Catharsis is a Greek word. It means cleansing. Writing a novel, a diary or poetry may sometimes be inspired by the need to cleanse the mind of experiences. I understand this to mean that the act of writing is the means by which the writer can make sense of, and resolve, disturbances in his or her inner life. It is highly likely that much of the literature from WW1 was cathartic - think of Owen's poetry and Robert Graves's novel, "Goodbye to All That." Similarly, I think that some of PD James's work was cathartic but this is just an opinion. Many of my own early articles and short stories were inspired by a need to understand the years I spent in Italy. I was back in the UK and trying to get a handle on how these years influenced me. The excerpt from an article below is a typical example of writing inspired by the need to undergo a sort of personal therapy.
Standing outside Verona’s Porta Nuova station and assuming good visibility, you can see two mountains. To your left is Monte Baldo which rises above the eastern shore of Lake Garda. To the right is Gruppo Carega. Carega is Veronese dialect for “chair” and that is what it looks like from a distance.
If you are tired of Roman sites, Canova sculptures or yet another Titian, you might be interested in alternative amusements to be found on Lake Garda or in these local mountains.
I recently visited Lake Garda with Francesca, an Italian friend of mine. We had been driving out of the city for about half an hour when Francesca said: “Ecco il naso di Napoleone,” and she pointed to a mountain on the other side of the lake. In fact it does look like Napoleon’s face in profile and on a clear day, is visible from the Baia Delle Sirene which was our destination. Only about forty kilometers from Verona, it is easily accessible by car from the city. We left the Fiat in the shade of a large evergreen tree and began walking down a steep path. From above, the bay spread out clearly below us. The two horns of the bay are probably no more than 150 metres apart. The left—hand horn is called Punta San Vigilio; it dips down into the water and is crowned with Cypress trees.
I would welcome any examples of literature that you think was inspired by catharsis. You can use the comments box below. Try it! It is easy and you don't need to subscribe.
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