Another Stargirl Paper

Analyze a Required Book


Stargirl

Stargirl is realistic fiction and a great example of it if you ask me. So if it is such a great example of realistic fiction, what makes a great story? There are many different components that go into making a realistic fiction story, many different things that make the story sound, well, real. It is all about the reader being able to relate to the book and put themselves inside of the story, in the place of one of the main characters. The author also has to make sure that what they are writing about is something that the readers are dealing with, that the characters are grow like the readers are. It should, through the story, give children hope, remind them that there is hope in this world that we live in and also be able to give them insight to their problems in their life through the problems the characters go though in the book. This story fulfills all of these and is enjoyable, by children and adults of all ages.

When I first started reading this book I could not put it down. I was captured into the story, into a world that was just like my own growing up. I wish I could say that I was Stargirl, but sadly, I am not, and I could not lie to myself. I did, however, envy her, I wished I could have been her, I wished that I could have been myself growing up rather than changing for others. There are so many times I have changed myself to fit in. It is crazy the things I have done to make a guy notice me. I remember even back in high school I went through a time where I didn’t even know who I was because I was a different person at home, at school, at color guard, at church, and any place I went I was someone different just so I could fit in. Anyone can relate to this book. Just like Stargirl, even right now in my life, I am not happy not being me. People are always changing who they are; I even see it in some of my good close friends. They are changing for different groups of friends, for church leaders, for teachers, for boys, no one is being the real them, they are all being the person that someone else wants them to be. I just want to be me, like Stargirl was; she had the courage to be herself, and I want to have that too. Who hasn’t done that, name one person who has been themselves their whole life and not once wished to be someone else tor changed to fit in, oh wait, Stargirl did that too. Leo didn’t like her being “different” and wanted her to fit in, maybe that would make people except her again. Have you ever wanted someone to change so they weren’t “different”, so eyes were not drawn to you, or that you wouldn’t get made fun of as well because of the way the person acted? This all happened in this story. To me, this book could have been non-fiction; it could have been a story about my high school, but a little better.

In the book it is a school like all the other ones, everyone knows everyone, and everyone is accepted. They were happy and fine in their conformity to each other, sounds about right and normal to me. Then Stargirl starts school. She is different, she is her own person, doesn't care what anyone thinks about her, something that we should all strive to be. At first people think this is weird, but then, everyone starts being THEM and not hiding themselves to fit in. How would the world be if we were all like that? If we all became who we were instead of trying to be something we are not. Good things don’t always last forever, and that’s where the shunning comes in and everyone starts to think that being different is bad. Just like in high school if you were friends with that weird person you were rejected as well. It breaks my heart and it made me cry. The story gave me hope and then ripped it away, the world would never change, and no one could ever be like Stargirl and be popular. The hope came back at the end of the book. She was accepted again, but not by everyone, but who is accepted by everyone. Stargirl left, but she didn’t leave her classmates empty hearted. There was a lesson taught in the book. "It was a rebellion she led, a rebellion for rather than against. For ourselves."

A realistic fiction book teaches something, it is written for the reader to fit into the story, children hope, remind them that there is hope in this world that we live in and also be able to give them insight to their problems in their life through the problems the characters go though in the book. This story fulfills all of these and is enjoyable, by children and adults of all ages. Stargirl is realistic fiction and a great example of it if you ask me.



<3  Erin Christina