History Literature / TheSorrowsOfYoungWerther

* MoodSwinger: If Werther starts off a letter rhapsodizing how happy he is and how enchanted is the world around him, duck.

''The Sorrows of Young Werther'' was an immediate best-seller and made Goethe famous virtually overnight. The novel was one of the earliest works of literature to generate a recognizable fandom, creating a dress fashion. It was also one of the first to be blamed, not without cause, to have a negative effect on some of its readers; psychologists therefore continue to debate about the "Werther effect", meaning a work of art encouraging consumers to commit suicide. The "wave of suicides" following the novel was somewhat exaggerated, more recent studies indicate that there may only be about a dozen verifiable cases where the novel played a part. However, one of them was a friend of Goethe's, which probably was the reason why he published the revised edition of 1787. It also was one of the reasons why the novel was condemned not just by the usual [[MoralGuardian moral guardians]] affiliated with traditional religion, but also by proponents of the Enlightenment. For instance the scientist and aphorist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg acidly quipped: "The best part in ''Werther'' is when [[SuicideIsShameful he shoots the coward]]."

The novel was young Goethe's way of working out his feelings over his platonic relationship with Charlotte Buff (1753-1828), who went on to marry Johann Christian Kestner, who was on good terms with Goethe and served as the model for Albert in the novel. After Kestner's death Charlotte once visited Goethe in Weimar in 1816, an event that was freely adapted into the novel ''Lotte in Weimar'' (1939) by Thomas Mann.

* ScrapbookStory: Mostly, it's letters from Werther to his unnamed friend, but near the end, as Werther's mental state starts to deteriorate, an 'editor' steps in to clarify a few points.

* TriangRelations: Type 4. Lotte is aware of Werther's love for her, but her own love for Albert prevents her from thinking of Werther as more than a friend.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: Sorry Werther, no Lotte for you.

* TogetherInDeath: Werther kills himself to achieve this with Charlotte, or so he claims.

* InfantImmortality: Averted with Hans.

* ShoutOut: The dying Werther is found with an opened copy of the tragedy ''Emilia Galotti'' by [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker Gotthold Ephraim Lessing]]. Lessing was taken aback and criticized the narration of the suicide scene in several respects.

* ScrapbookStory: Mostly, it's letters from Werther to his unnamed friend, but near the end, as Werther's mental state starts to deteriorate, an '[[LiteraryAgentHypothesis editor]]' steps in to clarify a few points.

* FanDumb: {{Invoked}}. In the words of Werther: "[[CrossesTheLineTwice I need fans like these]] [[DudeNotFunny the way]] I need a hole [[FunnyAneurysmMoment in the head!]]"

* UnbuiltTrope: The nascent Romantic movement in literature arguably received its greatest impetus out of the aforementioned MisaimedFandom.

* FanworkBan: Goethe disapproved of Friedrich Nicolai's alternate ending such that he wrote a very on-the-nose poem titled "Nicolai auf Werthers Grabe" ("Nicolai on Werther's grave") wherein a nameless fellow that is obviously supposed to be Nicolai [[DesecratingTheDead literally shits on Werther's grave]].

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Charlotte was inspired by a woman named Charlotte Buff that Goethe was in love with in his youth who he lost out to another man.

* CreatorBacklash: [[invoked]] Goethe's ''Theatre/{{Faust}}'' is in part an attack on philosophical trends associated with the ''Werther'' fandom.
* CreatorBreakdown: Goethe's work is LooselyBasedOnATrueStory.

** But no, seriously, people ''killed themselves'' in imitation/emulation of Werther.

* MisaimedFandom: {{Invoked}}. Many 18th-century readers admired Werther. An alarming number admired him so much that they committed suicide too.

->''Werther had a love for Charlotte''\\

''Went on cutting bread and butter.''