In Thomas Bernhard’s thinking and literature, “comparing” always means establishing a hierarchy between writers. Therefore, the ultimate question presents itself: more powerful or weaker than myself? This article examines how Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s ‚Die Leiden des jungen Werther(s)‘ influenced Thomas Bernhard when writing his novel ‚Amras‘. As will be seen, the hierarchy mentioned – the struggle of two authors – apparently has not yet begun in ‚Amras‘. However, the young Bernhard assumes compositions, functions and ideas of young ‚Werther‘ without making this clear or transparent. The article portrays the origin and rise of a struggle (Bernhard vs. Goethe), which Bernhard will continue in many of his novels (‚Goethe schtirbt‘, ‚Auslöschung‘ etc.) and until his death.