Leo Borlock In Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl

“Whose affection do you value more, hers or the others” (104)? This is the question that Leo Borlock, of Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, must answer. While reading this book, one finds that Leo’s character is rather confusing. At times, he is enchanted and in love with Stargirl, the new student at Mica Area High School, and at other moments he is embarrassed by her, tries to change her, and avoids her. He can’t seem to decide whether he values Stargirl or the rest of the school more. His behavior, though puzzling, can be better understood when considering Freud’s psychoanalytical theory regarding the parts of the human psyche. Consistent with this theory, Leo is being pulled in two different directions: towards Stargirl who represents his

id, and towards the other kids, who represent his superego.
According to Freud’s typographic model, the human psyche consists of three parts: the id, ego, and superego. Each part plays a significant role in influencing human behavior. First, there is the id, which comprises the instinctive, impulsive desire for the immediate fulfillment of pleasure. Next, there is the superego, which represents the influence of society’s high moral standards. Finally, there is the ego, which determines a person’s identity. For obvious reasons, the superego and the id are constantly in conflict; the id wants to run loose in search of pleasure while the superego wants to act in accordance with society’s rules. Thus, the main role of the ego is to act as a mediator between the id and the superego. Similar to the rest of humankind, Leo Borlock is being pulled in two different directions by his id and superego, and whether he likes it or not, he has to reconcile these two conflicting desires.
For the first portion of the novel, Leo increasingly chooses Stargirl over the rest of the students, an indication that his id is influencing his behavior. Indeed, Leo seems to be drawn to Stargirl’s peculiar ways and personality. At one smile from her, he is so smitten that “a baseball bat could not have hit [him] harder,” and after school, his “feet [carry] him” in search for her (76, 77). These quotes illustrate the great strength of his impulse; Leo can’t help but pursue her. One evening, motivated by this urge, he walks slowly past her house, and the “longer [he hangs] around, the closer [he wants] to be” to it (79). However, his obsession is not actually with being near the house, but to Stargirl herself. Thus, he puts the other students’ views aside and attempts to appease his desire for her presence. Another prominent example of adhering to his id occurs after Leo falls deeply in love with Stargirl and is temporarily blind to the influence of his superego. He describes, “as we approached each other, the noise and the students around us melted away and we were utterly alone, passing, smiling, holding each other’s eyes, floors and walls gone, two people in a universe of space and stars” (95). In this moment, none of the other students’ opinions matter to Leo; he pays no heed to their “noise.” The others have “melted away” as he has chosen to “[home] in on the beacon of [Stargirl’s] smile” (95). It is during these moments that Leo loves and accepts Stargirl for who she is and feels positively about being associated with her. Unfortunately, these feelings begin to dissipate as his superego begins to reawaken.
As much as Leo would love to continue frolicking with Stargirl, his superego begins pulling him in the opposite direction.

A major turning point in Leo’s behavior occurs after realizing that he and Stargirl are being shunned. No longer are his moments with Stargirl “a cozy, tunnel-of-love sweetness, but a chilling isolation” (99). Suddenly, his desire to be noticed and accepted by society are brought back to his attention. He is devastated to discover the other students completely ignoring him, not even answering when he calls their names. Despite attempts to convince himself that this doesn’t matter, “[Leo can’t] help himself from caring” (132). Thus, this impulse becomes a powerful force that leads him to monitor himself more strictly. For example, after the intercom announcement that Stargirl had won the district title for her speech, Leo was “about to let out a cheer, but caught [himself]” (106). Because of his desire to fit in, he can’t reveal such celebrations to the other students. Things grow even worse after the “Stargirl Loves Leo” sign. Leo describes seeing the sign as “my first impulse was to drag the Spanish teacher to the window and say, ‘Look! She loves me!’ My second impulse was to run outside and rip the sign away” (129). Again, the superego impulse to care about what other people think is in conflict with the id impulse. The superego manifests itself again in Leo’s attempt to change Stargirl into Susan, a socially acceptable girlfriend. His ego is present as he is trying to choose both her and them. His hope is that he’ll be able to fulfill both desires, but when it fails and Susan returns to Stargirl, he finds himself angry at her for returning to her normal self and no longer fitting society’s

mold.
In conclusion, Freud’s typographic model of the human psyche offers insight as to the reasoning behind Leo Borlock’s confusing behavior. Ultimately, Leo must determine whether the pleasure that he gets from his relationship with Stargirl is worth falling out of the other students’ favor. As previously mentioned, everything rests upon his answer to the question, “whose affection do you value more… (104)?