Siddhartha's Diary -- A Must-Read for Youth Quality Education -- Cherry Blossom Edition

Author: Li Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Approximately two hundred years ago, a young man who had recently left school in Germany wrote a novella that shook the hearts of an entire generation of German youth, causing a huge impact in Germany and across Europe. This author was the great German poet and writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and this outstanding work is The Sorrows of Young Werther. The Sorrows of Young Werther was published in 1774 and is one of the most important works of Goethe's early period. Its publication was also a landmark event in the history of German literature. Before the publication of the second part of Faust, Goethe's name was always associated with The Sorrows of Young Werther for fifty years. The Sorrows of Young Werther is not long, and its plot is neither complex nor convoluted. The main characters are only Werther and Lotte. The entire novel is woven together by the thread of the protagonist Werther's unfortunate love story and his constant setbacks in society, forming a complete novel. The plot of the novel is very simple. The young Werther comes to a small town, where the natural scenery, the simple customs, and the innocent, joyful children bring him great happiness. At a ball, he meets a young woman named Lotte, and her every expression and action captivates him. Lotte also likes him but cannot return his love, as she is engaged to Werther's friend. Werther falls into awkwardness and pain, and he resolutely leaves the place, trying to find relief and success in his career. However, the vulgar environment, the corrupt interpersonal relationships, and the oppressive social order that stifles individuality and freedom all make him unbearable. When he returns to Lotte's side in vain, he discovers that she has already married and decides to die for love, ultimately ending his own life with a gun.