All across the globe, people are asked to be someone they are not due to peer pressure within their society. Throughout literature, protagonists face peer pressure that will cause them to change their personalities but they realize that being themselves is the best person they can be. Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl features the relationship between the protagonist; Leo and his girlfriend Stargirl, reveal the theme of Maintaining Individuality as Leo is put under pressure to choose Stargirl over his popular friends.
One Main reason of maintaining Individuality from the featured relationship is that Stargirl reads bulletins and newspapers to find people in need to help them with Leo even though the high school society tends to reflect helping others
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such as the time when Stargirl and Leo were looking at a Pizzeria bulletin board, “We were passing Pisa Pizza.
“There’s a bulletin board in there,” she said. It was just inside the door. It was smothered with business cards and notices. I pointed to one that said, “Odd Jobs―Ask for Mike,” call this number. “So what’s that tell you?” I said, with more challenge in my voice than I intended. She read it, “Well, it could be that Mike lost his regular job and can’t find another so he’s hiring himself out. Or even if he has a regular job, it’s not enough to make ends meet. He’s either not very neat, or he can’t afford a full piece of paper. This is just a scrap”(114). This quote shows that Stargirl and Leo are looking for people in need of help because Stargirl and Leo always go around town looking for bulletins and reading the newspaper fillers to find people in need of some help that they can contribute to. They help others by delivering cards and flowers and balloons and small things that mean a lot. This shows that they are …show more content…
maintaining Individuality because their high school society turns away from helping others and they focus mostly about themselves. Stargirl and Leo are pressured to stop helping others and be popular like everyone else―besides Dori Dilson―but they ignore the commentary and keep on helping the needy. In life, people tend to try and change people into something they are not like the typical students and MAHS how they are trying to change Leo and Stargirl into being normal and popular and to stop helping people they don’t even know. An example of when Stargirl and Leo’s relationship portrays the theme of individuality is when Leo tries to make Stargirl popular so that he doesn’t have to choose between Stargirl and popularity. Stargirl tries to become popular like Leo asked her to be but she realizes that she can change her true self. A time in the book when this happens is just after Stargirl comes back to school after her competition. “I did not see her for the rest of the weekend. By Monday she was Stargirl again. Floor-length skirt. Ribbons in her hair. Just like that”(161). This citation from Leo’s perspective shows that Stargirl knows that she cannot change who she is and society cannot remove her individuality from her such as the time when Stargirl gives up being popular and becomes Stargirl again. “Walking with her after school that day, I said, “I guess you’re giving up, huh?” She looked at me. “Giving up? On What?” “On being popular. On being…” How could I say it? She smiled. “Normal?” I shrugged. “Yes,” she said firmly”(162). This quote supports the theme of maintaining individuality because Stargirl tries but fails to become popular since she believes that she and anyone else cannot change who she really is and that she needs to stay a unique individual. This quote also shows that Stargirl is telling Leo that he has to stop trying to change himself and Stargirl. He also needs to understand that he needs to be an individual. In life, people are forced to make decisions that cause them to try and get around making them just like Leo when he tries to make Stargirl popular so that he doesn’t need to choose between her and popularity. Lastly, Stargirl and Leo demonstrate maintaining Individuality by Leo not going to the Ocotillo ball even though the whole school is going along with Stargirl and Stargirl goes to the ball alone and is the life of the party.
“As she had predicted, I did not ask her to go to the Ocotillo Ball. I did not ask anyone. I did not go. She did”(167). This quote shows that even though the whole school is going to go to the ball and everyone is expected to, Leo decides to skip the ball because he isn’t required to and doesn’t want to. This demonstrates maintaining individuality because he is not doing what the typical MAHS student would do even though the pressures from society are telling him he has to go to the ball. Stargirl goes to the ball alone because Leo had never asked her. This is an example of maintaining individuality. “So distracting, so complete is she that she is gone before many realize that she had no escort, she was alone, a parade of one”(170). This quote indicates maintaining individuality as a theme because Stargirl is going against the grain and going to the ball with no escort. Everyone is Staring at her and she doesn’t care because Stargirl is being
Stargirl. In closing, the relationship between Stargirl and Protagonist; Leo in Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl reveals the theme of maintaining individuality. Especially when Leo is forced to make a difficult decision between Stargirl and Popularity. They portray the theme of maintaining individuality by not caring what other people think about their kindness they are spreading. In life, people are asked to someone they are not but maintaining your individuality is not wrong, it is simply being your unique self just like Stargirl and how she goes against the grain of the typical MAHS students.
This chapter gives us perspective into the girl’s side of campus and also gives us deeper access into the Special Services Committee. Hubner presents this information while adding his own writing style. One of the techniques the author utilizes is that he paraphrases the events in her life but uses direct quotations when he is trying to emphasize a point or catch the reader’s attention. He also does not censor her life which gives the chapter a realistic appeal. His word choice sways the reader into feeling compassion and sympathy for Candace. Throughout the chapter he refers to Candace as a marvelous actress. In doing so he presents her as a subject who is adored by the public, but also as someone who is capable of portraying herself in multiple character roles opposite of who she really
When reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, it is instantly understood that you have control of not only being yourself, but being true to yourself. In the novel, Stargirl left a great legacy in MICA High School and all the people living around in general. So after reading Stargirl, we can understand that individuality and truthfulness to yourself is important to everyone around and most of all,
The short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros, focuses around the main character Rachel as an insecure developing girl who lacks the experience to handle everyday encounters. Rachel, an eleven year old girl truly encapsulates the thoughts that are present within an adolescent. The lack of confidence in herself, excessive fear of being judged, and ideas of growing up are ideals that are relevant within each and every one of us. The reader is able to relate to Rachel because her feelings and experiences that are described by the author are similar to what most people have been through and are currently experiencing. The characterization of Rachel is expressed through the author’s usage of point of view, imagery, and repetition.
The best example is Lena Lingard, an immigrant worker who aspires to become a designer. As she says so herself, “‘ For Mrs. Thomas, the dressmaker. She is going to teach me to sew. She says I have quite a knack. I’m through with the farm. There ain’t any end to the work on a farm, and always so much trouble happens. I’m going to be a dressmaker’” (Book II, Part IV). In this passage, one sees her making her aspirations clear— she wants to become a dressmaker, and she does this so by accepting a job at Mrs. Thomas who in return will teach her how to sew. This shows independence as she is not afraid to chase her dreams unlike the stereotypical 19th century woman who would marry, have a family, and never have the will to follow their dreams. Her path to independence does not stop there as she states that, “‘...I don’t want a husband. Men are all right for friends, but as soon as you marry them they turn to cranky old fathers, even the wild ones. They begin to tell you what’s sensible and what’s foolish, and want you to stick as home all the time. I prefer to be foolish when I feel like it, and be accountable to nobody’” (Book III, Part IV). In this passage, Lena thoroughly explains why she does not want to marry which reflects her independence even more. Here, she states that she does not want to be told what to do and what not to, showing her desire for free will. She also states that she does not want to be accountable to anybody which does not show loneliness, but shows her individualistic capacity, making her a strong and independent female character in the book. As the book progressed, Lena progressed and her independent nature became fruitful as Jim entails, “...Lena Lingard, for whom people had always foretold trouble, was now the leading dressmaker of Lincoln, much respected in Black Hawk… she kept her head for her business and had got on in the world” (Book IV, Part
feature characters that are coming to terms with their fantasies and realities, and this relates to
different characters will handle this pressure, it captures an essence. of Lanyon’s personality and style. Everyone in society has secrets, in this book secrets are revealed. reputations are attempted to be kept, pressured by the duality of the characters and the situation in London. The introduction shows that “Stephenson’s use of a similar setting can be characterised as more.
They are energetic and ready to have fun; however their adventures force them to mature. They have different journeys and experiences, but they ultimately get the same outcome which is an increase in maturity. These experiences allow the two girls to discover their true identities.
Zhuo uses pathos at the opening of her argument by giving an anecdote about a girl in high school named Maggie Sunseri who experienced, as well as witnessed discrimination for the way she and her female peers dressed. This makes the reader feel sympathy for girls as well as creates anger in the reader towards the district. Zhou continues to build on these two emotions with other anecdotes throughout the article. She describes a high school prom in South Jordan, Utah,
Although the people surrounding Susanna feel perturbed towards her lack of social-conformity, which is demonstrated through others questioning her “self-image”, she knows that she is simply exp...
From the outset of the story there is an overwhelming sense of hope that has enveloped the entire community and school with the upcoming graduation. The communitie's involvement strengthens the authors excitement in her rite of passage. Everyone is preparing for the ceremony and seeking to see how it will affect the lives of those involved. "Only a small percentage would be continuing on to college" (835) and others were just excited for the "glorious release" (834) from school. She felt like she was on top of the world, after all, "the graduating classes themselves were the nobility" (834). It is obvious how much pride she takes in her community by the way she describes her class as "an extended family." (834). The author's school was not the most impressive school compared to the white schools in the area but that could not damper the spirit that was filling the air. Parents who were buying or making new outfits for their graduates made everyone including the author the center of attention. Her "momma launched out on [hers]," (835) and she was swollen with pride that she was going to be a walking mod...
Adolescence is the stage in life when you are no longer a child, but not yet an adult. There are many things that still need to be explored, learned and conquered. In the film Thirteen, the main character, Tracy Freeland, is just entering adolescence. While trying to conquer Erikson’s theory of Identity vs. Role confusion, Tracy is affected by many influences, including family and friends that hinder her development. Many concepts from what we have learned in class can be applied to this character from identity development, to depression, to adolescent sexuality and more. In this film Tracy is a prime example of an adolescent and much of what I have learned this year can be applied to her character.
People tend to want change something about themselves to make them feel better of who they are. The author, Judith Ortiz Cofer and her family immigrated from Puerto Rico to the United States in 1954. She struggled with her own identity due to the transition of coming to a whole new different setting. The story “Volar” by Cofer, a young girl tries to escape her reality by having dreams and reading the fantasy world of comic books. In her dreams, she describes the physical changes she is experiencing, for instance her legs would grow longer, her breasts be larger, and her hair would go straight and turn gold. This is what seemed to be her desire look which is like Supergirl. However, Cofer depicts the young girls’ appearance “…find myself back in my body: tight curls still clinging to my head, skinny arms and legs and flat chest unchanged” (234). She points out her “flaws” instead of embracing her own body. She wants to have the physical characteristic of superhero and like be able to fly. Therefore, her identity is affected since being a superhero is not realistic and the story of a superhero being unstoppable does not exist. She considers her body to be unacceptable and there is nothing she can do to change it. A story, affects her identity because she admires superhero characteristics but she is weak. She wants to be someone else rather than her own self. She
...tionship has completely evolved and the narrator somewhat comes into her own a natural and inevitable process.
...ole, the female students became close when they became true to themselves and the cliques begin to blend. For example, Gretchen, one of the Plastics became close friends with the Asian students. Social acceptance should not be the most important thing in anyone’s life. Always wanting this acceptance will cause people to change into someone they are not.