Paper II Catharsis

Catharsis

            Catharsis is the release and relief of strong or repressed emotions. The term “catharsis” derives from the Greek word katharsis meaning “purification” or “cleansing.” In the realm of psychology, the American Psychological Association defines catharsis as "the discharge of effects connected to traumatic events that had previously been repressed by bringing these events back into consciousness and re-experiencing them."

        As it applies to film and art, emotional catharsis can be the result of the emotional effect of a tragic drama. 

        The Ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, described catharsis as the emotional purge of fear and pity aroused by tragedy. The term was then adopted by psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Josef Bruer. 

        Aristotle's definition of catharsis was specific to the experience that audiences have watching theater, or to people reading literature. According to that definition, only audience members and readers can experience catharsis—and not the actors or characters themselves. However, it's sometimes the case that literary characters do have cathartic experiences. For example, in Virginia Woolf's 'To the Lighthouse,' Mr. Ramsay reads a tragic book by Sir Walter Scott, and the emotional impact it has on him leads him to feel a greater sense of clarity about his own life and his relationships with other characters in the book.