Stargirl

Leo thinks that with her doe eyes and sandy blonde hair, Stargirl “wasn’t gorgeous, wasn’t ugly” (5). What captivates Leo is Stargirl’s free spirit and her blithe disregard for conformity. Her long pioneer dresses, ukulele serenades, and her genuine empathy for others make her unique. Stargirl is “the opposite of cool” (78); she does not care what others think about her. She follows her personal mission in life to spread small kindnesses and joy. Criticism rolls off her, and she deeply feels others’ pain.

Stargirl has a well-defined personal identity and a secure sense of self. She is comfortable and happy with who she is in the moment—until Leo makes her doubt herself. Stargirl also demonstrates characteristics of spirituality rooted in Eastern religion and philosophy. For a young person, she has a connection to the universe and an awareness of the link between the past and present. In her enchanted but ordinary-to-everyone-else desert place, Stargirl meditates and attains unity with nature. Stargirl believes everyone is worth cheering for and that everyone deserves happiness. Archie and Leo compare Stargirl to birds and butterflies: elusive, exotic, and hard to pin down and understand. Hillari Kimble’s comparisons are less flattering: she likens Stargirl to a Martian or the daughter of witches.

Stargirl does not share Leo’s head versus heart conflict. She acts directly from the heart. Leo notes that Stargirl “has no ego” (53). But she still has feelings like any ordinary girl. She is hurt when Leo calls her a “saint” and when her attempts to make friends and win popularity fail. Ultimately, unlike Leo, Stargirl does not depend on the fickle opinions of others to validate her identity. 

A retired university professor and paleontologist, Archie is a widower who moved from the East to the Arizona desert. Because his home is filled with archeological specimens collected from his digs, Leo says Archie’s home is “a house of bones” (30). Archie lives near the school because he enjoys kids and loves teaching. He is loved and respected by his Loyal Order of the Stone Bone scholars. They flock to his home on Saturdays for informal lessons on many topics. Archie has known Stargirl for years: He helped homeschool her, and he maintains a secret area for her workshop. Stargirl cares deeply about Archie and thinks of him as a grandfather (120). Archie also has a shrewd understanding of human psychology. He is the only adult character in the book who influences the main characters and the only adult in whom Leo confides. Archie channels his venerable cactus, Señor Saguaro, to offer wise advice. His oblique habit of answering questions with questions seems cryptic to young Leo, but Leo internalizes Archie’s words and understands them in the fullness of time. Archie tries to help Leo understand himself and value the gift of Stargirl’s affection.

Ninth-grader Dori Dilson is Stargirl’s only steadfast friend. Her grade level, her brown hair, and the fact that she writes poetry are all Leo knows about her before Dori becomes associated with Stargirl. Dori is the first person to have the courage to sit with Stargirl at lunch and, in so doing, makes a name for herself. Leo, in contrast, never gets up the nerve to sit with Stargirl, even though he is her boyfriend; he only sits with “Susan.” Dori understands that being true to yourself is more important than being popular. She feels that Stargirl betrays herself by becoming Susan, even refusing to accompany Susan to the oratorical competition. But Dori is the only student waiting when Stargirl returns victorious, showing she remains a true friend. Dori joins Stargirl’s singing group and is oblivious to the shunning that she receives. In her sisterly love and support of Stargirl, Dori shows confidence in her own identity.

The novel’s primary antagonist, Hillari is the school’s mean girl. She wields significant influence with the student body. One of the three things Hillari is most famous for at Mica High is her “mouth” (19), which is usually complaining. Hillari leads the campaign of othering against Stargirl, initially by spreading rumors and gossip when Stargirl first arrives. At first, Stargirl’s friendly, eccentric ways overcome Hillari’s malice, and popular opinion goes against Hillari’s sneers and threats to Cinnamon. But when Hillari casts Stargirl as a danger to the group identity, the students all side with Hillari. To Hillari, Stargirl is an outsider whose weirdness “ruins everything” (175), from basketball to the spring dance. Hillari’s anger at Stargirl stems from her own identity link to the group culture. Hillari is possessive and protective of the status quo at Mica High, telling Stargirl to get out of “my school” (66). Repeatedly, Hillari fails to understand Stargirl. For example, she expects Stargirl return her slap with violence, but Stargirl is made of different—kinder—stuff than Hillari. 

Like Leo, Kevin is a transplant to Mica. They both moved to the desert town when they were 12 and have been best friends since. Both want to work in television and together they started the school television show, Hot Seat. Teenage Kevin dreams of working in television as a seedy talk show personality. Kevin and Leo share a lot of the same likes and dislikes, including strawberry banana smoothies. Kevin maintains his friendship with Leo even when the rest of the school begins giving Leo the silent treatment. Kevin is generally accepting of Stargirl for Leo’s sake, standing up for her on Hot Seat and chatting with her at lunch when she becomes Susan. When Leo breaks up with Stargirl, however, Kevin interprets that as “permission” to badmouth her (164). Kevin, like Leo, is one of “them” (165).