Unit One Book Report

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

"She laughed when there was no joke. She danced when there was no music. She had no friends, yet she was the friendliest person in school....
"We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew" (Stargirl, 15).

 

Stargirl is a 2002 young adult novel by Jerry Spinelli, detailing a young man’s recollections of a year in a small-town Arizona high school, and the events set into motion by the arrival of an eccentric young woman. Her name is Susan Caraway, but she is known simply as “Stargirl.” In a homogenous school community, when Stargirl appears in her strange outfits and toting a pet rat, ukulele, and sunflower bag everywhere she goes, there is immediate stir. Leo, the narrator, finds himself smitten, and must decide whether to act on his feelings under the pressure of his classmates’ opinions. Under even greater pressure, Stargirl herself must decide whether she will conform to the other kids’ standards, or maintain her individuality. High School is a social microcosm, an idea reflected in a lot of great children’s literature, and in Stargirl, Spinelli treats that environment as a testing ground for moral and ethical lessons.

“Mica Area High School–MAHS–was not exactly a hotbed of nonconformity.  There were individual variants here and there, of course, but within pretty narrow limits we all wore the same clothes, talked the same way, ate the same food, listened to the same music.  Even our dorks and nerds had a MAHS stamp on them.  If we happened to somehow distinguish ourselves, we quickly snapped back into place, like rubber bands” (10).

Stargirl has been homeschooled all her life, and arrives at MAHS blissfuly unaware of the expectations placed on students to conform to certain social stereotypes. She is mysterious, strange, and completely outward-focused. She has personal files on everyone in town, tracking likes and birthdays. She sings happy birthday to students every day in the cafeteria. She leaves kind anonymous notes and gifts. Over the course of the year, she goes from unknown alien, to the most popular kid in school, and back again to social pariah in a backlash following a game in which she cheered for both schools’ teams. In the midst of this, she and Leo begin a tentative relationship.

Stargirl creates a constant tension between the characters’ longing for acceptance, and the desire to remain truthful to their individuality. The “just be yourself!” message so common throughout young adult literature is often quick to count the benefits of that kind of attitude, but slow to count the real-world cost. Stargirl’s eccentricity allows her to pursue many passions, make friends young and old, and explore her creativity. But as her character is revealed there is a tangible sense of loneliness surrounding her. That same loneliness may actually be a benefit, providing Stargirl with time for the quiet meditation and growth that define her. But loneliness can become disheartening.

“I had never realized how much I needed the attention of others to confirm my own presence” (126).

The choice is not an easy one, and the tension in Leo and Stargirl’s relationship builds until she drapes a sheet in front of the school with large letters reading “STARGIRL LOVES LEO” and Leo caves under the pressure. In an effort to make him happy, and in part to regain some of the friends she has lost, for a brief time Stargirl becomes simply “Susan,” blending into the crowd with everyone else. But she soon snaps back. Her and Leo drift apart. She makes a final, memorable appearance at the prom, and then disappears forever. Leo writes from years later, when the story of Stargirl has become legend, and former students that shunned her now remember her fondly. Leo concludes with the hope that they might someday meet again.

In many ways High School is unique. It’s a time when the need for acceptance his more overpowering than perhaps any other point in life. But in many ways it’s completely representative of adult life: people have essentially the same insecurities, the same predisposition toward self-centeredness. There's a reason similar books have captured the imagination of children; "Stargirl Societies" now exist in schools across the country, inspired by Spinelli's character. Media and literature like Stargirl develop resonant themes of individualism, kindness, open-mindedness, and persistence that kids can take from the stage of adolescence to apply throughout the rest of their lives.

"Stargirl Sketch" by Hannah, 17 years old.