Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's epistolary novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther, caused a sensation in the German literary scene almost immediately after its publication in 1774. Only five years later, the novel was translated into English, reaching a comparable level of popularity in England (Long 169). Celebrated British author Jane Austen was born in 1775, just a year after the novel's initial publication. One can easily assume that Austen had the chance to read The Sorrows of Young Werther because of its immense popularity during her lifetime, her access to her father's large library, and the following mention of it in Love and Friendship, a piece of his juvenalia: Let's say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned'? Receive an original essay“...but since we were convinced that he had no soul, that he had never read Werter's [sic] Sorrows...we were certain that Janetta could not feel any affection for him, or at least that she should not try any” (Austen). Here, Austen, in her typical ironic way, describes the negative reactions of a young girl's woman. friends towards one of her 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 has thus absorbed some of the eternal sentimentality of its main character. At the beginning of this same letter - Love and Friendship is also written in epistolary style - two female characters dramatically faint "in each other's arms" at the news of a sudden departure (Austen). The young Austen is already mocking the romantic and sensational notions that she continues to disavow in her later and more important works, such as Sense and Sensibility. Sense and Sensibility, although not the first novel written by Austen, was her first to be 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, together with their mother, must move to a small country house due to the death of their father and an unfair assignment of his inheritance. Elinor represents the "Sense" half of the title through her extreme rationality, while Marianne embodies "Sensitivity" with her high sensitivity and romanticism. Each of the two girls experiences rather complicated romantic relationships, but, by the end of the novel, they are both happily married to the men of their choice - as tends to be the case in Austen's novels, all of which tend to rely heavily on convention of the wedding plot. 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 a way, mirrors that of Werther and Lotte. The name “Marianne” is also present in The Sorrows of Young Werther; one of Lotte's younger sisters is called Marianne. However, Marianne from Sense and Sensibility does not share the same sad fate as Werther, although she comes dangerously close due to his neglect of his own health. These similarities should not be seen as merely coincidental. Austen had clearly become familiar with The Sorrows of Young Werther and is known for bold criticisms of other literature in her own works: Northanger Abbey, one of her two posthumously published novels, has often been read as a parody of the Novel Gothic. Making Marianne so strikingly similar to Werther, but causing her to change her waysand to live instead of kill oneself, 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 is only when he changes direction that he finds happiness and true love. Thus, Austen is able to effectively emphasize Werther's flaws. Perhaps the most easily discernible similarity between Marianne and Werther is their deep appreciation and devotion 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 firsthand. Werther, while not particularly satisfied with the “city itself,” believes that the nature surrounding it has “an unspeakable beauty” (Goethe 5). In the next letter, dated May 10, he continues to describe his deeply personal experiences with the outdoors, mentioning the sense of “wonderful serenity” that solitude in nature brings him (Goethe 5). Werther is truly overwhelmed by nature, so much so that when he is outdoors “everything darkens before [his] eyes” and he begins to feel “the presence of the Almighty” (Goethe 6). In particular, Werther was also very impressed by the garden of the late Count M. for its simplicity; he believes it was designed by a “sensitive heart” like himself (Goethe 5). This garden appears to be in the large, flowing English style rather than the structured, symmetrical and sometimes stereotyped French style that was also common at the time. It can be assumed that Marianne also prefers the English style to the French one, due to her "sensitive heart". Marianne's first adventure into the landscape surrounding her home also leads to much admiration for nature on her part. She and her younger sister, Margaret, decide to take a walk despite the possibility of bad weather because they are no longer able to "endure the confinement which the constant rain of the previous two days had caused" (Austen 26). The good weather is “not tempting enough” to entice her mother or older sister to leave the house, a situation that shows that Marianne's passion for nature is much greater than theirs (Austen 27). It can also be inferred that Marianne may have persuaded Margaret to accompany her on this walk. Marianne can certainly be convincing enough, with her lively personality, not to mention the power an older brother often wields over a younger counterpart. Once finally outdoors, Marianne experiences "delicious sensations" such as a "glimpse of blue sky" and "storm animation of a strong south-westerly 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 during the aforementioned excursion, he would surely have made a similar observation to those accompanying him. However, the joy of Marianne is broken when it begins to rain, and in her subsequent haste to get home, she makes a misstep and falls “to the ground,” twisting her ankle in the process (Austen 27). Therefore, Marianne, like Werther, is overwhelmed by nature, although in a much more literal sense: perhaps, here, Austen is deliberately mocking Werther's character, his reaction to nature may seem a little hyperbolic, and he is therefore tempted to satirise , both Werther and Marianne are so absorbed in the natural world that being in it is overwhelming and even disabling for them. Toward the conclusion of Sense and Sensibility, a heartbroken Marianne seriously jeopardizes her health by taking long, cold walks in the rain. And, despite not being exactly in a life or situationdeath, Werther ultimately fails as an artist in depicting the natural world because its profound beauty is simply “more than I can bear” to put on paper (Werther 6). The similarity between Werther and Marianne's respective romantic relationships is evident from the first meeting with their loved ones. In their initial conversations, both couples enthusiastically discuss their favorite literary works. Both Werther and Marianne are in love not only with their new beloved, but also with his literary tastes, if only for the sole reason that it directly corresponds to their own. Marianne and Willoughby, to their mutual delight, discover that they not only share the same favorite novels, but that they even "idolize" "the same passages" in these novels (Austen 31). Werther, is “astonished” and “struck” by Lotte's words, just as Marianne is by Willoughby's, and ultimately loses “all [his] reserve” after Lotte mentions Irish author Oliver's The Vicar of Wakefield Goldsmith. This novel tells the story of a rich vicar with a large family who faces many difficulties but ultimately becomes successful, rich and happy (Goethe 24-25). This novel, with its highly sentimental qualities, would probably please Marianne and Willoughby as much as it seems to please Werther and Lotte - perhaps it is even one of the books the two discuss. Aside from their shared interests, the two couples are also able to interact with each other in an extremely wild and friendly manner, despite having 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 when speaking to Lotte (Austen 31, Goethe 25). Although these connections may seem significant at first glance, it is important for the reader to realize the sense of superficiality that pervades both. In a highly contradictory statement Werther notes that he was "so deeply lost in the excellence of [Lotte's] conversation that [he] often did not catch the very words in which she expressed what she meant" (Goethe 25). Although this statement initially seems to simply express the pleasure Werther takes in talking to Lotte, the fact that he does not “often” understand it reveals how superficial their bond actually 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 is sitting in the carriage seem completely disinterested in their conversation and sit “with their eyes wide open, as if [they were] not there at all” (Werther 25). While women may indeed not be intrigued by the topic, there is also the possibility that the conversation simply isn't as compelling as Werther describes it. Or Werther might be rude by choosing not to include them in the discussion. In any case, the reality of the situation is not as ideal as the picture Werther paints in his letter to Wilhelm. The initial interaction between Marianne and Willoughby also has its flaws. Marianne gets the impression that Willoughby really loves all the literature he adores, but the reader gets the feeling that perhaps he only agrees with her to please or impress her. The narrator states that “any young man of twenty-five must have been insensible indeed, not to be immediately converted to the excellence of such works” after the young and beautiful Marianne enthusiastically exhorts their value (Austen 31). Willoughby, therefore, “acquiesce[s] in all his decisions,” whether he sincerely believes them or not (Austen 31). Since his true character is revealed in the last part of the novel, a discerning reader is more likely to suspect that this is not the case. AsWerther, perhaps does not listen to most of the syllables that come out of Marianne's mouth; rather, he is admiring her external beauty. Finally, and once again calling to mind Werther and Lotte's situation, Marianne and Willoughby are not alone during their conversation, as her mother and sister, Elinor, are both present, but appear not to be included, due of their lack of interest or rudeness on the part of the lovers. From the beginning, Werther and Marianne's romantic experiences parallel each other with their seemingly strong bonds underpinned by a sense of falseness and excessive idealization. Another effective way to see the inherent similarities between Werther and Marianne is through a comparison of the following quotes, the first from Werther in a short letter to Wilhelm, dated 10 July, the second from a discussion between Marianne and Elinor about Elinor's feelings towards her lover, Edward Ferrars: "...if they ask me how much I like it-- Like it! I hate the word like poison. What kind of person is it who likes Lotte, whose heart and mind are not completely possessed by she! How! The other day someone asked me if I “liked” Ossian!” (Goethe 44).“'I do not try to deny,' said [Elinor], 'that I think very highly of him, that I esteem him very much, that I like him.' Marianne, present, exploded with indignation: "Steem him! Like him! Cold-hearted Elinor! I am ashamed to be otherwise.'" (Austen 13) Here, both Marianne and Werther have almost comically negative reactions towards the verb “like”. Neither believes in doing things by halves; they both put their whole being into loving someone may seem highly romantic and harmless, it ultimately leads to much heartache for both Werther and Marianne, as well as those who care for them. As each novel continues, more and more similarities emerge between Werther and Marianne Willoughby is engaged, making him as unattainable to Marianne as Lotte is to Werther. Marianne writes deeply expressive letters to Willoughby, just as Werther does 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 are also read by her fiancé, Albert. Furthermore, Marianne rejects social conventions in a similar way to Werther, ignoring or disrespecting her elders, such as Mrs. Jennings, a woman by whom she is treated with nothing but "unceasing kindness" (Austen 237). Marianne also admits her behavior later, saying that she had been "insolent and unjust" to "every common acquaintance" (Austen 237). In a way that parallels Werther's initial refusal to find work and obey his mother's wishes, Marianne leaves many of her “duties neglected” (Austen 237). Both 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 requited. He begins to take long, solitary walks in the evening, despite the cold and rain. While this act alone could be detrimental to her health, Marianne also indulges in the “greater imprudence of sitting in wet shoes and stockings” for hours after her walks (Austen 209). While not as extreme as putting a bullet in her head, this danger to her health is comparable to Werther's decision to take his own life. Once recovered, Marianne acknowledges this, telling Elinor, "[my] illness... was entirely caused by me, by such neglect of".. 2016