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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. At which event did Werther meet a new female acquaintance?

2. To what does Werther compare his general opinion on painting in the letter of May 30?

3. What kind of tree borders the town square where Werther spends much of his time?

4. What occurrence disrupts the event Werther and his new female friend are attending?

5. With whom must the main character transact the business to which he refers in the first letter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the substance of the conversation between Werther and his companions at the vicar's home?

2. What is the substance of Werther and Lotte's conversation the night before Werther leaves Wahlheim?

3. What does Werther find to be the general causes of frustration in business dealings?

4. How does Werther describe the town of Wahlheim?

5. What example does Werther give Albert regarding the justifiability of suicide, and why does Werther take the standpoint he does?

6. What does Werther observe the local girls doing?

7. Who is Albert, and what is Werther's reaction to learning about him?

8. What natural feature of the environment of his town does Werther feel particularly drawn to, and to what does he compare the feeling?

9. What event has incited Werther to leave his friends, and how does he view this event?

10. To what does Werther compare Lotte's influence on him in the letter of July 26, and what the effects of her influence upon him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the role of Ossian in the novel. Who is Ossian (both ostensibly and actually), and why does Werther place him in such high regard? What effect does reading Ossian have on Werther? How does he relate to the work and its contents? Offer a close-reading of the fragment of Ossian the Editor quotes. Carefully analyze this portion of the text. Pay close attention to word choice, setting, imagery, figurative or metaphorical language, references, and the tone of the passages. How do you interpret this passage based on a close study of the connotations of all of these aspects of the text? What is its overall effect upon the reader? How do you feel this passage relates to Werther's own story, feelings and thoughts? Why might this passage and the subsequent ones which reflect on Colma's situation affect Werther and Lotte so profoundly? How might the voices of Ryno, Alpin, and the narrator of the fragment be interpreted by Werther and Lotte to be the voices of Werther's nearest and dearest friends and acquaintances?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the theme of religion, God, Fate and the divine in the novel. Where, and in which situations, does Werther feel the presence or absence of God? Is there anything overtly, or covertly, religious or spiritual about the novel as a whole? Why does Werther feel, at times, both connected to and disconnected from God? What ambiguities does Werther confront, or ignore, about his passion for Lotte and the sinfulness or morality of it? How does Werther view Fate, and why might having a fated destiny be significant to considerations of the morality of Werther's end? How does Werther view Lotte in religious terms, and why does he seem to do so?

Essay Topic 3

Trace the foreshadowing of suicide and death throughout the novel. Using at least four examples from all through the text, examine the progression of Werther's mania and depression to its culmination. In what sorts of situations does Werther refer to suicide? What kinds of emotions or thoughts does he experience in these situations? Is there a common thread running among these experiences of his? How do the opinions of others, and Werther's interactions with them, influence his thoughts and ultimately his final decision?

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