BEAUTY AND THE ELECTIVE AFFINITIES 171 



death of their respective partners, the widower and 

 the widow marry, in order to fulfil the dream of their 

 youth. At the opening of the story they are happy 

 enough, although a certain disparity in their natures 

 prevents them from being entirely sympathetic. 

 Theirs is such a union as occurs every day. Eduard 

 has a bosom friend called the Captain whom he 

 invites to come and live with him. This arrange- 

 ment is at first opposed by Charlotte, who has a 

 presentiment of evil, but she afterwards falls in with 

 her husband's views, more especially as she desires 

 that her adopted daughter Ottilie shall also become 

 a member of the household. Thus four individuals 

 are brought together under one roof — Eduard and 

 Charlotte, who are husband and wife, and the Cap- 

 tain and Ottilie, who are unmarried. Conventional 

 propriety would suggest an engagement between the 

 Captain and Ottilie, but the elective affinities of the 

 two couples rule otherwise. Eduard and Ottilie are 

 violently drawn to each other, and so are the Captain 

 and Charlotte, duty in each case being brought into 

 conflict with passion. Goethe handles the subject 

 with great moderation and delicacy. All the parties 

 are restrained by social considerations, Eduard and 

 Ottilie fretting under the tyranny of custom, and 



