Siffrin deals with his anxieties (both rational and irrational) by performing rituals and compulsions. These rituals can become obsessive, especially in times of heightened stress, and often focus around either checking things, or numbers. They also deal with intrusive thoughts, with such frequency and intensity that it impacts their ability to function. Those...are all symptoms of OCD.
Let's define some terms, before we go into examples. What are obsessions in this context? This often refers to obsessive thoughts/anxieties/mindsets. These are prevalent, reoccurring, sometimes disturbing, often irrational fears. Intrusive thoughts are one example of this, though not all obsessions are intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are specifically unwanted and very distressing and often graphic thoughts or images in one's mind. An example of such is this:
Next, are compulsions and rituals. Compulsions are actions that one takes to break the obsession spiral. These either soothe the root fear (though usually temporarily), or quiet the disturbing thought or image. Rituals are "safe" compulsions, decided as such either by repetition or irrational logic. The wording that Siffrin uses when questioned about obsessive checking of pillars is as follows:
One of the most common mental justifications for compulsions is "But what if?". The perceived cost of performing a compulsion is often weighed as nothing against the potential of something truly awful happening. "What if?" carries a lot of weight for people dealing with OCD- often one knows that both the fears and the compulsions are irrational and logically one cannot control the Universe by tapping a certain amount of times on a table, checking for the tenth time if your alarm was set, or repeating a phrase multiple times in your mind. However, the weight of the potential fear is just so great that one cannot take the chance, even knowing that. This paradoxical position of both awareness and delusion that many with OCD have is called "OCD with insight" (1)
This post became....much longer than I planned, so the rest will be under the cut. Please read the rest though!!! There's so much more to it! ☆
The diagnostic criteria for OCD in the ICD (2) and the DSM (3) are relatively similar (though the DSM focuses a lot more on ruling out other causes for similar behavior like anxiety disorders and delusional disorders), and focus on the obsessions being self-sustaining and the rituals being often time consuming and frustrating to have to do. However, not all compulsions are even notable enough to the person to cause any frustration or discomfort, nor are all of them consciously done with any sort of logic behind them. It's quite common for people to perform compulsions without even having a reasoning for why (4).
Hey, weren't we talking about Siffrin ISAT? What's with all this research paper bullshit? Can't you just show me where in the game my blorbo shows signs of mental disorders???!?
Well, one example of rituals that Siffrin engages in is repeating phrases, either out loud or in their head. The number they tend to come back to, again and again, is three. This is shown when they are explaining Wish Craft, and despite the fact that the specific number of repetitions of your wish genuinely doesn't matter, just that it's repeated at all, they instinctively say to repeat your wish three times, before catching themselves and correcting their error.
...When Loop explains their Wish to Siffrin, they say it three times as well. "I wished it could be over. I wished I could get out of here. I wished for someone to help me."
Whenever Siffrin wants something to go right, throughout the game, he also almost always repeats his desired outcome three times.
It's a noticeable enough habit that his party members mention it, when in the trap room. They've noticed the ritualistic mumbling that he does whenever he wants something to go right.
It's not just when they want something to go right that they're doing it though. They repeat things three times when they're panicking, too, to calm themselves down. When they loop back after beating the king:
It's not even just thinking or saying things either, they take actions in threes too, to soothe themselves. After Kingquest:
You can see both thinking things in threes and acting in threes here. It's everywhere. If you look through the game again, you won't be able to help but notice how often they do things in threes.
Speaking of the coughing though, that's another one of the compulsions they do. Covering their mouth, coughing, gagging, they do all of those when trying to banish disturbing memories or thoughts from their mind.
After looping when refusing to try to say the name of their country when the King asks.
Notice again, they repeat "You know" three times. Like I said, you'll start seeing that EVERYWHERE now.
To note, if you try to say it once and try not to say it another time, you'll get this instead:
Three breaths, here.
I could go on, but I don't think I need to.
Another important factor when considering OCD is the need for control. People with OCD not only report a lower level of perceived control over their thoughts and actions, and not only tend to need a higher level of control than the average person to feel safe and comfortable, but also, the less control over their environment they have, the more that OCD symptoms often intensify. (5)
Siffrin is in a paradoxical position here, in regards to control. When they first realize they're in a timeloop, they're absolutely ESTATIC. The first bathroom break monologue exemplifies exactly WHY he's so euphoric at this point:
He's euphoric with CONTROL. No matter what happens, he can always try again. He's safe. He can keep everyone he loves safe. He has SO MUCH CONTROL.
When the illusion shatters, after he's dragged back when they beat the king, that's when he realizes how little control he actually has. Sure, he can decide when he loops (most of the time) but he can't decide to STOP looping. He's trapped. The more he tries to escape, the less control he seems to have (Eg, what happens to Bonnie). After that, we can see him start to have intrusive thoughts, engage in more ritualistic behavior, and end up in more unhealthy anxiety spirals.
...And, we see him lean into the little control he DOES have (looping) more. Any time he's in a stressful situation? Any time that the control he has over a situation starts slipping away? Is Bonnie yelling at him with tears in their eyes and telling him to die? Is Isabeau pulling away from their shaking grip on his collar? Is Odile confronting him on his suspicious behavior? Are things OUT OF CONTROL? ...Control is taken back. Forcefully. He can't handle loosing more control, not when he already feels so helpless and trapped.
Talking about the bathroom scenes, there's another one I want to point out. The first Friendquest run. It's the perfect example of delusional anxieties and compulsions used to quiet the distressing thought, rather than soothe them.
...Yeah.
Siffrin is suddenly overcome with the anxiety that the simple act of believing that his plan could work will somehow make it not come true anymore. This is an example of "magical thinking", or a belief that defies the scientific or culturally accepted laws of causality (eg. "If I step on a crack, my mother's back will break"). It's specifically an example of TAF, or "Thought-action fusion", which is the belief that one's mere thoughts can cause completely unrelated actions to happen in the real world. This is an essential part of how compulsions can genuinely relieve anxiety, and is actually one of the differences between those with other anxiety disorders and those with OCD. Magical thinking is essential to OCD. (6)
This exchange also showcases an example of how compulsions done to quiet rather than to soothe can sometimes involve self harming behaviors to "shake" the thought out of one's mind. In this case, him hitting his own head and focusing on the pain rather than on the thought. Most definitely not a healthy way to deal with it! But what else do we expect from Siffrin, honestly.
Another example of a self-harming compulsion being used to "shake" out a distressing and unwanted thought, also including a more minor example of magical thinking:
Researchers and psychologists have often attempted to divide OCD into subtypes. This has usually been done because different types of obsessions often demand different treatment plans. (7) The actual divisions have varied from researcher to researcher, but one type that consistently comes up, is harm OCD/moral OCD. (Of note, one person usually, but not always, fits into multiple subtypes. I personally think Siffrin fits into multiple) Harm OCD is characterized by a fixation on believing one is a bad person and causing harm to others, often despite others expressing the contrary. This often comes along with very intense self-criticism and judgement.
After repeating a Friendquest route multiple times:
Mal Du Pays fight:
Siffrin specifically is fixated on the worry that the knowledge that they gained by looping gives them an unfair power dynamic with their party, and taking any action informed by that knowledge means that they're taking advantage of them or forcing them to do what he wants. This is despite the fact that, no matter what he chooses to do, they are still autonomous beings who do what they want. He has less control than he thinks.
Also from the Mal Du Pays fight:
("You should've died for me. You should've died to protect me. You should've died to protect me.", "You can wish and wish and wish all you want.", "They'll forget you. They'll forget you. They'll forget you.")
And what of Loop? They're also a Siffrin, right? Examination of the self from an outside perspective has given them time to introspect a bit more. They directly name and point out one of Siffrin's rituals. @dormont pointed this out, in one of his posts. (8)
Loop says, here:
They understand why Siffrin is doing this. Siffrin is afraid that he'll forget again. There was no warning, before the Island vanished from everyone's mind. The coin is a physical reminder that he forgot his first family, that he can't forget this one too. He often rolls it in his pocket, but sometimes grips it tightly, or flips it. In his mind, touching it will prevent him from forgetting again.
Now this is fascinating when thinking about One Hat, because in that eventuality Siffrin, after failing to find Loop at the Favor Tree, leaves his coin where Loop used to sit. This shows that he's doing better mentally, in Act 6. That he trusts himself more to remember, that he doesn't need the coin anymore.
Throughout the game, Loop keeps the comedy mask glued tight to their starry face. Because of that (and the fact that we don't see inside of their head), we don't get to see much of their own obsessions or compulsions. But there is one time where their mask slips. During Two Hats.
When they start becoming more and more distressed, they fall back into repetitions of three:
And if they win the fight....
And after the fight...
But of course, it's not all in distress. What was I saying, at the start of the post? The other reason why Siffrin repeats things in threes? When he wants something to go right, right? When he has a desired outcome, when he's sharpening his knife, when he's carving a figure. "Please be sharp, please be sharp, please be sharp."? At the end of it all, as Loop is fading away:
"I'll see you again soon, I promise! I super promise! I super duper promise!"
And Siffrin understands exactly the intention and desire that they pressed into that repetition. After Loop is completely gone, they mirror their actions.
("You flip it once, twice, three times.")
("You will see each other again.")
Additional resources:
1: Taylor, E. (2020). Discordant knowing: A puzzle about insight in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. Mind & Language, 37(1), 73–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/mila.12301
(About the concept of insight in irrational cycles in OCD! Very interesting)
2: ICD 10: The complete official code set. Internet Archive. (2017).
ix, 922 pages : 28 cm
(ICD 10, Account is needed to read the full thing)
3: American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.)
(DSM 5, for reference)
4: Starcevic, V., Berle, D., Brakoulias, V., Sammut, P., Moses, K., Milicevic, D., & Hannan, A. (2011). Functions of compulsions in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45(6), 449–457. https://doi.org/10.3109/00048674.2011.567243
(Article about reasonings behind compulsions. Honestly I think a lot of the "other reasons" categorized here for compulsions are just...different manifestations of reducing anxiety. But it's still helpful to show how sometimes compulsions are done subconsciously)
5. Moulding, R., & Kyrios, M. (2007). Desire for control, sense of control and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31(6), 759–772. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9086-x
(Article around OCD and the need for control)
6. Kingdon, B. L., Egan, S. J., & Rees, C. S. (2011). The illusory beliefs inventory: A new measure of magical thinking and its relationship with obsessive compulsive disorder. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 40(1), 39–53. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1352465811000245
(Article about magical thinking/TAF/history of the other studies done on the importance of them in OCD & creating a better framework to assess them)
(7) McKay, D., Abramowitz, J. S., Calamari, J. E., Kyrios, M., Radomsky, A., Sookman, D., Taylor, S., & Wilhelm, S. (2004). A critical evaluation of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder subtypes: Symptoms versus mechanisms. Clinical Psychology Review, 24(3), 283–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.04.003
(Critical overview of the concept of OCD subtypes and what their purpose is)
(8)
HEAD IN HANDS. THE SILVER COIN IS AN OCD THING...........
(Eve's post :]. Check the replies for more elaboration!)
Monologue - a long speech by a single character in a theatre production or film.
Monologues can either be addressing other characters in the scene, or they can be one character talking to themselves or to the audience.
The word monologue is made up of the Greek roots for alone and speak, and it is the counterpart of the word dialogue, which comes from the Greek word for conversation.
They serve a specific purpose in storytelling—to give the audience more details about a character or about the plot.
Used carefully, they are a great way to share the internal thoughts or backstory of a character or to give more specific details about the plot.
How to Write a Monologue
Good monologues are structured just like good stories: they have a beginning, a middle, and an end. This rhythm—a build up and a resolution—is critical in long stories, because without it, stories can become monotonous and stale.
Beginning. In real life, people don’t just start monologuing without a reason; they usually start speaking in response to something else that was said or to something that happened. When writing, try transitioning into a monologue smoothly with your first line. Even the opening line “I was thinking about something you said yesterday” is an easy way for a character to start giving a monologue.
Middle. The middle of a monologue can be the hardest part to write, because viewers will start to get bored during long speeches; it’s vital to keep your monologues from being predictable. Craft small twists and turns into the storytelling—from interesting plot details to unique ways the character describes them—to keep the monologue fresh and engaging.
End. It’s common for monologues—especially ones meant to convince another character to do something—to wrap up with a quick statement of meaning. However, don’t indulge too much in explanation at the end of the monologue; this can make it feel shallow or uninteresting. Instead, trust your readers to derive meaning from it themselves.
Tips for Writing a Strong Monologue
The best way to write strong monologues is to practice—every monologue you write will help you improve for the next one.
Keep it concise. Monologues aren’t something used to fill time in a script—so as you write a monologue, keep it as short as possible. This doesn’t mean that your monologue has to be short; rather, it means you should spend time editing and identifying what is most important. The more focused your monologue, the more powerful and memorable it will be for your viewers.
Placement is key. Monologues are very potent writing tools, and too many of them too close together in a story will quickly tire viewers. Limit yourself to as few monologues as possible, and space them out in your story so that they’re not back to back. This will help each monologue shine and prevent the audience from getting bored.
Use detail. Monologues written entirely in general language are usually forgettable—viewers need concrete details to latch onto and remember. Pepper your monologues with vivid imagery (when in doubt, think of the five senses) to make them memorable.
Read and watch more monologues. Great monologues are inspired by other great monologues—when you’re stuck, seek out other examples of monologues to get you back on track. William Shakespeare is always a good place to start (for example, after you’ve read Hamlet, look into A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet).
Monologue vs. Soliloquy
When a character is talking to themselves in an internal monologue (sometimes called “interior monologue”) rather than talking to another character, it’s often further defined as a “soliloquy.”
Soliloquies are a common tool in William Shakespeare’s plays, and arguably the most famous example of a soliloquy monologue is the “To Be or Not to Be” speech from Hamlet.
In the famous monologue, Hamlet wonders whether he should continue to oppose his evil uncle or commit suicide.
Here are the first few lines from the monologue:
To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.
Considerations When Writing a Monologue
Monologue writing isn’t a way for writers to let loose and write without limits. In fact, monologue scripts should be written with special care and restraint, otherwise they can quickly bore viewers and fail to contribute anything to the character or plot.
Some key considerations when writing a monologue:
The character’s backstory or importance to the storyline. Monologues are supposed to reveal important details about a character or the plot—it’s essential that you’ve developed the speaking character and a detailed plot for them to inhabit, even before you start writing. Monologues help inform the audience about the character’s traits and past events.
The character’s motivation. In real life, people don’t monologue unless they have a reason—in the same way, any character giving a monologue in a play or film should have a purpose for it.
The character’s voice. First-time writers can be tempted to use monologues as a way to show off their writing skills; however, doing this will quickly pull viewers out of the story. There are many types of monologues a writer can explore, but monologues should feel natural and invisible in your story, which means they should be told in your character’s voice and point of view. Using language that sounds more authentically like your character is good writing, and it will help create an effective monologue.
