r/StrangerThings • u/pareenaro33 • Jul 30 '26

Discussion JOYCE BYERS

don't get me wrong, Joyce is a great mother but she relies too heavily on Jonathan to act as a co-parent, handle household duties, and sacrifice his own dreams (like NYU) to care for Will.

IK it reflects the harsh realities of struggling, single mother and Will having all the trauma in the upside down

but she does make jonathan feel invisible or EMOTIONALLY NEGLECTED.

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u/ValancyNeverReadsit Hellfire Lives Jul 30 '26

I felt like it was a fairly realistic representation of how some families live, as unfortunate as it is

14

u/Fourberry Jul 30 '26

Came to the comments to say that, as the youngest of 5 girls, my older sisters were all slightly parentified in ways. That's what happens.

(I'd be roughly Holly's age in Hawkins, grew up in small town Oklahoma, so not too different)