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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. Who gives Werther a special gift, related in the letter of April 19?

2. In the letter of December 1, who relates to Werther the story of the person Werther met in the letter of November 30?

3. What does the event of December 12 cause Werther to wish to do, though he finds himself unable to do it?

4. Whom does Werther blame for his irritation with his current employment?

5. What dream does Werther relate to Wilhelm in the letter of December 16?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Werther perceive Count C.?

2. What bothers Werther about many of the people he meets?

3. 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?

4. What does Werther think of the aunt of the young woman he meets while walking in Weimar?

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

6. Whom does Werther meet while walking in Weimar, and what is this young woman like?

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

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

9. What is the substance of Werther's letter of January 20 to Lotte?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Whenever Werther is near water, he is always near some form of running water, whether a spring or a raging torrent. Examine this theme of running water, and the symbolism of it relevant to the text. Why is Werther attracted to the stream, and to bodies of water in general? What kind of cultural or religious associations can we make with water? How does it affect Werther's mood, thoughts and feelings? Why might it be different or have a different set of effects than still water?

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