Catharsis: How to Create It

Introduction

Catharsis refers to a psychological and emotional release of pent-up emotions individuals experience when engaging with art, literature, or other forms of media. It involves the purification or cleansing of pent-up emotions. Afterward, it leads to a sense of emotional and psychological relief. This concept, first introduced by Aristotle in his book of criticism, Poetics, suggests that the depiction of intense emotions in art allows audiences to empathize and subsequently purge their emotional tensions. Through catharsis, individuals achieve a form of emotional balance and achieve an an insight into their feelings.

How to Create Catharsis in Your Writings

Step	Explanation	Example of How to Do It
1. Establish Emotional Connection	Begin by creating relatable characters and situations readers emotionally connect with. This lays the foundation for a meaningful emotional journey to catharsis.	Introduce a character dealing with loss such as a widow struggling to cope after her husband’s death.
2. Create Tension and Conflict	Introduce conflicts that stir up emotions. These challenges should resonate with readers’ experiences, leading to a sense of emotional investment causing catharsis later.	Pit the main character against a powerful antagonist such as a person holding secrets about the character’s dirty/foul past.
3. Develop Complex Characters	Create characters with depth, flaws, and aspirations. This complexity allows readers to empathize with their struggles and creates a deeper emotional bond which later echo forcefully during catharsis.	Develop a protagonist who battles with self-doubt and fear of failure, making them relatable to readers’ personal insecurities.
4. Build Climax and Intensity	Gradually escalate the emotional tension as the story unfolds. The climax should be a pivotal moment where emotions reach their peak.	During a confrontation, reveal a shocking truth that shakes the main character’s beliefs and challenges his/her values.
5. Evoke Empathy and Identification	Create situations that encourage readers to see themselves in the characters’ shoes, causing rise of empathy and emotional resonance in their hearts.	Show the protagonist struggling with internal conflicts that mirror common human dilemmas such as a choice between duty and personal desires. The reason is internal conflict leads to strong catharsis.
6. Provide Cathartic Release	Lead the narrative to a resolution that offers emotional release. This can be a moment of confrontation, realization, or acceptance that lets readers experience emotional purging.	Allow the main character to confront his/her fears head-on, leading to a powerful outpouring of suppressed emotions.
7. Offer Resolution and Transformation	Conclude the story by resolving conflicts and showing character growth. This transformation provides a sense of closure and emotional satisfaction. This is real catharsis or relief.	Have the protagonist overcome his/her challenges, learn from his/her experiences, and emerge stronger, even if scars remain.
8. Use Vivid Descriptions and Imagery	Use descriptive language and sensual imagery to increase emotional impact and place readers in the story’s emotional landscape.	Describe the protagonist’s emotional turmoil in detail, using metaphors that paint a clear picture of his/her internal struggle.
9. Foreshadow and Callbacks	Use foreshadowing to create anticipation and callbacks to tie emotions and events together. These techniques enhance the emotional association of the narrative.	Introduce a recurring symbol or phrase that gains emotional significance as the story progresses, culminating in a powerful moment of realization. This is a moment before catharsis.
10. Allow for Interpretation	Leave room for readers to interpret and internalize the emotions. This enables them to apply the story’s catharsis to their own lives, fostering a deeper connection.	Conclude the narrative with an open-ended reflection that prompts readers to associate their own experiences and emotions with the story and the character.

This table provides a comprehensive breakdown of the steps, explanations, and examples of how to create catharsis in your writings. It guides you through the process of creating emotionally attractive stories and plays.

Benefits of Using Catharsis

Using catharsis in literature has several benefits, including:

• Emotional Engagement: Catharsis deeply engages readers’ emotions, making the literary experience more personal and memorable.
• Connection and Empathy: It leads to a strong connection between readers and characters, forcing readers to empathize with the struggles and triumphs of the characters.
• Cathartic Release for Readers: Just as characters experience emotional release, readers also find catharsis by relating to and processing their own emotions after which such an incident or event in stories and plays.
• Enhanced Realism: Catharsis adds layers of complexity to characters and situations, contributing to a more authentic and relatable portrayal that resonate with the emotions of the readers/audiences.
• Memorable Impact: The emotional intensity of cathartic moments lingers in readers’ minds, leaving a lasting impact long after they finish reading. Through this impact, they learn lessons to apply in the real events they face in life.
• Exploration of Human Experience: Catharsis allows for an exploration of the depths of human emotions and experiences, offering insights into the human condition and mentality.
• Therapeutic Effect: Reading cathartic literature serves as a form of emotional catharsis for readers, helping them process their own feelings.
• Deeper Themes and Symbolism: Catharsis often involves profound themes and symbols, enriching the narrative with layers of meaning.
• Artistic Satisfaction: Crafting cathartic moments showcases a writer’s skill in evoking powerful emotions and can be artistically fulfilling.
• Conversation Starter: Cathartic themes can spark discussions on topics like emotions, psychology, and societal issues, enhancing the cultural impact of the literature.

Utilizing catharsis in literature offers a range of advantages, enriching the reader’s experience and creating a deeper connection to the narrative and its characters.

Catharsis in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Interpretation of Catharsis	Example from Literary Work
Classical Tragedy	Catharsis is viewed as the purging of emotions and achieving a state of emotional equilibrium.	In Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, the audience experiences catharsis as they witness Oedipus’ tragic downfall and reflect on the consequences of his actions, leading to a sense of emotional release and reflection.
Reader Response Theory	Catharsis is seen as a personal and subjective emotional response, influenced by the reader’s own experiences and beliefs.	In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, readers may experience catharsis as they connect with the protagonist’s struggles and emotions, relating them to their own experiences of adolescent angst and identity.
Feminist Literary Theory	Catharsis seems an empowerment and liberation from oppressive societal norms and gender roles.	In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the female protagonist’s eventual breakdown and rebellion against the restrictive expectations of society could be seen as a cathartic moment of liberation.
Postcolonial Theory	Catharsis is viewed as a collective release from the effects of colonialism and the reclamation of cultural identity.	In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, the cathartic moments occur when the protagonist, Okonkwo, resists the influence of European colonialism and defends his Igbo culture, allowing for a collective sense of catharsis and cultural resilience.
Marxist Literary Theory	Catharsis is viewed as a recognition of societal injustices and the potential for revolution and social change.	In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, the animals’ realization of the oppressive regime established by the pigs leads to a cathartic moment of rebellion and the pursuit of equality, representing the potential for transformative social change.

Suggested Readings

1. Aristotle. Poetics. Translated by Malcolm Heath, Penguin Classics, 1996.
2. Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction. University of Chicago Press, 1983.
3. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. 3rd ed., University of Minnesota Press, 2008.
4. Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Translated by James Strachey, Oxford University Press, 1999.
5. Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press, 2000.
6. Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.