Why Story Is Like A Religious Sacrifice

The Bible and other religious texts talk about a sacrifice required in order to cleanse away sinful behaviour.?

This is an interesting principle.

Why does killing an animal or spilling blood atone for misdemeanors?

When we tell a story, a character can go on a journey much like our own, they can struggle and suffer.

Tragedy, in particular, is famous for showing the trajectory of a very human character [not unlike us] who makes bad decisions and faces a dire fate?

When a character shows hubris, greed, sloth, lust, envy, and so forth, and faces disaster, they do so in a way that means we do not have to.?

Their punishment and death serves in some ways a catharsis for us as we can experience their life through them but not face the same consequences.?

In doing so we can adjust our behavior and avoid due consequences.?

We can see the hero of the story as a hero who died in our place so we do not have to.?

Our life is lighter because of the cleansing experience and of coming back to our life to live anew.?