“She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a cork board like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew.”
Stargirl
By Jerry Spinelli
Why is it even so good, anyway?
I still remember, back when my little sister was in sixth grade, she came to me for the first time and asked for a book recommendation. She had never shared my love for literature, so I was happy to comply, but I knew it had to be the perfect book. Maybe I could get her addicted to words like I was myself.
But what to recommend? What did I want my eleven-year-old baby sister to gain from reading my book? As she was a girl finally introduced to the dynamics of middle school and popularity, the perfect title appeared in my mind. Stargirl.
For years, Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli, had been one of my favorite books. The tale of the colorful girl making her way through a high school full of the same grey individuals touched my heart somehow. But, why? I often asked myself this. What really made it so good? The plot was good, but not outstanding. The writing style was decent, but nothing I hadn’t already encountered. No, what made Stargirl so incredible was Stargirl herself.
The Stargirl in All of UsYes. Stargirl is a person. That is her name. Why? Because she named herself that. Just like she named her pet rat, Cinnamon. That’s just who she is. She’s the girl that sings “Happy Birthday” and plays her ukulele to each kid in the lunch you. She’s the girl that dresses in a new, mismatched outfit everyday. The one leaves her spare coins on the road. The one who cheers for both basketball teams, the one who dances in the rain.
Stargirl is the definition of individuality, of being yourself and refusing to conform to the unwritten rules of high school. Is this really possible? Probably not. But Stargirl is also a representation of a small part in each of us. It’s an itch in our heart, a tug in our soul, begging us to be ourselves. Begging us to ignore all doubts, to let go of social norms.
When first I read Stargirl, I felt that itch, that tug. I still conformed to the we of the middle school, just like narrator Leo did for his high school. But when I was alone, I began to think about the I. Who did I want to be? I was starting to find out, even if I wasn’t showing it to everyone quite yet. I wondered what would happen if I did.
Keep Reading, Keep Writing, Keep WonderingI find it strange that the human race values two opposing concepts, individuality and conformity. On one hand, a person must always be more than the rest: more pretty, more popular, more smart, more athletic. . . more, more, more. But at the same time, we aren’t allowed to be more in a way that isn’t ordinary and common. It’s weird to be overly dramatic, overly kind, overly fond of knitting. The “ideal,” or, in better words “most socially accepted” human being is one who does what everyone else is doing, but they do it better. They stand out in the field of blending in.
We need to break this trend. Now, I’m not saying you need to be your own Stargirl. Asking anyone to do that in these days where popularity rules high schools is unreasonably. You don’t need to make an effort to stand out. But you should make an effort to be yourself.
What we should all strive to do is hold on to that stirring we feel in our gut. Try to find out who you are, and try to incorporate it into your life. Do what you want, not what you feel like others would want. Even if it’s just alone in your room, listen to that music. Try on those clothes. You could even decorate a little.
What matters is expressing yourself, just to make sure you don’t forget yourself.
Be an I, not a we.
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