The healing process of releasing deep repressed emotions such as grief, pity and fear, is known as catharsis, writes Roopa Banerjee

How many times have we shed tears while watching a tragic movie and later felt relieved and less burdened? I’m sure on several occasions at least.

The process of releasing deep repressed emotions such as grief, pity and fear, is known as catharsis. It is based on the belief that emotional release restores emotional balance.

Its earliest known use in literature is by the Greek philosopher Aristotle who deployed it in his tragic staged dramas. The belief was that, when people viewed on-stage misfortune and reacted emotionally to it, it subsequently reduced the stress of the audience.

Catharsis comes from the Greek word katharsis, which translates into cleansing or purification. Aristotle coined the word based on the medical use of purgative drugs or herbs which cleanse the body. He applied this metaphor for literature, where written or uttered words that arouse strong emotions cleanse the mind. He believed that an audience’s empathy with actors’ emotions helped them control their emotions subsequently.

People experience catharsis in different ways. Junking mementos of a partner after a break-up or divorce, scattering ashes of a loved one over a treasured spot, or even a celebratory graduation ceremony to mark the end of college, are examples of catharsis.

Writers and playwrights have used catharsis liberally in literature. The bard William Shakespeare used catharsis in many of his plays, with the best examples in Othello. In the denouement, many of the lead characters meet with tragic ends. For instance Othello realises his folly too late and kills himself. The catharsis for the audience comes from the dread of being deceived by a friend, sharing extreme repentance, and by witnessing Othello’s suicide, the audience learns to beware of false friends.

A more recent example of catharsis is from John Green’s novel, The Fault in Our Stars. The reason behind the novel’s soaring popularity is the catharsis provided in its tragic theme. In the climax, Hazel is reflecting on the loss of Augustus. The words about infinity are cathartic for her and the audience because as she mourns his death she also experiences gratitude that Augustus existed at all.

Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded, he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.
“After all this time?”
“Always,” said Snape.

Fans of the Harry Potter series will recognise these lines by J.K. Rowling. The moment of catharsis is when Harry is gazing into Snape’s memories and it is disclosed that Snape never stopped loving Harry’s mother, Lily. That’s when reader realises that everything Snape did was in honour of her memory. This catharsis allows the reader and Harry to feel the deep melancholy of Snape’s life. The reader begins to ponder about the lengths she would go to honour a loved one’s memory.

Sometimes, literary characters have cathartic experiences as well. For example, in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, Mr. Ramsay reads a tragic book by Sir Walter Scott, and it has a deep emotional impact on him prompting him to make sense of his own life and relationships.
In literature, authors choose to include cathartic moments to provide emotional release either for the protagonists or audience. Books and films which activate catharsis often uplifts the mental well-being of readers/ audiences.

Exercise
These books and plays have catharsis as a prominent theme. Name the authors of these literary works.
1. Things Fall Apart
2. Oedipus Rex
3. The Great Gatsby

Answers:
1. Chinua Achebe
2. Sophocles
3. F. Scott Fitzgerald