54 pages • 1 hour read
Sharon M. DraperStella by Starlight
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Seeking Fairness, Justice, and Equality
From the opening scene to the climactic chapter in Stella by Starlight, the author urges the question “What can we do?” amongst the neighbors of the African American community: insults in the candy store, the Spencer house fire, the physical assault on Tony Hawkins—all of these infuriate the reader at their senselessness and implore change. Initially, the question of how to bring about this change goes unanswered; despite Papa’s summoning of the other neighbor men after the cross-burning, they find no solutions to the blatant racism and search for justice. Later, although Papa, Mr. Spencer, and Pastor Patton successfully register to vote, injustice rocks the community when the Klansmen burn down the Spencers’ house. Pastor Patton reassures the community that when called to action, they should heed the call, and the entire community accompanies the three men on voting day, seeking and upholding fairness and equality. Stella realizes that her father’s vote by itself is inconsequential to the election, but also sees that it contributes to the landslide victory and serves to uplift her father, family, and neighbors as a strong, sure response to the “What can we do?” question.
Similar to pebbles in a landslide, Stella also realizes that no one person will quickly resolve the search for fairness, justice, and equality; instead, it will take many people working toward change over a prolonged period. She learns that Papa has been fighting inequality for much of his life when he tells her how the army prevented him from enlisting. Tony Hawkins tells Stella how teachers and doctors forced his father to complete menial tasks in his training, unlike the white interns, despite his intellect and ambition to become a successful physician. Stella hears from Paulette that Dr. Packard has shown his hate for many years. In school, Stella reflects on Mrs. Grayson’s story about Zalika, a girl who sought to escape the oppression and horror of American slavery generations before Stella was born. Stella rejects the idea of telling everyone that Dr. Packard is the Grand Dragon; she sees that his hatred will not disappear because of a quick action on her part. It will instead take years—if not continued generations—for a shift in mindset of people like Dr. Packard, and for true change toward fairness, justice, and equality to occur.
Protection and Healing from Kinship and Fellowship
The African American families and individuals in Bumblebee form a community that often comes together in Stella by Starlight. Many live along the same road as the Millses, Riverside Road, close enough for Stella and JoJo to deliver messages on two occasions: the night of the cross-burning and the day Spoon Man arrives. When the Klansmen burn the cross as a “practice” activity on the banks of Kilkenny Pond, Papa summons “the men down the lane” (9) for a gathering to discuss their options. When Spoon Man comes to town, Mama throws a potluck supper party to herald his arrival. These occasions, strongly juxtaposed in mood and purpose, both exemplify a common theme: protection and healing from kinship and fellowship. Here, kinship refers to not only family relationships but any close relationship between friends and acquaintances with common interests.
The men who gather to discuss the Klan do not produce a solution, which comes as no surprise to Tony Hawkins: “But Stella, what can they do? They got no power. No money” (17). The gathering does produce a heightened sense of wary watchfulness, however; as the schoolchildren come together to walk to school the next morning, several neighbors and parents remind them to be careful and move in groups. Fellowship in the form of jokes, news, and stories at the potluck doesn’t solve the Klan problem, but it rallies everyone’s spirits and provides respite from fear, in Stella’s words: “It was kinda nice having the whole neighborhood around. And nobody seemed too scared” (99).
Other gathering events exemplify this theme as well. When the neighbors come together to escort Papa, Mr. Spencer, and Pastor Patton to the sheriff’s office where they will vote, their combined numbers and their quiet demonstration of resolve protect the men and their intent from the sheriff, who stands for long minutes considering whether or not he will oppose them. Sheriff Sizemore sees the inner strength of their group and stands aside. Also, the gathering of families for the school Christmas pageant provides another chance at healing from the hurtful activities and effects of racism in Bumblebee; the neighbors enjoy the sight of the children and laugh good-naturedly at their dropped lines and improvised reactions. In a moment that symbolizes the healing powers of their good-natured kinship, Mama, still recovering from her snakebite, laughs as well; Stella, seeing her, feels a keen gratitude.
In contrast, moments of danger and fear in the novel have no element of the kinship or fellowship a large group fosters; Stella and JoJo are without adult supervision when they witness the Klan, Stella is alone on her way to the Spencer fire when she is threatened by the Grand Dragon (and later, rudely reproached and dismissed by him), and Stella, ironically, must leave Tony alone to face the physical assault in to order to fetch help.
Discerning Truth with Fortitude and Courage
Stella develops over the course of the book into a character who upholds the ideal of truth in a mature and abstract way. Her ability to process, think about, and write about the importance of truth is key in her coming-of-age. Truth is as basic an element to Stella as the four physical elements of fire, water, air, and earth are to the planet. Stella has a special appreciation for the non-fiction news articles in Papa’s papers, and for the many newspaper stories that surround her on the walls. She clips from newspapers as well, keeping interesting truths in the form of news article in her cigar box. She brings the articles with her sometimes when she sits outside at night to think. This action symbolizes Stella’s yearning for the truth about the world, both within the town and outside of Bumblebee.
In the early sections of the story, Stella is afraid and hesitant to put into words—spoken or written—her suspicion that one of the Klansmen is the white doctor of Bumblebee, Dr. Packard. Stella, however, gradually takes the initiative to behave more confidently: she serves as Papa’s “standing stone” while he registers to vote, and she accompanies him on voting day to the office; she helps to fight the Spencer fire and to save Mama, Tony Hawkins, and Hazel Spencer from danger.
Through these experiences, Stella’s cognizance of her own fortitude and courage develops. Pastor’s Patton’s “call to service” sermon awakens Stella’s acceptance of her own inner strengths, in which he singles Stella out before the congregation as a prime example of fortitude and courage. Once aware and accepting of her own strengths, Stella sees a higher truth than simple facts. Consequently, though she grows certain of the truth about Dr. Packard by the novel’s climactic scene at the pond, and even “fumes” at Paulette Packard that she, Stella, should make public the identity of Dr. Packard as the Grand Dragon, Stella chooses not to tell. Through her fortitude and courage, Stella sees that promoting change, equality, and acceptance will benefit others in a way that revealing unchanging facts about the Klan leader will not.
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By Sharon M. Draper
