What About Bob Character Analysis

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Running Head: WHAT ABOUT BOB ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERS AND THEORIES What About Bob: Analysis of Characters and Theories Emily McLaughlin Brevard Community College Professor Leonard Abstract Bob Wiley and Dr. Leo Marvin, two characters from the movie What About Bob, display many psychological aspects through their personalities, boundaries, and therapeutic techniques. Bob deals with several disorders, including agoraphobia and separation anxiety. Dr. Marvin is a narcissist who agrees to take Bob on as a new patient before departing on a month-long vacation. The importance of boundaries and the effect of breaching them is evident through the relations of Dr. Marvin and Bob. Dr. Marvin utilizes various therapeutic techniques in dealing…show more content…
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by a fear of being alone and becoming trapped in public places (Myers, 2010), such as elevators and buses. Bob travels outside only for necessary activities and walking to his appointment with Dr. Marvin. After the meeting, Bob follows Dr. Marvin’s advice to take small steps to decrease his phobias and rides the elevator. His determination to find Dr. Marvin on vacation overcomes the agoraphobia and allows Bob to board a bus. Bob also suffers from a phobia that causes him to carry a napkin around as a barrier between him and the world’s…show more content…
Marvin is humanistic and client-centered in its approach. Both men sit in chairs, and Bob starts the appointment. Bob begins the discussion by stating his problems, and Dr. Marvin encourages him to expand his explanations by saying, “Talk about it.” Dr. Marvin’s book, Baby Steps, is an example of systematic desensitization. It advises readers to slowly overcome their fears by dealing with one fear at a time. Bob is given the book at the end of the appointment, and he chooses to ride the elevator as part of defeating his phobias gradually. The technique of play therapy appears in the use of puppets by Dr. Marvin and Anna. Play therapy encourages children to express their emotions through toys as a method of recognizing and dealing with traumatic events in the past (Crenshaw, Green, Kolos, 2010). This therapeutic technique is not typically used with teenagers, but Dr. Marvin employs it with Anna to discuss her spending time with Bob.

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