Disobedient Women

Abstract

In the final season of Stranger Things, Holly Wheeler’s disobedience to Henry/Vecna opens up a discussion about female agency in fairy tales. Unlike fairy tale tradition, Holly’s disobedience is unequivocally rewarded. This paper investigates the meaning of “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Bluebeard” and, translating them into the context of Stranger Things, shows how the narrative liberates women from blind obedience and submission to patriarchal oppression by relying on fairy tale motifs and imagery