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Role of the library & books foreshadowing in Stranger Things (updated version of the post)

The similarities between the two buildings - The Public Library in Stranger Things and The Clock Tower in Back to the Future and the importance of the second one for the plot of the movie made me write this post. Something happened in these two buildings on the same date, but in different years, but let's start from the very beginning of the show and look at every scene with the library in it.

Season 1

1x01: Jonathan & Joyce are picking up Will's photo for the poster

So, during this scene we see some other Jonathan's photos. One of them is the photo of the library (the clocktower in particular). What is more interesting - we see the exact same shot of this clocktower from almost the same angle in s4 when Nancy & Robin go to the library for some info about the Creels.

3x01:

Hopper goes to the library looking for the info about the lab

He asks for newspapers and the ones they have are the New York Times and the Post. Now we know that letters play important role in s4 (Max's letters, Jonathan's acceptance letter, Mike & El's letters) and even in s4 (Hopper's letter to El & Mike). What about the time??? The Upside Down is stuck on the date Will went missing, but I think it's more s5 foreshadowing.

Here Hopper is talking about Will's vanishing. We'll see the answers in s5, again.

Nancy's calling Barb's parents (i'm tagging @ronanticize-a-quiet-life, who noticed this one!)

Nancy is worried about Barb not coming to school, so she calls her but she's not home either and she chooses to lie to her parents she's studying in the library. Well, in episode 8 we find out that she's not actually lying - the demogoron really took Barb & Will to the library.

Also, we see a tiger on the poster (the basketball team in s4 is called Tigers) and a poster about helping others in need (in s4 we see Dustin, Steve and Robin helping the people of Hawkins after "the earthquake").

4x01: Jonathan & Joyce are arguing about Will's funeral while we hear 4 chimes and it's definitely the library on Jonathan's left.

8x01: Hopper & Joyce found Will at the library and rescued him

November 12, 1955 - the Clock Tower was struck by lightning, which helped Marty to go back to the future.

November 12, 1983 - Will was rescued - found by Joyce and Hopper in the library.

This is a very emotional scene, it even kinda reminds me of Max, Lucas and El's scene in s4, where they saved her. But also, I feel we'll see something similar in s5 happening in the library.

Season 2

3x02: Dustin goes to the library looking for info about Dart

When Dustin goes there we can see the same date Will went missing, which is very interesting, not to mention about the following scene and his conversation with the librarian.

So, Dustin picks 5 books, because there's a rule - five at a time. But the librarian reminds him he already took 5 books earlier. In response to that, he starts talking about his curiosity voyage and that he needs these books to travel, so he runs with them, disobeying the rule. I guess this scene foreshadows some mission, probably into the Upside Down and books here represent characters.

9x02: Mrs Wheeler's reading the book “Heart of Thunder” in the bath

As I said, the scenes where we see characters reading books should be analysed too, because every book actually foreshadows something. The scenes with Karen and books were already analysed by @kaypeace21, so I took some of her thoughts, but you're welcome to read a more detailed analysis in her post.

the title is associated with Mike and Will - "Heart of Thunder" (="you're the heart" and electricity);

the heroine doesn't actually love her first love interest, but more the idea of him (= both Mike and El love the idea of each other - Mike likes the fact that he can date a superhero and she needs him; El doesn't even know what the love is when she starts dating Mike, so she likes the idea she has a boyfriend). I want to state, that I still do believe Mike and El like each other platonically, but not romantically;

they have a similar awkward kiss El & Mike have in s3;

she obsessed with him for 2 years (=Mike & El are dating for about 2 years), then she realizes this guy who is her first love interest is gay and only loves her as a friend (=s5 foreshadowing? Maybe El already realised, but we don't know it yet).

It's worth mentioning that the reading is followed by the song "The Way We Were" by Barbara Streisand, and the lyrics are also Byler-coded.

Memories Light the corners of my mind Misty watercolor memories

Of the way we were ("We're friends." "We used to be best friends.")

Scattered pictures Of the smiles we left behind (Will ripping the photo at Castle Byers)

Smiles we gave to one another For the way we were ("Crazy together.")

Can it be that it was all so simple then? Or has time re-written every line? If we had the chance to do it all again Tell me, would we? Could we?

Memories May be beautiful and yet What's too painful to remember We simply to choose to forget

Season 3

1x03: Mrs Wheeler's reading the book “Tender is the Storm” in the pool

Again, I took the info from @kaypeace21's post and look at the plot of this book:

a woman breaking off an engagement to a man she never loved cause she realized her sibling is in love with him (= after Mike's monologue El realises she never really loved him and also that Will loves Mike);

long distance making 2 characters finally admit they love each other (=Mike's in Hawkins, Indiana and Will's in Lenora Hills, California). Mike's "this year has been weird" and "Hawkins is not the same without you," and Wil's "these past few months she's been so lost without you."

The song here is "Rock This Town" by Stray Cats and let's look at some lyrics. Spoiler, it foreshadows s4 and s5.

Well, we're having a ball just 'a bopping on the big dance floor Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a 1974 (=Rink-o-Mania scene)

Well, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice Look at me again and there's gonna be fight (=Mike's triple take and foreshadowing of a Byler fight ib s5?)

We're gonna rock this town We're gonna rip this place apart (=The Upside Down have penetrated Hawkins)

2x03: Joyce comes to Mr Clarke with electricity-related books to find info about the magnets

She brings the books with her and the only place she could find them - the library (five at a time, huh?) She took 8 books. One of them has a word wave on it. Water and electricity references are everywhere!

The talk between her and Mr Clarke I've mentioned here. The key theme - nothing in the show is a coincidence.

6x03: Hopper & Joyce are calling Owens (@apatheticlexicographer deserves the world for noticing this one, brilliant observation!!!!)

What's happening in that scene? Hopper and Joyce knowing about the gate under Starcourt Mall are calling Owens to ask for some kind of help. In this scene both library and time are mentioned. Murray tells Hopper his speech should be very short, because if it's long - they'll trace them, and Hopper for some reason wants them to be found. But it's not my main focus.

He calls and we see 6 clocks - every clock showing another. The man answers "Philadelphia Public Library". For some reason they decided to use the library for cover-up and what are the hidden secrets of Hawkins Public Library? Philadelphia Public Library. PPL = people, because PPL - is an internet slang abbreviation that refers to human beings. 6 different clocks refer to 6 people? Or 6 different timelines? @will80sbyers guessed it could be 6 timezones. The United States is divided into six time zones: Hawaii-Aleutian time, Alaska time, Pacific time, Mountain time, Central time and Eastern time.

In s4 e have Eastern time (Hawkins, Indiana), Pacific time (Lenora Hills, California - Byer's home; Utah, Nevada - Owen's home + the Nevada dessert - Nina project), Central time (Sesser, Illinois - Murray's home), Mountain time (Salt Lake City, Utah - Suzie's home), Alaska time (Joyce & Murray in Alaska) + Kamchatka time (Hopper in russia). Only Hawaii-Aleutian time is missing, but wait, Alaska is partially in that timezone too. So, everything that is happening in s4 is happening in 7 different timezones they were practically foreshadowing s4, but we have 7 timezones, not 6. IT WAS A SEVEN! Also, @doriandrifting mentioned the possibility of the Upside Down being the 7th timezone in America, but it's even cooler to consider it the 8th, because it's almost the infinity symbol = never-ending story = the UD stuck in time and it's a never-ending circle.

Joyce calling herself Wheelbarrow and Hopper - Antique Chariot is something I don't get and I'm not sure if it's have some deeper meaning, but may this be foreshadowing to other wheel references in s4?

chariot - a two-wheeled vehicle that was used in ancient times for racing and fighting and was pulled by a horse or horses.

[wheel] barrow - a vehicle moved by a person from which fruit and vegetables, etc.

8x03: Suzie’s reading "A Wizard of Earthsea" while Dustin's calling her

The book is about a young man in training to be a wizard, as he embarks on a necessary journey of self-discovery and self-mastery.

Ged (=Will) accidentally unleashes an evil shadow monster (=the Mind Flayer/Vecna) into the world and is narrowly saved by Vetch (=Mike), the Masters at Roke, and the Archmage himself;

After months of recovery, Ged returns to his studies. However, he is now ashamed of his past pride and afraid of his power and potential but with the help of his friend Vetch he gradually regains his confidence (=Mike taking care of WIll in s2 and probably in s5):

Ged earns the title of the wizard and takes a post on a remote island called Low Torning that is threatened by an ancient dragon;

Ged must face the shadow, as running from it will continue to give it power over him, so he tries several times, but fails every time until he runs into Vetch, who insists on accompanying him. The pair sail for days into strange waters, but Ged seems assured of what he is doing and where he is going. In facing the shadow, Ged has also faced the dark parts of himself and come to terms with them; he is no longer able to be manipulated by those dark parts (=both boys should accept their sexuality and confess their love to each other. That's how they defeat Vecna in s5)

Ged and Vetch sail for several more days until they return to Iffish, where Ged is excited about the everyday joy of Vetch’s family waiting for their return (=Byler happy ending!!!!)

Season 4

1x04:

A poster with green, blue, orange & yellow books in the school near Lucas, while he's talking with Dustin and Mike In this scene Lucas speaks up about his insecurities - he's tired of being with the nerds and freaks, he wants to be pupular, whereas Mike & Dustin tell him they're nerds and freaks and they don't want to be popular. Through the season Lucas realises that popular and normal = raging psychopath.

Joyce mentions a library during her telephone talk with a client

Also, she mentions volumes A through C and I remembered where else I saw these letters. While Dustin and Mike are looking for someone to play D&D with them, Mike approaches some science boy, and we see "4 main types of chemical reactions" in the background: A is red (=El), B is blue (=Mike) and C is yellow (=Will).

3x04:

Nancy & Robin go to the library looking for info about Creel

We are shown the clock, then the girls. We can see a keyhole on Robin's back, which should tell us something, right? There are no coincidences in Stranger Things, remember that.

They're talking about Victor, of course, and Robin calls him "a grandpa murderer." Is it possible for him to have grandchildren? Well, theoretically speaking there might be and we may even know them.

Henry can be El's biological father (it would explain her powers and his attitude toward her in the lab);

Alice can be alive and there's a theory that Karen might be her (it would explain why she has her own poster, why Henry showed Nancy the future and why El is referred as a cousin to Mike in s1);

Some interesting notices from that scene: - they need basement archives, and the basement is mostly associated with Mike and the Wheelers;

-while searching the information camera focuses on something that looks like a wheel (I'm sure it has a name, but English is not my first language, sorry!!!) for several times;

After they succeed in finding what they needed they call Dustin and Robin says Nancy's "shot in the dark was a bull's eye" while literally having a bull on her jacket (lust a cool detail).

Also, I haven't mentioned a shot in the dark yet. Robin says Nancy's theory about Victor being related to all of this is a shot in the dark, but as we already know, Nancy's a genius and her theory is right! This is so telling because a lot of our theories are considered "shots in the dark" by GA, but actually are "bull's eyes."

Dustin & Steve quote "Sherlock Holmes" in Creel's house

So, the group come to Creel's house, looking for something that would help him in defeating Vecna, but Steve has no idea what exactly they are supposed to look for. So, Dustin says that's the obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. Later, Steve wants t say the same phrase Nancy, but he paraphrases it "the obvious things are not what people observe" and it can hint at Will's feelings toward Mike, which are so obvious but not everyone from GA notices it. The same with Mike's strange behaviour - it's obvious he's acting strange, but nobody focuses on it in s4.

9x04:

The library is the place where all four gates met

We see the Cali group - especially Mike - looking at the partly destroyed library (maybe, he's judging himself for what happened?)

Lucas is reading "Talisman" by Stephen King for Max at the hospital

@autistic-robin made a great post on this scene, so I took some info from it, but please, go and read the whole post, it's worth it!

a twelve-year-old boy goes to the California coast o find the talisman that will save his dying mother's life (=the group should find something that helps them to save Max?)

his journey takes him into the Territories, a parallel medieval universe (=the Upside Down), where most people from his own universe have analogs called "twinners."

#stranger things #stranger things theory

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