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Essays · Character

Goethe

German poet and philosopher; admired by Thoreau.

minor

First appearance: Thomas Carlyle and His Works

Goethe shows up with force in Poetry. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Cited as a remarkable instance of the second, self-possessed and wise style of writing.
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In Poetry: Cited as a remarkable instance of the second, self-possessed and wise style of writing. Later, in Thomas Carlyle and His Works: Carlyle corresponded with Goethe, and Thoreau references this as part of…

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See Goethe in Thomas Carlyle and His Works

Character Web

12 connections

A slice of how Goethe sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

TCThomas CarlyleSCSchillerRIRichterOCOliver CromwellSHShakespeareGOGoethe

Relationship types

  • Other

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  • Diverse historical and contemporary figures
  • Heroic and historical exemplars

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of the apple tree’s strug…

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In the story

Goethe appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Goethe in Thomas Carlyle and His Works