#allusion

[batshaped]

Clair The Terrible And Her Son Achilles

commission for @sheepishlaurie with apologies to Ilya Repin

bsky mirror

[literaryvein]

L. V., allusions & autopsies [x]

[thirdity]

Never affirm, always allude: allusions are made to test the spirit and probe the heart.

Umberto Eco, The Island of the Day Before

[monsterkill--er]

Eleven, The (Lost) White Knight, And The Gayest Meta Ever in Stranger Things ♞♛

Stranger Things layers its first and last season with allusions to a popular children's fairytale journeying through reversed logic and curiosity to tell a story about a boy struggling with his identity. Through music, framing, and repetition, the main character Mike Wheeler becomes caught in a mirror world where labels are deceiving and desires are hidden. Eleven, his magical companion, functions as his reflection and proxy, allowing feelings he cannot name to surface. As symbols of knights and princesses compound, the show encodes Mike with an internal conflict centered on homophobia and his homosexuality.

Go Ask Eleven, I Think She'll Know…

One of the clearest illustrations of this mirror-world framework arrives through the show’s deliberate use of music and lyrical timing. In the very first episode, the song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, plays during a cut to Eleven as the lyric, "And the White Knight is talking backwards," is sung. This is a reference to the character in Through the Looking-Glass, and what Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a story where Alice enters a mirror world that operates in reverse. Its themes explore identity, perception, and logic through its mirror-image setting while using chess to outline the plot structure, inspiring how D&D functions in Stranger Things.

Mike then compares El to Yoda, a former Jedi Knight that speaks backwards and in riddles. Another nod to the White Knight, who saves Alice and jabbers on about his backward inventions as he helps complete the final stretch of her journey. Colloquially, a "white knight" means savior, which is a mantle El assumes at the end of her arc too.

A subtle yet comprehensive allusion to the white chess piece is at the very start of the show. Mike is framed betwixt a bunny-eared antenna while the show Knight Rider plays with a poor signal and static on Ted's TV. Signal is also how El uses her powers, fighting the static of the walkie, to get better reception and connect Mike to Will, his close "friend" who went "missing". This single frame becomes the most powerful overarching symbol in retrospect.

More and more, as El clears her mind from the other senses she becomes fully aware of where Will is and sees him clearly—elucidating the theme of perception at the end of the show. This deciphering El does is very similar to the lesson the White Knight imparts on Alice through a musical poem that discusses use-mention distinction and metalanguage of names and labels. The Knight refuses to let Alice conflate a thing with the labels we use to describe it, highlighting the philosophical problem that we often confuse the symbols we mention with the objects we use them to represent.

In modern computing and logic, the Knight’s label hierarchy mirrors the way we use abstraction layers and indirection to manage complex systems. He obsesses over the metadata (the names) at the expense of the data (the song). Likewise in queer-coded storytelling, it is subtext prioritized over queer relationships and behavior (the text) that comes at the cost of actual representation.

Meanwhile, Alice points out that he has completely neglected the origin of the poem's tune itself, that it isn't his own invention and stolen from another real poetic song. Alice’s remark reminds the reader that you can name something as precisely as you want, but that doesn't change the reality of it. Essentially, the Knight is so busy building a logical fortress around the names of his work that he forgets the work itself is just a borrowed tune with some silly new words. The Knight's poem is a parody as Caroll borrows from two real poems to mock their wordplay, self-absorption, himself as a writer, and the inattentive listener, reader, or viewer who believes in the Knight's inventions instead of reality (pg. 146).

An example of use-mention distinction in the show relating to homophobia is how certain labels can cause harm, like using the thick concept of the f-slur to attack a gay person's core identity. There is a lot of metalanguage around homosexuality throughout Stranger Things, like "in/out/hiding," "special," "curiosity," "friends," "different," etc. Apart from those uses, Will is also called "freak," "weird," "queer," "f*g," "fairy," names that bullies obsess over and invent completely separate from the reality of who he is, his essence, and his feelings.

While Will is never out right referred to as a "girl," it is another label sometimes used in a derogatory way toward homosexual men; however, in a close second, he is described as "sweet" and "sensitive." These labels, usually reserved for women, have been given the 1980s perception of masculinity, which are not meant to be favorable descriptions. Referring to a man who identifies as man as a woman or a magical creature like "fairy" is completely illogical—yet, making this distinction is precisely the White Knight's lesson to Alice.

With El around, Mike has the courage to stand up to his bullies and defend Will from name-calling. He noticeably looks to her before he confronts his bully, Troy, at Will's memorial assembly for using slurs. She represents the metadata lesson as an allegorical figure who imparts wisdom and truth that transforms Mike.

He's Called Alice: The Lost Knight and The Proud Princess

El also has many names, such as, "Eleven," "Jane," "Mage," "Wizard," "Yoda," the list goes on and on; therefore, I argue, the "the lost knight," from Mike's D&D campaign in S1, is just another label used to describe her, and is another obvious allusion to the book.

Previously, I assumed "the lost knight" and "the proud princess" to mean Jonathan and Nancy based the assumption there is a romantic connotation ingrained in the archetypes' relationship (the "white knight" concept is often used romantically). This confusion is compounded by the fact El is supposedly a fairytale allusion (many saw her as heavily inspired by E.T., a non-sexual children's puppet, in S1). Moreover, the White Knight and Alice, technically a "princess" in the book, are not romantic; yet, they mirror El and Mike respectively. This is another choice I believe to be deliberately deceptive, as their kiss and the outside commentary on their relationship is a guise for the much deeper themes of misperception and internalized homophobia, which I will discuss later on.

A compelling counterpoint to this looking-glass argument would be Mike's D&D character who is a paladin, also known as a holy knight. One could ask how he does not represent the lost knight in this scenario but is an allusion to Alice instead. Both El and Mike make promises or vows to save Will, Mike contributes just as much effort into being Will's savior. To this, the answer comes down to plot and who the show assigns references to.

El was lost in the woods (after she escaped "the emerald city"), and by the end becomes lost again in the Upside Down. Her "holy" power is the reason Will was found, a power referred to as a "miracle". Her sacrifice coincides with his miraculous revival in S1. Ultimately, she becomes a white knight by saving Mike from the Demogorgon and Will from the Upside Down.

There are also many other references in the show supporting that El is an allusion of the White Knight. His inventions consists of a disgusting type of pudding, an upside down container, and his poem, 'A-Sitting on a Gate,' he recites before he and Alice depart. The latter two inventions being what El was used to create in the show (examples below).

Feed Your Head, Subconsciousness, and the Internalized Homophobia of Mike Wheeler

With the following, I'll highlight a few scenes and shots that further reference the White Knight's lesson, El as the knight, and Mike as Alice, utilizing film semiotics. These examples provide enough evidence to argue an intentional meta narrative that touches upon themes of identity, perception, and logic in association with internalized homophobia that caused Mike's subconscious love to substitute Will for El.

To preface, the cinema study of symbols and signs is often called film semiotics—the analyzing of film narratives as a language where instead of words and punctuation, shots and sequences through editing make up syntagms. Widely regarded film theorist Christian Metz pioneered this psychoanalytic cinema study, whose work argues film is an ‘impression’ of reality interacting with a spectator's subconscious much in the same way Carroll's book satirizes spectatorship in the White Knight and Alice's exchange. Being a large part of film criticism and history, semiotics has influences in all stages of production and has become one of the biggest contributions to perfecting the craft.

One sign of the meta lesson is the dress-up scene. There is a direct cut from fairy wings to Mike putting make-up on El. This episode makes an important parallel to the first shot with Troy's homophobic use of "flying fairies". Bracketing Mike dressing up El with this signifier with what is already a behavior associated often with queer men during this time period, playing with make-up, symbolizes Mike's internalized homophobia that projects his self-expression onto El.

El, dressed in a frock and blonde wig, is reminiscent of the iconic Disney version of Alice (in the book she is a brunette). Later on, she role-plays Mike's cousin. While the dressing up is an unconscious transference of self, the deliberate action of pretending they are related further ties them to the idea of how El is Mike's mirror-image.

At the end of the dress-up montage Mike and El are framed inside a mirror or looking glass. A reference to the mirror-world where logic is reversed, this shot punctuates the El-Mike-mirror-image interpretation. When logic is reversed, so are the roles—meaning, our perception of gender roles are turned on its head, and Mike is who truly represents Alice or the "proud princess," even wearing the blue of iconic 50s version. Moreover, this shot and the "kissing cousins" parody suggests a synthesis of the lost knight and the proud princess ideas as related, practically the same. Therefore, Mike's role as paladin makes sense.

From above, I pulled a lot of the metalanguage previously discussed. Such as Mike sending his distress signal "not out" in a conversation where he says, "this is about Will," more metadata for concealing his feelings and identity. Similarly, the word "hiding" is used. When Mike asks who Will is hiding from, the scene cuts to El pointedly looking at Mike. Linking him to the idea of hiding, Will, inner fear, and to the Demogorgon, a two-headed figurine signifying duality, masking, or mirroring. All together in this scene, the concept of internalized homophobia manifests by the image and word association that combines these signs into a syntagm, or single idea, in relation to Mike.

Another example is "friend," where throughout the show the use of this word has meant something more. Case in point, Mike sits next to Will across from a canon couple in said romantic setting, the Snowball dance. The mentioning of Will and "secret" in the same breath compares these two ideas. In addition, it is established that El is "channeling" Will, at least that is what Mike thinks. She is embodying or representing Will's essence. Particularly as when Mike hid her in his closet there was a ouija board, which is a game with movement driven by the subconscious, known as the ideomotor effect. If El is meant to be a reminder of Will, Mike should not be behaving romantically towards her or see her as something more than a "friend," or else he would exposing his subconscious feelings towards Will. He also reveals his internalized homophobia in his denial of the possibility.

Before Mike's closet thumps, his mother tells Mike he does not need to "hide" anything from her after bringing up Will in conversation. The "closet" is slang originating from the 1960s described as a queer person concealing their sexual orientation, but during that period it especially referred to discreet gay men (an alternate name was "closet queen"). This closet sequence is bracketed by the scene showcasing Mike's trophy and Mike holding Will's hand on said trophy in a photo as El recognizes Will.

The trophy figure is Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, often winged holding a crown and/or a torch, like it is here, inspiring the popular shoe brand that El wears in S5 as a call back to this. She is also often depicted as a charioteer, a warrior who symbolizes the intellect or soul of human passion and will in Greek philosophy (Plato's Phaedrus). In Christianity, this statue also looks exactly like an angel, who can be spirit guides or guardians, and as this is a cut from El's perspective we begin to associate her in this role starting from this moment. Chiefly, carrying a torch is also a popular idiom that means suffering from unrequited love.

Framing this trophy in front of a rift, that looks very similar to the gate El created, the day she was found exactly where Will disappeared, which Mike says is not a coincidence, also denotes her as a substitution. In this syntagm containing "hiding," "the closet," a subconscious game, a spirit symbol of unrequited love, and the picture of hand holding (as Mike says "totally political" about a rigged fair), the combining theme is Mike's closeted orientation and shame stemming from internalized homophobia.

Although gender is not explicitly brought up here, the fact that El, a girl, is the mirror image of Will and Mike, two boys, is interesting. A common cliché line, although relatable to many in the queer community, is to wish you or your object of desire was the opposite gender ("I wish you were a girl," or "If I was a girl…") due to societal oppression and heteronormativity. Mike dressing up El as Alice, a character who represents him, and paralleling the proud princess, not prince, implies this stems from his own wish fulfillment. As soon as El defeats the Demogorgon and disappears, Will is returned to Mike, and is more evidence of role swapping. Therefore, El mirrors them both.

Note the prominently framed poster in the background about photosynthesis in yellow lettering with a flower that looks exactly like the Demo's head in the color blue, the color associated with Mike. Synthesis is a term used in both biology and philosophical analysis, where for the latter it means the process of combining multiple ideas to form a new, cohesive argument. In the composition, the two allegorical figures, El, who represents unrequited love, and the Demo, who represents internalized homophobia, established through previous examples, framing this sign of synthesis then become one through disintegration.

This is also how S5 ends off too. El's final conversation with Mike highlights the theme of unrequited love when he cannot say it back in the mirrored void, a metaphorical space for someone's mind or subconscious. When Mike says he "doesn't understand," El responds, "one day you will." A line that contains the name of the boy she represents. It speaks on internalized homophobia and the societal oppression Vecna targeted Will with, that Mike is afraid to face too as he is known for "hiding" with El, who is safe.

In S1, when Will says the Demogorgon got him, he looks at Mike. When El sacrifices herself, she looks at him from the gate to the Upside Down as it disintegrates. These two ideas of unrequited love and fear disappearing represent Mike overcoming these mental and emotional hurdles to come to the truth he is in love with his best friend, Will.

Conclusion

Both endings are similar to Alice and the White Knight's farewell before she becomes queen and wakes up from a dream to reality. With all of the comparisons of Mike to Alice, this is an intentional meta symbol that he is compared to a "queen," another slang word for gay men—today mostly used in relation to drag queens, performers (typically men) who adopt a flamboyant or parodic feminine personas, with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup. Alice's arc from a pawn to a queen is ultimately the allusion used to reveal Mike will find queer acceptance.

El's words promising he'll understand one day and his hopes for Will are both signs that he has awoken to the realization he was gay the entire time and was in love with his childhood best friend as the final D&D game is all about retrospection. Alice's final goodbye to the White Knight is a farewell to childhood that cannot follow you into adulthood but the dream or magic continues, and by waking up she begins to control her own narrative. Therefore, Mike controlling his own narrative and finding acceptance is the promise, yet the completed arc is how he found identity and perspective.

Circling back to queer-coded storytelling, and this issue of prioritizing subtext, in this case choosing allusions over queer relationships does come at the cost of actual representation—as it is clear viewers choose to "believe" the impression that Mike was in love with El, rather than see how she represents himself and Will. And it is ironic that the show ultimately falls in line with the poem about stoicism Carroll parodies, Resolution and Independence. As the theme of accepting what we cannot control to achieve inner peace is what the Duffers promise for Mike and Will rather than address the reality of societal oppression with clear opposition. Therefore, that is why the ending of Stranger Things feels hallow and unfinished choosing the stoic approach that it had always meant to critique.

eta: Also I forgot to add in my rush to finish this post that the song Heroes, the show's anthem and final note, is about becoming "queen," too.

[aubreyhullabaloo]

Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper

That ‘70s Show

[howifeltabouthim]

. . . not even my setting it down in writing will keep it off, although there's some power even in that.

Franz Kafka, letter to Max Brod

[illustratus]

The Sword of Damocles by Richard Westall

[spectralpixelsredone]

Analysis of Detnerat in My Hero Academia

Detnerat is a prominent company in My Hero Academia, introduced in Chapter 218 of the manga and Episode 100 of the anime. As a leading manufacturer of lifestyle support items, it plays a significant role in the Meta Liberation Army Arc, serving as both a legitimate business and a front for the Meta Liberation Army (MLA) under the leadership of Rikiya Yotsubashi (Re-Destro). Below is a detailed analysis of Detnerat based on its description, narrative role, and significance within the My Hero Academia universe.

Overview and Setting

Detnerat, written in Japanese as Detoneratto (デトネラット), is a company specializing in the production of highly customized lifestyle support items, catering to the diverse needs of individuals in a Quirk-filled society. Headquartered in a modern building, it represents a pinnacle of innovation in My Hero Academia’s world, where Quirks have disrupted traditional mass production. Its dual role as a legitimate business and a covert base for the Meta Liberation Army adds layers of intrigue and complexity to its significance.

Physical Description:

Headquarters: While the specific design of Detnerat’s building is not extensively detailed, it is depicted in the manga and anime as a sleek, modern structure, reflecting the company’s status as a top-tier manufacturer. Its appearance on the news suggests a prominent, publicly recognized presence.

Functionality: The company’s operations focus on rapid, bespoke production, delivering tailored products within three days. This efficiency is supported by advanced techniques and systems, positioning Detnerat as a leader in the lifestyle support industry.

Detnerat’s modern, professional facade contrasts with its clandestine activities, mirroring the duality of Rikiya Yotsubashi, who balances his role as a corporate CEO with his leadership of the MLA.

Narrative Role and Themes

Detnerat is a central element in the Meta Liberation Army Arc, serving as a front for Rikiya Yotsubashi’s revolutionary agenda while advancing the My Hero Academia narrative through its exploration of societal change, power, and ideology. Below are the key narrative and thematic elements tied to Detnerat:

Adaptation to a Quirk-Driven Society:

Detnerat’s business model addresses the societal shift caused by Quirks, particularly those that result in significant physical changes. The company’s ability to produce customized lifestyle support items within three days reflects its innovative response to a world where standardized manufacturing is obsolete. This aligns with My Hero Academia’s theme of adapting to a Quirk-driven society, where individuality and diversity shape technology and culture.

The company’s success as a top lifestyle support manufacturer underscores its influence, making it a believable front for the MLA’s activities. Its legitimate operations provide Rikiya with the resources and cover needed to fund and organize the MLA’s revolutionary efforts.

Covert Operations and the Meta Liberation Army:

Detnerat’s true significance lies in its role as a front for the Meta Liberation Army, a group advocating for unrestricted Quirk usage. Rikiya Yotsubashi, as the MLA’s Grand Commander (Re-Destro), uses the company to advance his ideology, which is rooted in the teachings of his ancestor, Destro, from the Meta Liberation War novel. This dual purpose—legitimate business and revolutionary headquarters—highlights themes of deception and hidden agendas.

The company’s practice of leaking prototypes to the black market to collect data and improve its hero support items (with self-destruct mechanisms to avoid traceability) reveals a darker, strategic side. This tactic, overseen by Rikiya and his closest allies (e.g., Curious, Skeptic, Trumpet), underscores the MLA’s willingness to manipulate markets and public perception to further their goals, reflecting the series’ exploration of power and morality.

Hero Support Industry and Conflict:

Detnerat’s expansion into the hero support industry, producing specialized equipment like the Water Gatling Gauntlets, Curious Flattener, Sevens Loud mask, and Claustro armor, positions it as a competitor to established companies like those supporting U.A. High School. These items, tailored to enhance specific Meta Abilities (Quirks), demonstrate Detnerat’s technological prowess and its alignment with the MLA’s belief in empowering Quirk users.

The company’s involvement in the hero support industry sets the stage for conflict with the Paranoid Liberation Front (PLF), formed after the MLA’s merger with the League of Villains. Detnerat’s resources and expertise become critical in the PLF’s campaign against heroes, highlighting the tension between regulated heroism and unregulated Quirk use.

Character and Ideological Development:

Rikiya Yotsubashi’s dual role as Detnerat’s CEO and the MLA’s leader is central to his character arc. His polished corporate persona contrasts with his intense, stress-driven Quirk (Stress), reflecting the pressure of balancing public respectability with revolutionary zeal. Detnerat’s headquarters serves as a backdrop for his interactions with key MLA members like Chitose Kizuki (Curious), Tomoyasu Chikazoku (Skeptic), and Koku Hanabata (Trumpet), showcasing their commitment to Destro’s ideology.

The confrontation between the MLA and the League of Villains, orchestrated in part through Detnerat’s resources, tests Rikiya’s leadership and ultimately leads to his submission to Tomura Shigaraki. This pivotal moment, set against the backdrop of Detnerat’s influence, underscores themes of power struggles and ideological compromise.

Cultural and Fandom Significance

Detnerat is a significant element in the My Hero Academia fandom, particularly for its role in the Meta Liberation Army Arc, one of the series’ most complex and politically charged arcs:

Fan Appreciation: The Meta Liberation Army Arc is celebrated for its exploration of ideology and societal change, with Detnerat serving as a key symbol of the MLA’s influence. Fans on platforms like X discuss the company’s role with hashtags like #MHA and #MyHeroAcademia, praising its nuanced depiction of a corporation with hidden motives. Rikiya’s dual identity and the company’s innovative products spark fan theories about its broader impact on the My Hero Academia world.

World-Building: Detnerat enriches the My Hero Academia universe by showcasing the economic and technological implications of a Quirk-driven society. Its focus on customized lifestyle support items addresses a practical aspect of world-building—how society adapts to diverse Quirks—while its MLA connection introduces a revolutionary faction that challenges the hero system, adding depth to the series’ narrative.

Symbolism and Themes: The company’s name, derived from “talented” spelled backward with “rat” replacing “lat,” is a fan-favorite detail, reflecting the MLA’s subversive nature. The rat motif, tied to an in-universe theory about Quirks originating from a rat-carried virus, sparks discussions about the origins of Quirks and the MLA’s ideology. The allusion to “rat” as a term for a deceitful informant further resonates with fans analyzing Rikiya’s secretive dealings.

Canon Significance: As a canonical element introduced in the manga and anime, Detnerat is integral to the Meta Liberation Army Arc and the formation of the PLF. Its role in producing hero support items and funding the MLA’s activities makes it a linchpin in the series’ escalating conflict, distinguishing it from smaller-scale locations like the Uraraka Apartment or Knuckleduster’s Warehouse.

Comparison with Other My Hero Academia Locations

Detnerat can be compared to other locations in the My Hero Academia universe to highlight its unique role:

Ground Gamma: Ground Gamma is a U.A. training area with an industrial labyrinth, while Detnerat is a corporate headquarters with a focus on production and ideology. Ground Gamma tests students’ combat skills, whereas Detnerat drives societal and political conflict through its MLA ties, reflecting different aspects of the My Hero Academia world (training vs. revolution).

Ground Beta: Ground Beta’s urban training environment contrasts with Detnerat’s corporate setting. While Ground Beta is a controlled space for hero training, Detnerat operates outside the hero system, using its resources to challenge it, highlighting the tension between regulated and unregulated Quirk use.

Uraraka Apartment: The Uraraka Apartment represents personal struggle and modesty, while Detnerat symbolizes corporate power and ideological ambition. Both locations reflect their occupants’ motivations—Ochaco’s desire to support her family and Rikiya’s revolutionary goals—but Detnerat’s broader societal impact contrasts with the apartment’s intimate focus.

Knuckleduster’s Warehouse (Vigilantes): Both Detnerat and the warehouse serve as bases for groups operating outside mainstream heroism, but Detnerat’s corporate facade and advanced technology contrast with the warehouse’s gritty, makeshift nature. Detnerat’s MLA agenda is more ideological and far-reaching than the vigilantes’ localized efforts in Naruhata.

Broader Context in the My Hero Academia Universe

Detnerat ties into several overarching themes in My Hero Academia:

Quirk-Driven Society: The company’s focus on customized lifestyle support items reflects the series’ exploration of how Quirks reshape society, from fashion to technology. This theme is central to arcs like the Meta Liberation Army Arc, where societal norms are challenged by ideological movements.

Power and Deception: Detnerat’s dual role as a legitimate business and MLA front embodies the series’ theme of hidden agendas, seen in characters like All For One and the League of Villains. Rikiya’s ability to mask his revolutionary activities under a corporate veneer parallels the series’ broader exploration of trust and betrayal.

Ideology and Conflict: The MLA’s belief in unrestricted Quirk usage, facilitated by Detnerat’s resources, introduces a philosophical conflict with the hero system, echoing the series’ examination of what constitutes heroism. The merger with the League of Villains to form the PLF escalates this conflict, setting the stage for major arcs like the Paranoid Liberation War Arc.

Innovation and Ethics: Detnerat’s black-market prototype leaks raise ethical questions about corporate responsibility, mirroring the series’ exploration of how power (whether Quirks or resources) can be misused. This theme resonates with the hero support industry’s role in empowering both heroes and villains.

Conclusion

Detnerat is a multifaceted location in My Hero Academia, serving as a leading lifestyle support company and a covert base for the Meta Liberation Army. Its sleek headquarters and innovative production techniques mask Rikiya Yotsubashi’s revolutionary agenda, making it a pivotal element in the Meta Liberation Army Arc. The company’s dual nature—publicly respectable yet secretly subversive—enriches the My Hero Academia universe, reflecting themes of adaptation, deception, and ideological conflict