Joys of young Werther
The joy of young Werther is the title of a story by Friedrich Nicolai published in 1775 and belongs to the so-called Wertheriads . It is a parody of " The Sorrows of Young Werther " by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , which was directed against the enthusiasm for suicide , the later so-called Werther Effect , which spread in the course of Goethe's hit novel .
content
The story begins with a conversation between Martin, a man of 42 years, and Hanns, a youth of 21 years. Hanns is supposed to represent the kind of reader who finds a justification for suicide in Werther , while Martin judges the events differently and does not see the suicide justified in it: “Look, Hanns, if I see it correctly, the author has the 'sufferings of Young Werthers ›not written, not to you or your kind.” Nevertheless, Hanns is of the opinion that Werther could not act otherwise. Then Martin begins to tell the story differently.
The plot picks up where Werther asks Albert for the pistols. But before he gives Werther the pistols, he first speaks to Lotte again and tells her that he does not want to oppose the “mutual love” between her and Werther, which Lotte does not take seriously at first. Then Albert Werther gives the pistols. After receiving news of Werther's suicide (or the attempt to do so), Albert visits Werther on his “death bed” and tells him that he wants to resign Lotte. Werther thinks that Albert only wants to annoy him shortly before he dies, but Albert admits that, anticipating the intent behind Werther's request, he only loaded the pistol with chicken blood; then Werther stands up full of joy. Werther starts a relationship with Lotte and they finally get married. Albert first withdraws from both of them.
Here begins a new chapter with the title: "Sorrows of Werther the man". Here it is reported that Lotte has a child from Werther, but cannot breastfeed it herself; therefore Werther and Lotte employ a wet nurse. The child dies after a short time. But it gets worse: Werther has to go to work and therefore soon spends little time with Lotte. Because Lotte, in her loneliness, sought the company of more romantically inclined men (like Werther himself once was), they split up. Albert returns from his trip from Vienna and reconciles the two by talking to Lotte and Werther individually and allowing them to rediscover their feelings for one another.
And so begins the last chapter, the "Joys of Werther's Man". Werther and Lotte run a very frugal household for a long time until they can finally buy a house. But then a crazy and rich neighbor moves into the vicinity, who in an effort to build a pleasure garden floods Lotte and Werther's estate. Without getting annoyed, Werther goes to the neighbor and suggests that he want to sell him his house. The neighbor gratefully accepts this offer, and Werther can use the proceeds to buy an even bigger house. There he lived very happily with Lotte.
Finally, the author mentions what Werther had learned: “Experience and cold, relaxed reflection have taught him not to ruminate on the little evil that fate presented him, but on the other hand to ruminate on the delight that God poured out on him. heartily grateful heart. ”And one should also bear these words in mind when reading the sufferings of young Werther.
Reactions
The reactions to Nicolai's parody were different. Many, especially from the ranks of the scouts, praised this version, while from the ranks of the strikers and pushers, many criticized the biting satirical portrayal of the protagonists, which are a clear allusion to the genre.
Probably the most violent reaction came from the author of the original, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, himself. Extremely angry about this denigration of his novel, although he clearly distanced himself from it in later years, he began a violent literary campaign against Nicolai, der Zeit should last of his life. In addition to individual controversial poems, Goethe wrote further written attacks, some of which were very obvious, in the Xenien and even 'dedicated' Nicolai a small appearance in his Faust as a "proctophantasmist", an allusion to the fact that Nicolai suffered from phantasms .
One of Goethe's most dogged comments on Werther's joys is his poem Nicolai auf Werther's grave , published around 1775:
A young person i don't know how
Once died of hypochondria
And then was buried too.
A beautiful ghost came over
He had his bowel movements free
How people have him.
He sits down on the grave
And put down a clean pile
Looks at his filth with ease,
Goes away again, taking breath,
And speaks slowly to himself:
“Poor man, he's taking me
How has he spoiled!
If he had shit like me
He would not have died! "
literature
- Friedrich Nicolai : Joys of the young Werther. Sorrows and joys of Werther's husband. Before and finally a conversation , text edition with materials, Klett, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-353600-9 .
