View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What troubling news does Werther hear at Lotte's home, according to the Editor?

2. What does Werther continually assert in the letter of March 15 about his social faux pas?

3. Whom does Werther defend to his employer in the letter of December 24?

4. What social faux pas does Werther commit in the letter of March 15?

5. What specific thing does Albert request of Lotte, as related by the Editor?

Short Essay Questions

1. What disturbing news regarding the farmer-boy shocks Werther, and how does he react?

2. What has caused the man Werther meets in the letter of November 30 to act the way he does?

3. Describe the Prince and why Werther is involved with him.

4. Describe the nature and circumstances of Werther's death and of his burial.

5. What reaction does Werther have to the news about the walnut trees in the courtyard of the vicarage?

6. How does Werther's opinion of Albert change from its prior state, according to the Editor?

7. Who does Werther meet while walking along the water's edge in Wahlheim, what is the person doing, and what does this person look like, as related in the letter of November 30?

8. Summarize Werther's thoughts on the relationship between contentment and reason, as expressed in the letter of November 30.

9. Summarize the event, related in the letter of March 15, which causes Werther considerable humiliation.

10. Describe the interaction between Lotte, Werther, and Lotte's new pet, as related in the letter of September 12.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the representations of lower-class and upper-class people and society that occur throughout the novel. How does Werther describe upper-class and lower-class people? Could there be any political meaning to Goethe's representations of them, and of Werther's interactions with them, in the text? How does Werther see himself in relation to each portion of society? Offer at least two each of Werther's interactions with upper- and lower-class individuals or groups to explain your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the symbolism and importance of clothing in the novel. Focus on the letters of July 8, 1771; August 28, 1771; and September 6, 1772. What articles of clothing does Werther have a disproportionate focus on? What might these articles of clothing symbolize, for Werther as well as for the reader? How does Goethe use them as talismans in the novel--what power do they have? Additionally, what do these articles of clothing conceal, or what might they stand in for?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,213 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample