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/lit/ - Literature

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18368084 No.18368084 [Reply] [Original]

Just finished the Sorrows of Young Werther my friends. Why was I far more moved by the story of Charlotte's mother dying than by Werther's suicide? I think because I found Werther's whole worldview, and so actions, totally irrational. Whereas Momma didn't die because she couldn't get over another man's woman baka. Most importantly, I wanna know if anyone can help me figure something out. At one point, Werther uses a horse analogy that basically amounts to "you'll be unhappy no matter what you do,". Now is this Goethe making a comment on Kierkegaard's monkey thing on how you'll feel regret whether you kill yourself or not? That seems to track with the novella as a whole, but isk if that's grasping for straws. Could Goethe have instead simply been offering his interpretation of the "grass is always greener," platitude? That, however, doesn't seem to be 1:1 synonymoose. Idk. If any Goethe-geniuses could explain id be a happy guy.

Otherwise, please post other good Goethe short stories. I liked his writing a lot and wanna read more to spice my evenings as I truck through Jung, which my friends, is quite the pained pleasure.

>> No.18368085

>>18368084
fuck off pedophile

>> No.18368099

>>18368085
I am NOT a pedophile for liking Goethe, no matter what some perky-titted brunette's literature prof says >:(

>> No.18368102

>>18368084

My version of this included other writings by Goethe, including correspondence. The story is semi-autobiographical. He had a similar unrequited love in his late 20s and theatric suicidal impulses because of. IIRC, he would sleep with a knife by his bed and occasionally hold it over his heart, but the absurdity of his posturing eventually looped him out of his despair and he laughed at the ridiculousness of his dramatics. He wrote Werther as a purgation, a cathartic outpouring on that experience as a young man. And was incredibly distraught at the wave of copycat suicides the work provoked in young romantic men who missed the point.

Look up Werthermania.

>> No.18368115

>>18368102
I looked it up and didn't find much, im sad, as I'd been hoping to be met with something really interesting

>> No.18368156

>>18368115

It's Goethe and I'm a midwit, so your interpretation is not guaranteed to be wrong. My insights are painfully lacking because I'm not well read enough, but what I said is definitely an element.

>> No.18368620

>>18368156
Hey, I love you. It's okay.