How does The Sorrows of Young Werther use letters to show the main character’s emotions?

In The Sorrows of Young Werther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe utilizes the epistolary novel format to convey the protagonist's intense emotional state. Rather than employing the traditional convention of an exchange of letters between multiple characters, Goethe transforms the structure into a passionate, singular monologue.1

Through this technique, the letters serve as a direct window into the mind of the sensitive, artistic hero, capturing his "nameless unrest," longing, and deep-seated Weltschmerz (world-weariness). By focusing on Werther’s internal perspective, the narrative effectively illustrates his inability to reconcile his poetic, idealistic fantasies with the rigid demands of the everyday world. This intimate, subjective style allows the reader to experience the character's descent into despair, unrequited passion, and eventual suicide as he struggles against societal conventions and his own fatal flaws.21

Would you like to explore how this work influenced the broader Sturm und Drang movement?