The emotional release experienced by an audience through storytelling, particularly through the resolution of conflict in fairy tales and drama.
Catharsis, a concept originating with Aristotle's Poetics, describes the purging of emotions — particularly pity and fear — through engagement with narrative art. In fairy tales, catharsis occurs when the hero overcomes adversity, the villain is punished, and justice is restored. The darker elements of fairy tales (abandonment, persecution, death threats) create emotional tension that is released through the satisfying resolution. Bruno Bettelheim argued in 'The Uses of Enchantment' (1976) that fairy tales provide children with cathartic experiences that help them process anxiety about growing up, abandonment, and mortality. The pattern of danger followed by rescue mirrors the therapeutic process of confronting fears and emerging stronger.