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Structure and Tone in Werther

Structure and Tone in Werther. Thesis. Structure and tone of the novel emphasize tension between individualism and the constraining social forces outside of us. Society Depicted in Novel. Hypocritical, insensitive, meaningless

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Structure and Tone in Werther

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  1. Structure and Tone in Werther

  2. Thesis Structure and tone of the novel emphasize tension between individualism and the constraining social forces outside of us

  3. Society Depicted in Novel Hypocritical, insensitive, meaningless • (like Cervantes, Goethe wants to suggest Werther’s IDEAs are o.k., but the way he is going about it is wrong) • --February 8 • --March 15, society described • --March 24, resignation • Country Life depicted in novel: integrated, innocent, thriving (May 22)

  4. Goethe’s Outlying Structure • Divides it into two books Book one: three parts One—before Lotte , 43 days Two—meets Lotte, and growing love, 44 days Three—Albert arrives, 42 days Book two: different structure One—Werther’s stay at embassy 6.5 months Two—visit to first home 2.5 months Three—Werther’s return to Lotte and Wahlheim 5 months

  5. Commentary Divisions parallel the sensitivity or emotion of the hero as well as the mixture of tones: elation (Book I), inevitable failure and loss (Book II) and the ambivalence of it all.

  6. Digressive Material • Two Main Digressions • --peasant lad who loves mistress (+1787) • put more responsibility on Werther (May 30) • --madman looking for flowers in November (Nov. 27) Purpose? These digressions create interruption which parallels Werther’s internal state and theme of the unattainable

  7. Seasons 1 • Spring opens early • Midsummer meets Lotte, June 21 • Days “as happy as those god gave saints” Solstice, year later, farthest from sun: suicide

  8. Seasons 2 Opening Parts 1 and 2: spring and summer Part 3: (after Albert) late summer Book 2 Occurs in fall Albert returns on July 29 Then, through solstice

  9. Trees as symbol or motif --Represent stability, shade, fruit, longevity, healing May 12, May 26, July 1, August 28, Sept 12, (Linden (lime) to Europeans is symbol of healing and ability to see beyond material In Slovenia, some are over 700 years old) --Yet trees also represent mutability, mortality Sept. 4 (leafless), Sept. 15 (walnut cut), Editor to reader (leafless), Dec. 12 (flooded), Burial

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