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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Stargirl, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Individuality and Conformity
Human Nature
Seeing, Visibility, and Invisibility
Friendship, Love, and Social Pressure
Summary
Analysis
Leo changes his mind about inviting Stargirl to be interviewed on Hot Seat. He tells Kevin they should go ahead, and later that day, Stargirl agrees. Leo is a little surprised by this. Later, looking back, he will realize that underneath the surface, even Stargirl is more “normal” than he had guessed.
Seeing the way students are now reacting to Stargirl, Leo prematurely supposes that the time is ripe to interview her. Even Stargirl, it seems, is capable of enjoying being the center of attention for her own sake.
Themes
In the school courtyard, there is a roadrunner-shaped slab of plywood, a student bulletin board. On it, someone has taped a “pledge” beginning “I pledge allegiance to United Turtles of America…” with the note, “This is how she says the Pledge of Allegiance.” Everybody knows who “she” is. For now, nobody seems too bothered.
The roadrunner bulletin board will feature significantly in the story, as a place where personal things are made visible to the whole community. Some students still seem unsure about Stargirl’s self-expression.
Themes
A few days later, another story is going around. The grandfather of a senior named Anna Grisdale has just died. At the cemetery, Anna noticed Stargirl was there, too, crying. Stargirl also showed up at the post-funeral lunch at Anna’s house. Suddenly, Anna’s mother confronted Stargirl, demanding to know who she is and what she’s doing there. Stargirl had nothing to say, but she quietly left when Anna’s mother showed her the door.
The funeral is a good example of Stargirl’s naïveté. On one hand, she’s kind and empathetic enough to support a grieving classmate. On the other hand, inserting herself in other people’s business creates unintended conflict at times—a foreshadow of future events involving Stargirl.
Themes
A little boy named Danny Pike breaks his leg and develops a blood clot after crashing his bike. When Danny recovers and is brought home from the hospital, a new bike and “Welcome Home” banner await him outside his house. In the Mica Times article about Danny’s homecoming, a beaming Stargirl is visible among the celebrating neighbors. It later transpires that none of the Pikes purchased Danny’s new bike, and the family falls into a squabble over it. The bike winds up in the trash.
This scene also foreshadows later events involving Stargirl’s acts of generosity and their effect on Mica High. Stargirl’s kind gestures can be misinterpreted and even stir up trouble—the opposite of her intent. The problem is not so much with her kind action, but with the social norms she disrupts without realizing it.
Themes
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