?”

Werther’s decision not to meet the widow loved by the farmer lad blurs the lines between emotion and aesthetics. It highlights his preference for maintaining an idealized image of the widow. Though relatively harmless in this context, the aesthetic preference for the ideal over the real raises doubts about the reliability of Werther’s portrayals of Lotte throughout the novel.