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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. What of old Count von M.'s does the main character praise for its pleasurable effect?

2. What is the name of the person to whom Werther writes his letters?

3. In which location does Werther arrange to meet Lotte and Albert?

4. What is the name of the youngest person Werther meets in the town square?

5. What does the main character vow to do now that he is away?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Werther ask his friend Wilhelm not to do, and why?

3. What activities does Werther engage in now that he is away from his friends and in a new town?

4. What does Werther find appealing about being away from his friends and in a new town?

5. How does Werther initially feel about Albert?

6. How has his acquaintance with Lotte affected Werther up to and including the letter of July 24?

7. How is Werther first received by the commoners of the village, and how does Werther view their reaction to him?

8. What "worthy man" has Werther gotten to know, and where does he live?

9. What specific space, which Werther found in his explorations of the town, does he find pleasurable?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the two lovelorn young men Werther meets: the farmer-boy who fell in love with his mistress and murdered his other servant, and the madman named Heinrich roaming around the water's edge looking for flowers. What has caused the situations the two men find themselves in? What are their reasons, excuses, interpretations and plans? How do their situations and Goethe's characterization of them relate to Werther--that is, in which ways are they notably similar and different? How does Werther interpret his encounters with the two men? Is there any form of irony present in their characterizations, their narratives, or their fates?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Werther as a character. Focus not only on how he looks and acts, but also specifically on how he expresses his feelings and thoughts, how he fits or does not fit into society, his tone and personality, and the general development of his character. How does he begin the novel, and how does he end it? What are his relationships with others like, and what are they based upon? What is Werther's worldview? How does he view himself? What is his style of writing?

Essay Topic 3

Address the question of Werther's narrative reliability. Is his changing and degrading mental and emotional state indicative of reliability? Can we trust that Werther's opinions and judgments are made rationally? What possible problems are there with having certain characters defined to the reader only through Werther's eyes? Is there anything ambiguous or inconsistent about Werther's character, style, opinions, feelings or expressiveness that could lead to questions about the integrity of his narration?

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This section contains 950 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample