Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther made waves on the German literary scene almost immediately after its publication in 1774. Just five years later, the novel was translated into English, reaching a comparable level of popularity in England (Long 169). Famous British author Jane Austen was born in 1775, just one year after the novel's initial publication. It can easily be assumed that Austen was fortunate enough to read The Sorrows of Young Werther due to its immense popularity during her lifetime, her access to her father's large library, and the following mention in Love and Friendship, a piece from his youth: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “…but as we were convinced that he had no soul, that he had never read the sorrows of Werter [sic]. .we were certain that Janetta could feel no affection for him, or at least that she should feel none” (Austen). Here Austen, in her typical ironic manner, describes the negative reactions of a young girl's wife. friends towards one of his potential suitors. In the eyes of girls, a man is certainly not an eligible bachelor unless he has read The Sorrows of Young Werther and thus absorbed some of the eternal sentimentality of the main character. Earlier in this same letter - Love and Friendship is also written in the epistolary style - two female characters dramatically faint into "each other's arms" at the news of a sudden departure (Austen). Already the young Austen unabashedly mocked romantic and sensational notions that she continued to disavow in her later, more notable works, such as Sense and Sensibility. Sense and Sensibility, although not the first novel Austen wrote, was her first novel. which was published in 1811 under the pseudonym “A Lady”. In previous versions, it was an epistolary novel, like The Sorrows of Young Werther. The novel revolves around the lives of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two young women who, with their mother, have to move to a small country house due to the death of their father and an unfair distribution of his inheritance. Elinor represents the “Sense” half of the title through her extreme rationality, while Marianne embodies “Sensibility” with her heightened sensitivity and romanticism. The two girls each experience rather complicated romantic relationships, but, by the end of the novel, they are both happily married to men of their choice - as tends to be the case in Austen's novels, all of which tend to rely heavily on marriage plot conventions. Marianne's character parallels Werther's in many ways, from her ability to feel intense emotions, to her overwhelming love of nature, to her tumultuous relationship with John Willoughby, which in some ways mirrors that of Werther and Lotte. Even the name “Marianne” is also present in The Sorrows of Young Werther; one of Lotte's younger sisters is named Marianne. However, Sense and Sensibility's Marianne does not share the same dismal fate as Werther, although she comes dangerously close to it due to her neglect of her own health. These similarities should not be considered mere coincidence. Austen was clearly familiar with The Sorrows of Young Werther and is known for the bold critiques of other literature present in her own works - Northanger Abbey, one of her two posthumously published novels, has often been read as a parody ofGothic novel. By making Marianne so strikingly like Werther, but leading her to change her ways and live rather than commit suicide, Austen provides a subtle but distinct commentary on the ideas of sentimentality in Goethe's novel. Throughout the novel, Marianne displays characteristics that strongly resemble those of Werther. But it's only when she changes her ways that she finds happiness and true love. Thus, Austen is able to effectively highlight Werther's flaws. Perhaps the most easily discernible similarity between Marianne and Werther is their deep appreciation and dedication to nature. At the beginning of Sense and Sensibility and The Sorrows of Young Werther, both characters have settled in new cities, and each character immediately decides to experience the new environment personally. Werther, although dissatisfied with “the city itself,” finds the nature surrounding him to have “an inexpressible beauty” (Goethe 5). In his next letter, dated May 10, he continues to describe his deeply personal experiences with the outdoors, mentioning the feeling of "wonderful serenity" that being alone in nature gives him (Goethe 5). Werther is truly mastered by nature, so much so that when he is outside, “everything becomes dark before [his] eyes” and he begins to feel “the presence of the Almighty” (Goethe 6). Notably, Werther is also very impressed by the late Count M.'s garden for its simplicity; he thinks it was conceived by a “sensitive heart” like himself (Goethe 5). This garden appears to be in the expansive, flowing English style rather than the structured, symmetrical and sometimes formal French style which was also common at the time. It can be assumed that Marianne would also prefer the English style to the French style, due to her "sensitive heart". Marianne's first adventure in the landscape surrounding her home also arouses in her a great admiration for nature. She and her younger sister, Margaret, decide to go for a walk despite the risk of bad weather because they are no longer able “to bear the confinement which had been occasioned by the constant rain of the two preceding days” (Austen 26). The good weather is "not tempting enough" to lure her mother or older sister outside, a situation that shows that Marianne's passion for nature is much greater than theirs (Austen 27). We can also infer that Marianne may have persuaded Margaret to accompany her on this walk. Marianne can certainly be quite convincing, with her spirited personality, not to mention the power an older sibling often wields over a younger counterpart. Once finally outside, Marianne experiences “delicious sensations” such as a “glimpse of blue sky” and “a lively animation.” gales of a strong southwest wind” (Austen 27). Delighted with this environment, she remarks to her sister: "'Is there any happiness in the world... greater than this?' » (Austen 27). If Werther had not been alone on this excursion, he would certainly have made a similar remark to the one accompanying him. However, Marianne's joy is shattered when the rain begins to fall, and in the ensuing rush to get home, she missteps and falls "to the ground", twisting her ankle in the process (Austen 27 ). Thus, Marianne, like Werther, is overpowered by nature, although in a much more literal sense – perhaps here Austen is deliberately mocking Werther's character. Indeed, his reaction to nature can seem a little hyperbolic and is therefore tempting to satirize. Regardless, Werther and Marianne prove so absorbed in the natural world that being there is overwhelming and even debilitating for them. Towards theconclusion of Sense and Sensibility, heartbroken Marianne will seriously put her own health at risk by taking long, cold walks in the rain. And, while not exactly in a life-or-death situation, Werther ultimately fails as an artist to depict the natural world because its profound beauty is simply "more than he can bear." to put it on paper (Werther 6). The resemblance between the respective romantic relationships of Werther and Marianne appears from the first times they each meet their beloved. During their first conversations, the two couples enthusiastically discuss their favorite literary works. Werther and Marianne are in love not only with a new beloved, but also with his literary tastes - if for no other reason than that he directly corresponds to theirs. Marianne and Willoughby, to their mutual delight, discover that not only do they share the same favorite novels, but they even “idolize” “the same passages” from those novels (Austen 31). Werther is "astonished" and "struck" by Lotte's words, as Marianne is by Willoughby's, and eventually loses "all [his] reserve" after Lotte mentions the author's The Vicar of Wakefield Irish Oliver Goldsmith. This novel tells the story of a rich vicar with a large family who faces many difficulties but ultimately succeeds, is rich and happy (Goethe 24-25). This novel, with its highly sentimental qualities, would probably please Marianne and Willoughby just as much as it seems to please Werther and Lotte - perhaps it is even one of the books they are talking about. Besides their common interests, both couples are also able to interact with each other in a very free and friendly manner, even though they have only just met. Marianne and Willoughby are said to "converse with the familiarity of a long-time acquaintance", while Werther, as mentioned above, loses "all [his] reserve" almost immediately after speaking with Lotte (Austen 31, Goethe 25). Although these connections may seem significant at first, it is important for the reader to realize the sense of superficiality that permeates them both. In an extremely contradictory statement, Werther notes that he "was so deeply lost in the excellence of [Lotte's] conversation that [he] often did not understand the very words by which she expressed what she meant" ( Goethe 25). Although this statement initially seems to simply communicate the pleasure Werther experiences in speaking to Lotte, the fact that he cannot understand her “often” reveals how superficial their bond is (Werther 25). How can he be so enchanted by her intelligence if he can barely discern what she is saying? Furthermore, the two women with whom the couple sits on the bus seem completely uninterested in their conversation, sitting "with their eyes wide open, as if they were not there at all" (Werther 25). While women may really not be intrigued by the topic, it's also possible that the conversation just isn't as exciting as Werther describes it. Or, Werther might be rude by choosing not to include them in the discussion. Regardless, the reality of the situation is far from being as ideal as the picture Werther paints in his letter to Wilhelm. Marianne and Willoughby's initial interaction also has its flaws. Marianne gets the impression that Willoughby really likes all the literature she loves, but the reader gets the sense that he may only agree with her to please or impress her. The narrator declares that "any young man of twenty-five must be truly insensitive not tonot immediately convert to the excellence of such works” after the young and beautiful Marianne enthusiastically exhorts their value (Austen 31). Willoughby, therefore, “acquiesces in all his decisions,” whether he sincerely believes them or not (Austen 31). As his true character is revealed in the latter part of the novel, an informed reader is more likely to suspect otherwise. Like Werther, he may not listen to most of the syllables that come out of Marianne's mouth; rather, he admires her external beauty. Finally, and once again recalling Werther and Lotte's situation, Marianne and Willoughby are not alone during their conversation, as her mother and her sister, Elinor, are both present, but appear to be excluded, either due to their own lack of interest or rudeness of lovers. From the beginning, Werther and Marianne's romantic experiences parallel their seemingly strong bond underpinned by a sense of falsehood and excessive idealization. Another effective way to see the inherent similarities between Werther and Marianne is to compare the following quotes, the first from Werther in a brief letter to Wilhelm, dated July 10, the second from a discussion between Marianne and Elinor about the Elinor's feelings towards her beloved, Edward Ferrars: "...if they ask me how I love her-- like! I hate the word like poison. What kind of person is he who loves Lotte, whose heart and mind are not completely possessed by it! Like! The other day, someone asked me if I loved Ossian! declared [Elinor], 'that I have a very high esteem for him, that I esteem him greatly, that I like him.' Marianne here burst out with indignation: “Esteem him like him! Cold-hearted Elinor! Oh, ashamed to be otherwise! -there” (Austen 13). Here, both Marianne and Werther have almost comical negative reactions to the verb “I love.” both put their entire being into loving someone. Although this notion may seem very romantic and harmless at first, it ends up causing a lot of distress for both Werther and Marianne, as well as those caring for them. of them. As each novel progresses, more and more similarities arise between Werther and Marianne. Willoughby turns out to be engaged, thus making him as inaccessible to Marianne as Lotte is to Werther. to Willoughby, just like Werther to Lotte, but they are intercepted and read by his fiancée. Although we are never entirely certain, it appears that Werther's letters to Lotte were also read by her fiancé, Albert. Additionally, Marianne rejects societal conventions in the manner of Werther, ignoring or disrespecting her elders, like Mrs. Jennings, a woman by whom she is treated with nothing but "unceasing kindness" (Austen 237) . Marianne even admits to her behavior later, claiming that she had been “insolent and unjust” to “all common acquaintances” (Austen 237). In a manner that echoes Werther's initial refusal to find work and obey his mother's wishes, Marianne leaves many of her "duties neglected" (Austen 237). Werther and Marianne are so blinded by their doomed passions that they neglect other important aspects of their lives. Like Werther, Marianne falls into a deep depression when she realizes that her love for Willoughby will never be repaid. She begins to take long, solitary walks in the evening, despite the cold and the rain. Although this act alone could be harmful. 2016