The Sorrows of Young Werther

The short, disordered note of October 10 claims that Albert does not appear to be as happy as he should be when he is married to Lotte. In the October 12 letter, Werther expresses his admiration for Ossian and notes effusively that his works have surpassed Homer’s for him. On October 19, he confesses to a “void” in his chest and claims it could be filled if he could ever hold Lotte in his arms. On October 26, he overhears a conversation between Lotte and one of her friends about people they know who are ill and dying, which leads him to contemplate the indifference people exhibit toward the suffering and mortality of others. The short letters of October 27 (and its postscript) and October 30 see Werther questioning the nature of attachment itself. He is tormented by being unable to embrace her and compares this longing to the instincts of children to reach for treats.

The letters in this series are the last to be presented without direct editorial intervention, and they track Werther’s final spiral. On November 3, he tells Wilhelm that he often wishes himself dead, and nature no longer moves his heart. On November 8, he complains that Lotte has reprimanded him for alcohol misuse. She expresses concern and urges him not to indulge in such behavior, and he retorts that she always occupies his thoughts. The November 15 letter expresses gratitude for Wilhelm’s advice but encourages him to leave him alone. Werther then compares himself to Christ in that his fate is also to “drink the cup of bitterness” (99). Werther is aware that Lotte now pities and worries about him and, on November 21, expresses his realization that Lotte is unknowingly preparing a poison that will destroy both of them. On November 22, he ruminates that she still seems to be his. On November 24, he becomes convinced that Lotte sees and understands his suffering; she plays the piano for him, and it seems to communicate a secret message to him. The letter of November 26 briefly describes his oscillation between feeling like he is unique and feeling like his sufferings cannot approach those of the ancient poets.

By November 30, Werther confesses serious doubts about his mental stability. He encounters a man named Heinrich by the river who is searching for flowers for his imaginary mistress. His mother explains that he spent a year in an asylum. Werther feels both envy and pity for the man’s state. The next day, Wilhelm finds out from Albert that Heinrich was once a secretary to Lotte’s father. He was obsessed with Lotte, and once this was discovered, he was dismissed from the job. Lotte’s piano playing finally overwhelms Werther on December 4, and he abruptly tells her to stop. She says he must be ill, and asks him to compose himself. On December 6, Werther writes of being haunted by her image.

The Editor apologizes for having to step in to narrate Werther’s final days, noting that it has been difficult to piece the rest of the story together. Werther’s behavior grows increasingly irrational and melancholic, and his body becomes exhausted. Werther’s resentment toward Albert becomes apparent to others; even Albert finds himself leaving the room when Werther is there with Lotte—not out of suspicion, but just because he doesn’t want to make Werther uncomfortable. Lotte goes to tend to her father, and Werther follows her, lost in his thoughts. On his way to the steward’s home, he hears that a peasant has been murdered. The victim had been working for the widow; the perpetrator was the farmer lad. Werther attempts to defend the man but faces resistance from the authorities. He expresses pity for him and becomes obsessed with rescuing him. Despite Werther’s pleas, the judge and others reject his appeals. Albert advises Lotte to distance herself from Werther. The editor suggests that Werther’s attempt to save the farmer lad was his last act before his mental collapse. His state of mind entirely deteriorates, and he becomes fixated on the idea that he cannot be saved.

Werther’s final letters to Wilhelm (December 12, 14, and 20) mark his final descent into turmoil. The first recounts a recent flood in Wahlheim when he contemplates jumping into the water but decides against it. In the letter of December 14, he questions for the first time the purity of his love for Lotte and admits to fantasizing about her in a sensual manner for the first time. He is torn between the ecstasy of recalling these moments and the fear that such happiness may be sinful. The Editor steps in to comment that Werther, by this point, had resolved upon his intention to take his own life, even though another fragment of an unsent letter expressed some reluctance to do so. Finally, on December 20, Werther thanks Wilhelm for his advice and asks him to delay his journey, promising another letter. He asks Wilhelm to apologize to his mother on his behalf.

The Editor takes over the narrative at this point, shifting the perspective to Lotte. She is determined to keep Werther at a distance, feeling pity for him but understanding the necessity of boundaries between them. She invites Werther to her home on Christmas Eve with the condition that he must stay away until then. She also implores him to find someone else to love. The Editor reproduces Werther’s farewell letter to Lotte, which was given to her after his death. In it, Werther notes that he contemplated killing her, Albert, or himself and that this is the only solution to their situation. He chooses himself to be the one to go. He also, while Albert is absent, visits Lotte uninvited. She has been reflecting on their situation and has had the “profound,” yet unconscious, insight that she may be partly culpable for the situation because she secretly enjoyed her exclusive claim on his affections. They read translations of several Ossian poems—“Colma,” “Ryno,” and “Alpin”—which are given in full. (The translations, attributed to Werther, are by Goethe himself.) They are both emotionally overwhelmed, but when Werther attempts to kiss her, Lotte pushes him away and retreats to another room, saying he will never see her again. Werther adds several paragraphs to his letter to Lotte, claiming her as his own. He later writes to Albert, who does not know of his visit, asking to borrow his pistols.

Albert’s return makes Lotte uncomfortable, and she worries that Werther might harm himself. Still, she reluctantly hands over Albert’s pistols to Werther’s servant. Werther is delighted to learn that Lotte touched them. He spends his final hours arranging his affairs. In the final paragraphs of his letter to Lotte, printed under the heading “After eleven,” he lays out his wishes to be buried in his blue coat and buff waistcoat, along with the ribbon she gave him. He reaffirms his love for her, wishing he could make it more of a sacrifice to guarantee her happiness. Werther’s servant finds him the next morning; he is critically injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but still alive. Lotte faints when she hears the news. Albert is present when Werther dies from his injuries. Neither Albert nor Lotte attends the funeral, and he is buried quickly, without religious rites.