Die Wahlverwandtschaften

Goethe's novel, published in 1809, is as famous as it is difficult to categorize. The chemical metaphor of elective affinities (a stronger acid displaces a weaker acid from its salts, resulting in new compounds) describes the tragic events surrounding the couple Charlotte and Eduard. Their marriage falls apart with the arrival of Otto and Ottilie, leading to the formation of new pairs. The inevitably tragic ending evokes Greek tragedy, while the figure of the Christian martyr at the end suggests Romanticism, and the strict structure recalls the works of Weimar Classicism.