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Analysis Of Jerry Spinelli's 'Stargirl'

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Adolescence; a turning point for children, a stage in which individuals mark their first official liberation from their mother’s womb. It is a period brimming with wanderlust, a time to take on greater responsibility, to experiment, to surmount profuse hardships and difficulties. Nonetheless, the beauty of youth always includes ramifications. Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, is a captivating novel that remains realistic and true to life. The book is threaded with profound themes and wise characters that embody behavioral facets of youth. The topics of love, society’s reaction to change, and individuality versus conformity, are ways that the author demonstrates both the scathing and appealing aspects of being an adolescent. Firstly, love is intricate and convoluted, nevertheless, it is described as the most beautiful feeling and experience. Throughout Jerry Spinelli’s novel, readers are exposed to both positive and negative aspects of love. Transition Stargirl, one of the main protagonists of the novel, is pressured by her boyfriend Leo, to become like everyone else. An example, is when Leo reluctantly conveys his need for Stargirl to change, “The point is, in a group, everybody acts pretty much the same, that’s kind of how the group holds itself together.(137)” Furthermore, Leo who has always cared about society and what they thought of him, is influenced even more to push Stargirl to change, as they do not approve of her individualistic ways. As formerly mentioned, the theme

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