I found the beginning of both letter of May 17 and May 22 to be similar. The beginning of May 17 Werther talks about that monotony about mankind. “When you ask me what the people here are like, I must answer: like people everywhere! There is a certain monotony about mankind. Most people toil during the greater part of their lives in order to live, and the slender span of free time that remains worries them so much that they try by every means to get rid of it.” He’s saying that, during their lives, people work and work, and even during their free time when they have nothing to do they try to get rid of that waste of free time. Werther cannot relate to these people who work, because he hasn’t worked a day in his life, and believes that life is all about being free and enjoying yourself. Relating to this, is the beginning of the letter May 22 when he talks about the same subject. “when I see the limitations which imprison the active and speculative faculties of man; when I see how all needs they have no other purpose than prolonging our miserable existence…in which we paint our prison walls…” (11) Here Werther states the same kinds of problem, people are imprisoned by what they do, work. He finds people that work everyday miserable and living like this for him isn’t worth living at all.
Back to the letter of May 17, when young Werther meets V. he talks about his knowledge. “….thinks, nevertheless that he knows more than other people.” His intellect though, comes strictly form books “ he came to me and displayed all sorts of learning, from Battaeu to Wood, from De Piles to Winckelmann…I let that pass.” (10). To Werther, this sort of knowledge is somewhat useless. He believes that rather than learning from books, one should learn from Nature. He comments on this in his letter of May 26, “the person who takes direction form rules alone will never produce anything in bad taste, in the same way as the person who allows himself to be shaped by rules of social convention can never become and intolerable neighbor or a conspicuous villain; on the other hand, any rule is likely to destroy both the true feeling of Nature and its true expression…” (14) Werther is so passionate in feeling of nature, he sort of mocks people that live based on rules, and learn through books, like V. he believes your true feelings and beauty come out through Nature, and not only simple rules.
The letter of June 16 was an emotional one for Werther. He talks about how he has found love. As he was writing his letter, he showed extreme happiness and indecisiveness. He couldn’t sit down and write the letter. His emotions were much too strong to write and explain on paper, he could never get all of his feeling to Wilhelm across. In between his letters, he would get up and leave so see this girl he loved so much, he couldn’t stay away from her. “I began this letter I have been three times on the point of laying down my pen, having my horse saddled and riding out to her.” (21) He is so excited and in love with this woman that his emotions have completely taken him over. The next couple of pages talk about how he meet Lotte, and quickly falls in love with her. He begins by meeting her at her home, and she is surrounded by her children. Werther is then captivated by her care and motherliness as she gives her little ones bread. They too, the children, see her as their idol and are completely in love with Lotte. “She told the children to obey Sophy as they would herself… ‘but she is not you dear Lotte. We love you much more.” (23) Throughout the book, Lotte is known as a motherly figure, taking care of everyone. We see this in the letter of July 1 as Werther accompanies her to meet different people. They set out to a village of St.--- to see an old man. “when he saw Lotte, he became very animated, forgot his knotty stick and tried to get up and meet her…you should have seen her holding the old man’s attention with her talk, raising her voice to reach his almost deaf ears.” (36). Lotte is portrayed as a mother and caring person. What Lottes presence must mean to a sick person I can feel in my own poor heart…she is going to spend some days in the town with a good woman who, from what the doctors say, is nearing her end and wishes to have Lotte at her bedside in her last moments.” (36). And also in July 6 “she stays with her dying friend and is ever the same active, lovely creature whose presence soothes pain and makes people happy wherever she goes.” (41) It seems as if everyone loves Lotte and they want her around during their darkest moments in life. So far, Werther seems to be in his happiest days, frequently visiting Lotte and spending most of his time with her. He is completely aware though, that she is engaged, but this doesn’t seem to bother him much. During the dance, the night they met was when he first found out she was engaged. “’who is this Albert?’… ‘Albret is a fine man to whom I am as good as engaged.’”(28). Werther had also been warned about his before even meeting her, “’Be careful that you do not fall in love with her!’…‘she is already engaged’”(22). To Werther and Lotte this does not seem to bother them, at least during that night. “She promised me the third and assured me with the most charming frankness that she was very fond of dancing in the German way” (26). The German dance is known as a couples dance, and this shows that she does have some affection and interest for Werther. They both dance throughout the night and nothing worries them, until the storm hits. The storm broke up the party, and some ways foreshadows the split between Werther and Lotte, and acts as a warning to Werther that a split is coming up. Also foreshadowing is the part when Werther tries to draw the portrait of Lotte, but instead ends up only drawing a silhouette of her. “three times I have started Lottes portrait, and three times I have bungled it…finally I gave up and cut her silhouette…”(50). This foreshadows Albert’s arrival, and the separation between Werther and Lotte.
