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

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