Hollyhock Monologue Analysis

Hollyhock? Shut up (Tafel, 2017)! Some of the dialogue is italicized to represent that BoJack is having an inner argument with himself with the italicized words representing his more level-headed self while the rest is a self-deprecating, depressive voice. It is clear that the negative voice has a much more powerful sway over BoJack considering the relative amount of dialogue and the intensity of the language. In the episode, BoJack’s inner voice also gets louder and more aggressive as the lines are spoken with the background music increasing in volume and speed conveying how this sense of self-doubt and anxiety can quickly grow and snowball into an overwhelming feeling that can feel impossible to break free from. This accurately reflects …show more content…
882). Additionally, this monologue shows how this depression can come up at a moment’s notice and dredge up all sorts of horrible memories. All these memories were before he even knew he had a daughter, but they coming flooding in to destroy BoJack’s self-esteem and confidence. This shows BoJack and people with depression struggle to move on from trauma and negative events in their lives. With such a pervasive influence in his life, it comes as no surprise that BoJack has a variety of coping mechanisms to deal with his depression. However, what sets the show apart from other representations of depression in the media is that it goes beyond the stereotypical self-medicating with drugs and alcohol to show other ways BoJack works through his depression. One of these methods is by reliving his glory days by endlessly re-watching episodes of his old 90’s sitcom Horsin’ Around whenever negative things happen to him. This is known as nostalgia therapy, and while shown to have positive effects including increasing self-esteem and providing meaning, it can also cause increased anxiety and depression for