Character Analysis- Stranger Things

Joyce Byers

• Joyce is a major character, she is Will Byers mum who reports her son missing to Jim Hopper
• She conforms to the single parent stereotype, as she has to work long ours to support her family, as well as her eldest son having to work, to also help pay for things.
• Erratic, wants to find will, doesn't sleep, works hard
• She is Will's mum and reports him missing. She is constantly looking for him and doesn't stop until she finds him.

Jim Hopper

• Jim is a major character, as he is the sheriff of the town. He is in charge of the missing persons case (Will Byers).
• He conforms to the stereotype of the male gender.. lazy, negative, not emotional however, on the other hand he is the stereotype of a sheriff and initiates a search party for Will.
• Lazy, Does not look after himself, alone, want to find will, messy
• He is the sheriff in charge of Wills missing person case and has to use all methods to find him (that are in his power).

Mike Wheeler

• Major character, as he is one of the four main young characters. The TV series starts at Mike's house and they are playing a board game (dungeons and dragons).
• Conforms to the stereotype of a young boy, as he is curious and adventures and brave. He wants to find Will Byers and does not think that the adults have done anything.
• He is brave, young and wants to find out what happened to his friend, Will Byers.
• He is one of the five main kids in the television series, who is trying to find out what happened to Will Byers and why he is missing.

Dustin Henderson

• Major character, he is one of the four main young characters. He is in one of the first scenes of the TV series. he is seen playing a board game (dungeons and dragons) with the rest of the kids, in Mike Wheeler's house
• Conforms to the stereotype of a young boy, as he is curious and adventures and brave. He wants to find Will Byers and does not think that the adults have done anything.
• He is young,brave and follows what the rest of the boys do. He is worried about what consequences of the actions will have. However, he still wants to find Will and make sure that he is okay.
• He is one of the five main kids in the television series, who is trying to find out what happened to Will Byers and why he is missing.

Lucas Sinclair

• Major character, he is one of the four main young characters. He is in one of the first scenes of the TV series. he is seen playing a board game (dungeons and dragons) with the rest of the kids, in Mike Wheeler's house
• Conforms to the stereotype of a young boy, as he is curious and adventures and brave. He wants to find Will Byers and does not think that the adults have done anything.
• He is young,brave and follows what the rest of the boys do. He is worried about what consequences of the actions will have. However, he still wants to find Will and make sure that he is okay.
• He is one of the five main kids in the television series, who is trying to find out what happened to Will Byers and why he is missing.

Will Byers

• The main character, the whole television series is based on Will Byers being missing, therefore he is a major character and one of the most important. He is in one of the first scenes of the TV series. he is seen playing a board game (dungeons and dragons) with the rest of the kids, in Mike Wheeler's house.
• Conforms to the stereotype of a young boy, as he is curious and adventures and brave. He also cycles home by himself, which again shows that he is brave, even though he manages to go off of the road and run home, when something was following him.
• He is quite unique and mysterious. He also does not have much of a background, which is why it is confusing and mysterious why he was the only boy to have gone missing.
• He is the boy that went missing and everyone else is trying to find where he is and why he has gone.

Eleven

• Major main character, at the end of the episode the boys find her running though the forest and then it ends there,on a cliff hanger. 
• Counter-stereotype , shaved hair, perceived masculine 
• Supernatural, quiet, mysterious, scared, powerful
• Secondary story line for the narrative, eventually helps to look for Will, but only later on in the series.

Johnathan Byers

• Secondary main character 
• Stereotype of an older brother, out working, however emotional and concerned when Will disappears 
• Worried, helpful and sorrowful
• Is a secondary character to the narrative in relation to the main character

Nancy Wheeler

• She is not a major character in episode one, as she is part of a sub-plot
• Stereotype of an older sister and also a stereotype of a girl, wearing light colours, focusing on her education and not as much on boys (Steve Harrington).
• Rude to Dustin, kind to the people her age, has arguments with her brother.
• Her younger brother is Will Byers friend. Throughout the series she becomes more of a major character, than a secondary main character. Nancy contributes to the narrative more during the television series, rather than in the first episode, she becomes more involved with Will's missing persons case further along in the television series.

The scientists-
Minor or major character?
They play a minor role in the first episode as they only really appear in the opening scene, but do play a big part in the way that they know what the audience don't in terms of the unknown being that has escaped.

Conforms to stereotypes?
Yes as they are very stereo-typically 'scientists' as they even wear the white lab coats and identification cards, and the only setting they really appear in in the first episode is a lab/government facility, which makes the audience recognise that they are scientists.

Characteristics-
We only briefly see them so only get to see the stereotypical scientist persona of them all, but see them mainly as very smart and intuitive.

Contribution to narrative?
They set out the opening scene by showing a scientist running from the unknown monster and it leaves the audience in a position of ignorance as we don't know what this scientist is running from. This monster then goes on to abduct Will Byers which is the main story line of the episode.

Ted Wheeler-
Minor or major character?
He is a relatively minor character and only really appears in the scene of the family dinner where he plays the character of the disinterested father.

Conforms to stereotypes?
He conforms to the Stereotypes of a father during the 80s due to his professional attire and big round glasses, but also holds the stereotype of a father in the 80s as he has little interest in anything but his life and tries to ignore what is going on in his children's.

Characteristics-
He comes across as a very self oriented person, who lacks interest in his family and the events that are happening around him. Physically he looks like the average father at the time, with the big round glasses and shirt and tie.


Contribution to narrative?
He only appears in two scenes in the first episode, where he ignores his family both times, and it sets up the idea that his son has a relatively sad home life.

Karen Wheeler-
Minor or major character?
Minor character, she only really appears in the first episode for about 3 minutes, and acts as the authority figure whilst the boys are playing D&D.

Conforms to stereotypes?
She acts as a stereotypical mother from the decade as she worries about her daughter getting involved with boys and is very protective of her children.

Characteristics-
She has a classic 80s hair style with the big round curls and dresses in what would have been considered appropriate for a housewife.

Contribution to narrative?
She is the one that reveals to Will's mother that he didn't sleep round their house that night and so tells the mother and the audience that Will is really missing. She also tells her son Mike that he should not be worried about Will and that he is probably perfectly safe, where as he audience knows he isn't which is a use of dramatic irony.