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

2. To whom does Werther write his letter of January 20, 1772?

3. Who tells Werther in the letter of March 16 that his recent disgrace has negatively affected them as well?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Summarize the final interaction between Werther and Lotte.

3. How does Werther react to reading Ossian, as related in the letter of October 12?

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

5. How does Werther describe the Ambassador?

6. What does Werther find out in the letter of December 1 about the man he met by the water, and how does he find this out?

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. What does Werther see as the keys to happiness, and how do these key things affect him specifically, as related in the letter of October 20?

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

10. How does Werther perceive Count C.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine how Lotte's character and her actual "voice" are mediated both by Werther and by the Editor. Consider the question of Lotte's agency: how responsible is she, if she is at all responsible, for Werther's love and his fate? What ambiguities are present in Werther's views or descriptions of her? When does she actually seem to act of her own accord, and when does she appear to be acted upon? How can we assess the accuracy of Werther or the Editor's views of her? Use examples from letters in which Werther relates her direct interactions with him or in which he interprets her moods and motivations.

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

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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