at little freedom remains so fills them with fear that they seakout any and every means to be rid of it” (29). Werther’s critique, however, unlike the aristocracy is base on pity rather than hatred. His life, unlike the lower classes is dedicated to the pursuit of ideals such as love and beauty; as for him they are the true meaning of life. Werther is doing nothing except reflecting on nature and reading, and considers it more important than actually work and farm. “You ask why the torrent of genius so rarely pours forth? Because on either bank dwell the cool, respectable gentlemen, whose summerhouse, tulip beds and cabbage patches would all be washed away and who are therefore highly skilled in averting future dangers in good time, by damming and digging channels”(33). Werther is almost frustrated due to the lower class’ inability to live freely but work and farm most of their time. Werther’s opinions on the surrounding society, thus, enables him often to interact with people in his own social class, as he keeps comparing their lifestyle to his own. As a result, Werther cannot possibly have a fulfilling relationship with people, since he believes they are slaves to society, and expect from themselves a life long of labor. With the exception of Miss von B., Count C., and, for a time, Lotte, he never finds such an equal and remains completely isolated as a result. Considering his artistic sensibilities, social status, psychological difficulties, and social critique, Werther is effectively isolated from society except, of course, for Lotte and her family.No matter how accurate Werther’s ideas about society really are, they are, without a doubt, a major cause of his solitude. Among the few people he can actually interact with, he is forced to desert them all. As a result, he must bear the suffering of loneliness, as it becomes the cause of his “sentimental passion”4. Yet, he has no one ...
