Idea Deconstruction : Stranger Things

 Intertextuality is the relationship between different texts, especially literary ones. It can also be defined as the "shaping of a text's meaning by another text". There are two types, deliberate, and accidental. An example of accidental intertextuality would be how, when reading Herman Melville’s ‘Moby Dick’, a readers may make connections to the Bibilcal allegory Jonah and the Whale, from the mention of a man and a whale. 

The Netflix show, Stranger Things, is a prime example of intertextuality. The show relies heavily on iconography and references from the 1980s, being an example of  Roland Barthes’ semiotics theory because the use of this technique conveys a specific message and creates a specified effect. 

The most popular reference to this would be the game Dungeons and Dragons, which the show is essentially centered around. This game has existed in the real world since 1974 and is wildly popular. They bring this game in to the show by making the main characters play it, as well as characters from the game existing in the show, like the Demogorgan. 

Another notable example is how similar the initial plotline was to to Steven Spielberg's "E.T", having similar camera shots and introductions for the protagonists. 

Another example of this is the reference to Poltergeist, how Joyce uses Christmas lights to communicate with her son while he's in the upside down. Moreover, there is a reference to The Shining, Joyce Byers uses an axe to punch a whole in the wall when the demogorgon tries to break through