Stranger Things Characters Semiotic Analysis

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Chief Hopper

  • White, Male, Late 30s
  • Pants undone, shirtless - his life's not really together
  • Smoking first thing in the morning 
  • Chief of Police - He's meant to be the head of the police, a system that's meant to be trusted by a lot of civilians but he doesn't seem organised enough to be in charge
  • Painful Past?
  • He's balding a bit 
  • Divorced - he looks like a mess
  • Cynical
  • Looking for a purpose.
  • Should get your life together by your 30s, shown to us as a bit of a mess, bit of a state.
  • But this becomes subverted and he becomes a hero to the story.

Steve Harrington
  • White, Male, Teenager
  • Well groomed - Heartthrob character - womaniser
  • Popular clique
  • Popularity is important if you want to make it through high school, We want to be like Steve, respect Steve.
  • Classic ''Cool Kid''
  • Preppy look
  • Luxuriant Hair
  • His shirts tucked in we can tell he's still in high school
  • Seems to be from a moderately rich family from the clothes he's wearing.

                         Barbra Holland 'Barb'
  • White, Female Teenager 
  • She dresses older than her age (plaid, frilly collar, seems more 50s than 80s)
  • Glasses connote that she's the ''nerd'' character, the book in her hand emphasises this.
  • Hair- Ginger, Short, short hair is very stereotypical for lesbians
  • Possibly a Social Outcast character 
  • Wary of the 'popular' kids, hint to her being bullied? 
  • We should belong, we should be studious but not go that far that we're not part of any social groups.


Will Byers:
  • White, Male, 12 years old 
  • Main Protagonist, Innocent
  • Innocence in his face 
  • Fringe, looks like his Mum cut his hair, 
  • Purity
  • Wrong place at the wrong time.




Dustin Henderson:  
  • White, Male, 12 years old
  • Nerdy/Goofy - Mouth Open, Cartoon TShirts, Baseball Caps
  • Loser, suggesting that if you want to be respected/liked by everyone that you shouldn't wear this if you want to be respected
  • We don't want to be like Dustin (Overly Child-like)
  • Ideology - leave aspects of childhood behind when we reach a certain age.
  • Don't want to be the ''nerds''
  • Protagonist
  • Brown Hair, Blue eyes - innoncence


Joyce Byers:
  • Single Parent  
  • Working Lady - Name Tag
  • Tiredness, hair messy
  • Ideology you don't wanna be like that.
  • Not good to be a working single mum
  • Not able to even look after her children
  • But again, this subverts when we see how caring and responsible she is.


Nancy Wheeler:
  • White, Female, Teenager
  • High School Student
  • Similarities between Nancy and Barb
  • Nancy is the good kind of studious
  • Well presented, the way she holds her books.
  • The right level of belonging, feels comfortable in her own world.



Karen Wheeler:



Eleven:
  • Looks scared
  • Hospital Gown, run away from hospital?
  • Weak
  • Connotes weakness, powerlessness
  • Hair - shaved head, outcast from femininity (bad thing)
  • Ideological message is females should present themselves as females


Benny:

  • White Male,
  • Henny T Shirt
  • Takes care of himself
  • Chubby 
  • Works in a diner 
  • Working class, looks quite angrier, emotion drives working class people
  • Aggression drives masculinity
  • Subverts this in the end when he looks after Eleven



Mr Clark:
  • Not stereotypically like a teacher.
  • Enthusiastic Science Teacher, but looks like an english teacher
  • Doesn't look manly, looks weak, masculinity is questioned
  • Opposite of Benny.
  • Silently kind of feminine in his approach
  • Too well turned out, shouldn't be like this

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