--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Werther identifies himself with the…" description: "\"“Werther identifies himself with the madman, with the footman. As a reader, I can identify myself with Werther. Historically, thousands of subjects hav..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png" --- # Werther identifies himself with the madman, with the… ![“Werther identifies himself with the madman, with the footman. As a reader, I can identify myself with Werther. Historically, thousands of subjects have done so, suffering, killing themselves, dressing, perfuming themselves, writing as if they were Werther (songs, poems, candy boxes, belt buckles…” quote by Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png) > ““Werther identifies himself with the madman, with the footman. As a reader, I can identify myself with Werther. Historically, thousands of subjects have done so, suffering, killing themselves, dressing, perfuming themselves, writing as if they were Werther (songs, poems, candy boxes, belt buckles, fans, colognes a' la Werther). A long chain of equivalences links all the lovers in the world. In the theory of literature, "projection" (of the reader into the character) no longer has any currency: yet it is the appropriate tonality of imaginative readings: reading a love story, it is scarcely adequate to say I project myself; I cling to the image of the lover, shut up with his image in the very enclosure of the book (everyone knows that such stories are read in a state of secession, of retirement, of voluptuous absence: in the toilet).”” [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that readers don't merely project onto characters; they merge with them, forming a chain of identification that transcends simple empathy, especially in romantic literature. **In simple terms:** Readers fuse with characters, creating shared identities. Key Takeaway Identification is a collective, immersive process. Themes identification reader-response literary theory subjectivity emotional immersion Mood introspective analytical Type theoretical critical When to use this quote - private reading - personal reflection - creative expression Key Concepts projection imaginative reading cultural replication Practical Applications - critical literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does this view of identification change our understanding of authorial intent? - What implications does this have for interpreting modern romance media? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Identify Werther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identify-werther-372926/) [Love story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-story/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Reader Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-character-372927/) [Reader Identify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-identify-372928/) [Werther Identifies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/werther-identifies-372925/) [Writing Werther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-werther-372924/) ## Related quotes > [Two kinds of reading can be distinguished. 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A long chain of equivalences links all the lovers in the world. In the theory of literature, \"projection\" (of the reader into the character) no longer has any currency: yet it is the appropriate tonality of imaginative readings: reading a love story, it is scarcely adequate to say I project myself; I cling to the image of the lover, shut up with his image in the very enclosure of the book (everyone knows that such stories are read in a state of secession, of retirement, of voluptuous absence: in the toilet).”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roland Barthes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madman-with-the-footman-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madman-with-the-footman-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roland-barthes-1062_books_werther-identifies-himself-with-the-madm_12943.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Werther identifies himself with the madman, with the footman. 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