Desert Imagery
The desert imagery is abundant throughout the novel. It is a representation of Stargirl's free spirit and is a reflection of her individuality. It is a private and personal place for her which she only shares with people she cares about. She often returns to the desert when she is feeling lost or wants to find herself and her identity. Her winning speech at the end of the novel is also based on the butterfly in the desert which adds to the imagery of her free spirit and her rediscovering of her identity.
Clothing Imagery
Clothing is thoroughly described and often mentioned throughout the novel. At first, when Stargirl disregards her peers' opinions of her, she wears "odd" clothes like dresses to her ankles. These unrestricted clothes show her light and free personality. As Stargirl changes to conform to society's norms, she changes her clothing and begins wearing "popular" clothes. She mentions that she picked out shirts which had the brand name written on them which further represents how she is letting society "put a label on her" and control who she is. When Stargirl returns to her original self she also goes back to her long skirts and dresses which again reflect her inner self.
Star Imagery
The star imagery is first and foremost seen is Stargirl's name itself. When Stargirl talks about the stars and the significance behind her name she explains her belief in the universe and how it inspired her as she continues to prove until the very end of the novel until she dances away into the night
Name Imagery
Uniquely, in this novel, the names of Susan Caraway play a big and important role in Stargirl's life and the event happening in it. She changes her name from Susan to Pocket Mouse to Mudpie to Hullygully to Stargirl. Her name shows her development ad growth throughout the novel. When she changes her name to Susan, its as if she completely loses herself and falls to the very bottom and beginning. At the end of the novel, she changes back into her unique self, into Stargirl. Images of her pet mouse and her constant references to the sky and the stars also add emphasis to the importance of her name and its changes in the novel.
