Love, Stargirl

“What about Leo?” Betty Lou’s question resonates with readers in this section as Stargirl grows more infatuated with Perry, and we learn details about Perry’s cynical approach towards life (125). Lonely characters like Betty Lou and Charlie benefit from Stargirl’s kindness, and she, in turn, benefits from connecting with them. Symbolic elements are also expanded, including the mockingbird, donuts, the impact of the natural world on humanity, and on the self-reflective nature of writing. The imminent Blobfest celebration clues readers to exactly where in Pennsylvania Stargirl now lives.

Stargirl begins to accept that Leo is likely gone from her life for good. She admits that she will never send her letter, and it is doubtful that their futures will be joined in the way she wants. She confesses to Archie that she is avoiding thinking about Leo. In her reluctance to examine her true feelings, Stargirl reveals her emotional vulnerability. She fears both that she is over Leo, and that she is not. Stargirl is lonely, however, and Perry is available. Stargirl’s romantic focus switches from Leo to Perry.

Ironically, Stargirl tells Perry that Alvina has a crush on him, while it is Stargirl who displays the characteristics of a crush. She is infatuated with Perry: She seeks him out and works to get his attention. She thinks about him, tries to find out all she can about him, and even dreams about him. She admits that she is “a mess.” Her emotions, like the mockingbird’s song, are an amalgam: Stargirl alternately feels hope, self-consciousness, disappointment, happiness, jealousy, and confusion.

Stargirl’s obsession with Perry has the hallmarks of a rebound relationship and suggests that Stargirl is not over Leo. Her crush on Perry is, in part, a need for acceptance and affirmation after Leo’s rejection. Stargirl wants to feel valued. The news that Perry has a harem is a blow. Stargirl prides herself on being unique, not a groupie like Stephanie, Ponytail, and Zombie. Stargirl is jealous of Perry’s attention to others.

Perry is very different from Leo, which is part of his attraction for Stargirl. Leo was shy, self-conscious, and self-limiting, though sensitive. Perry is confident, sarcastic, critical, and cocky. Perry’s outlook on life is almost antithetical to Stargirl’s. He is cynical and pessimistic. The character of Ondine, unfailingly happy, repulses him because Perry believes the world is not a happy place. He steals because “Nobody gives it to you” (118). Perry is not connected to others in the neighborhood: he plays truant from school, and does not know the names of Alvina, who chased him, or Betty Lou, whose donuts he stole. He takes, rather than gives and nurtures.

In contrast, Stargirl’s giving nature helps both Charlie and Betty Lou emerge from their isolation and helps connect Stargirl more closely to the community. Her actions restore her confidence and sense of identity. Stargirl and Dootsie bring Charlie out of his loneliness and into the present: He appreciates their visit and attention. While watching the night-blooming cereus flower, Stargirl and Betty Lou bond and share intimate thoughts and emotions. Again, the power of nature to foster communion and wonder is highlighted. Stargirl’s poem about the cruelties of human time further reveals her belief that nature offers freedom from man-made constrictions and doubts. Stargirl’s solar calendar, in contrast to watches that measure minutes and hours, is “real time.” Finally, Stargirl draws attention to the writing process. She refers to herself as the poet, or orchestrator of events, and sometimes feels as if she is a character in her own life.

Blobfest is a real annual event that takes place in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, which is located about 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The famous scene in the cult movie classic, The Blob (1958), where the blob takes over the projection booth and oozes into the theater, was filmed in The Colonial Theater in Phoenixville. Blobfest does include a re-enactment of movie goers running from the theater, and offers a street fair, contests, and movie screenings. Stargirl, knowing Leo will not see the letter, no longer pretends to hide her location, dropping her guard and defensiveness towards Leo little by little.