Quote 1
Kevin jumped in. "So… you change your name whenever you get tired of it?"
"Whenever it doesn't fit anymore. I'm not my name. My name is something I wear, like a shirt. It gets worn, I outgrow it, I change it" (13.23-24)
In an attempt to explain her name during her "Hot Seat" interview, Stargirl clearly shows that she thinks that your identity is not something that is created by any outside sources, not even a name. She believes that we are much more than our names, and our names should reflect who we are. Who we are changes, so names should, too.
Quote 2
"Did you know there's a country with officially designated 'enchanted places'?" […] I think it would be neat if we had that here. You'd be walking or riding along, and there would be this stone marker with a brass plate: 'Enchanted Site: U.S. Department of Interior.'"
"We'd litter it up," I said (17.58-63)
Would marking places as "enchanted" help people connect to and respect their surroundings more as Stargirl hopes, or would we just litter it up, like Leo thinks? He's being a bit cynical, but the dude has a point.
Quote 3
"The earth is speaking to us, but we can't hear because of all the racket our senses are making. Sometimes we need to erase them, erase our senses. Then—maybe—the earth will touch us. The universe will speak. The stars will whisper" (17.85).
Stargirl believes that to connect, you must forget about your physical body and set your mind free to hear without your physical ears. It is then that you may be able to hear the wisdom of the universe. Hey, in a way, doesn't Leo do this already? It is in the quiet of the night when his senses are limited, meaning it is dark and quiet, and he is aware of the moonlight that he gets some insights, right?
Quote 4
"The thing is, there's no difference anymore between me and the universe. The boundary is gone. I am it and it is me. I am a stone, a cactus thorn. I am rain." She smiled dreamily. "I like that most of all, being rain" (17.90).
Through her meditation, she does not just gain wisdom from what the earth tells her, she actually becomes other things. Cool, huh?
Quote 5
"Look, even the desert is celebrating."
It seemed to be true. The normally dull cacti and scrub were splashed with April colors, as if a great painter had passed over the landscape with a brush, dabbing yellow here, red there… she skipped and whirled and cartwheeled among the prickly natives. She bowed to a yucca, waltzed with a saguaro… (27.53-56).
On the way to her competition, Stargirl pays attention to the natural world around her. Because she does this, and takes time out to celebrate with nature, she ends up with an idea for a fantastic speech, which will eventually win her a trophy. Because of this, we notice how spontaneous Stargirl is too – instead of planning a speech way ahead of time, she lives in the moment and finds inspiration all around her.
Quote 6
It was a jumble, it was a mishmash, and somehow she pulled it together, somehow she threaded every different thing through the voice of a solitary mockingbird singing in the desert. She called her speech "I Might Have Heard a Moa" (28.5).
It is through her interest in our natural past that Stargirl comes up with a fabulous idea for a speech. And you know what, she's right. According to Archie, she just might have heard a moa. We don't know about you, but the next time Shmoop hears a mockingbird, we'll be listening for a moa call.
Quote 7
"Scream, Leo."
"Huh?"
"Just throw your head back and let it all out. Scream your ears off. Nobody will hear you."
"Why would I want to do that?"
She turned her astonished eyes on me. "Why wouldn't you?" (17.52-54).
Stargirl has, in all her strange wisdom, hit the nail on the head. When it comes to doing fun, freeing things, don't ask why; ask why not? This girl needs to join the Dead Poet's Society, right quick.
Quote 8
A minute later she stopped. "We're here."
I looked around. The place couldn't have been more ordinary. The only notable presence was a tall, dilapidated saguaro, a bundle of sticks, in worse shape than Archie's Senor. The rest was gray scrub and tumbleweed and a few prickly pears. "I thought it would look different," I said.
"Special? Scenic?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"It's a different kind of scenery," she said. "Shoes off" (17.66-70).
Poor Leo was expecting some spectacular desert-scape, but what he gets is a spot just like any other. But don't you see, Leo? Everywhere is enchanted. At least, that is, according to Stargirl.
Quote 9
"I hear. But not with eyes and ears. I'm not outside my world anymore, and I'm not really inside it either. The thing is, there's no difference anymore between me and the universe. The boundary is gone. I am in it and it is me. I am a stone, a cactus thorn. I am rain" (17.90).
Stargirl doesn't limit her exploration to the physical world around her; she explores her mental world, too, through imagination. In her meditations, she goes on all sorts of journeys and has all sorts of experiences. The girl actually gets to be rain, for Pete's sake. Wouldn't you like to be rain? Even for just an hour or so?
Quote 10
"All you need is your eyes and one other person. I pick somebody on the street, the mall, a store, wherever, and I follow them. Say it's a her. I follow her for fifteen minutes, not a minute more. I time myself. The game is, after fifteen minutes of watching her, I have to guess what kind of card she needs" (21.27).
See, Stargirl's not nosy. She's just observant. And very empathetic. She uses her powers of observation to connect to those around her through random (and some not so random) acts of kindness.
Quote 11
"Why don't you leave a card or something with your name on it?"
The question surprised her. "Why should I?"
Her question surprised me. "Well, I don't know, it's just the way people do things. They expect it. They get a gift, they expect to know where it came from" (20.28-30).
Stargirl gives gifts out of her honest feeling of love for her fellow man. She does not want or need any recognition as a result. To leave a gift without any acknowledgement of who the giver is, is a truly kind act because it's all about the love and not the credit.
Quote 12
"There's also the place where I get my hair cut. I always overhear good stuff there. And of course there're the bulletin boards" (21.113)
Stargirl is always listening for information that she can use to bring a little happiness to someone. Her love of all of humanity is very strong, and it feeds her powers of observation. She's literally looking for opportunities to love. How many of us really do that?
Quote 13
"Did you see it?"
I nodded. I kept walking.
"Well?" She was hopping beside me, punching my shoulder. "Wha'd you think?"
What could I say? I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I just shrugged (24.17-14).
Uh oh, big-time trouble in paradise. That phase of early infatuation is fading and some tough relationship stuff is brewing. It seems like we should be mad at Leo here, and we're not saying we shouldn't be; however, do you think maybe Stargirl should have taken Leo's feelings into consideration before she put up the big sign proclaiming her love? I mean, she must know how shy he is, considering how observant she is about everyone, right? So what gives? Why did she do it?
Quote 14
"I'm giving up on trying to be popular and normal." Her face and body language did not seem to match her words. She looked cheery, perky. So did Cinnamon, perched on her shoulder.
"Don't you think maybe you should back off a little?" I said. "Don't come on so strong?"
She smiled at me. She reached out and brushed the tip of my nose with her fingertip. "Because we live in a world of them, right? You told me that once."
We stared at each other. She kissed me on the cheek and walked away. She turned and said, "I know you're not going to invite me to Ocotillo Ball. It's okay" (30.11-14).
You go girl. Seriously. We've never been prouder of Stargirl than we are in this very moment. It's a great example of self-love. Even though this is the breakup scene, Stargirl is cheery and perky because she knows that her own self matters more than whether or not anyone likes her. And the best part is, she dumps Leo without saying one mean word. Now that's classy.