Stargirl

Stargirl’s name reflects how she views herself. She changes her names as she grows, telling Kevin on Hot Seat that “My name is something I wear, like a shirt. It gets worn, I outgrow it, I change it” (63). Stargirl believes a name, like a person, is not fixed. While this belief shows Stargirl’s mature sense of self-knowledge, to the students of Mica, her self-naming is another puzzling—and offensive—example of Stargirl’s nonconformity. Archie believes Stargirl’s current name is appropriate for her because she seems more closely connected to the universe than regular people. Her name suggests a sense of otherworldliness and enlightenment. Stargirl’s attempts to change her name and personality to Susan fail because, although she tries to please Leo, the Susan persona and name do not embody her life philosophy; they are a devolution to conformity and a sacrifice of her beliefs.

Names and naming play other important roles in the novel. Leo, from the very start, wonders how Stargirl knows everyone’s name. Being named grants a person uniqueness and individuality; a name sets something apart, and calls attention to it, which is unusual at a school like Mica High where students blend in and do not know each other well.