1. Catharsis Sarah Snell Frances Thorpe

2. Definition A purification or purgation of the emotions primarily through art or an emotionally draining experience. A purification or purgation of the emotions primarily through art or an emotionally draining experience.

3. Pronunciation k uh -thahr-sis k uh -thahr-sis http://dictionary.reference.com/br owse/catharsis http://dictionary.reference.com/br owse/catharsis http://dictionary.reference.com/br owse/catharsis http://dictionary.reference.com/br owse/catharsis

4. Literary Examples 1. 1. In Oedipus, Oedipus finds out that he has killed his father and married his own mother. He then proceeds to gouge his eyes out with his dead mother's adornments. 2. 2. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Catherine dies after having to part with Heathcliff to go back to her husband 3. 3. In a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Mr. Manette doesn’t remember his own daughter after years of jail time and pretends to constantly make shoes.

5. Literary Analysis 1. In Oedipus, Oedipus’ dramatic eye gouging was an example of catharsis in literary work. The author’s purpose was to show how much this knowledge ruined his life. 2. When Catherine dies after hours of sobbing and dramatic declarations, it shows an example of Catharsis. Bronte’s purpose is to show how strong Catherine and Healthcliff’s connection was. 3. When Lucie goes to visit her father and he traumatized, his extreme condition is one of catharsis. The purpose is to show how long and cruel his treatment was and how close Lucie and Mr. Manette are.