Stargazing

In these first two chapters of Stargazing, the narrative presents the major characters and their families while hinting at conflict and challenges that become clearer later on. For example, Chapter 1 shows that Christine struggles with her mother, who wants her to be perfect and constrained. As the novel progresses, Christine will push against this to form her own identity.

The context of Christine’s life is made clear. She stands next to her Asian American peers in church, wearing a basic uniform, preparing to perform with the children’s orchestra as her parents watch on eagerly from the pews. She seems confident while playing her violin, but the rest of the time looks hesitant, cautious, and worried. Her mother criticizes her performance and doesn’t compliment her, all because her collar was undone. Christine’s parents are strict and have high expectations of her fitting into the Asian American community in which they live. This creates immense pressure for Christine; she wants to be her own person but is not sure how to find the confidence to do so.

The day of the performance, Christine sees Moon for the first time. Moon is Christine’s foil, or a character who illuminates another character through contrasting qualities. Unlike Christine, Moon is poor. While Christine is polished and blends in, Moon is disheveled and spunky. Christine is self-conscious, while Moon is full of confidence and encourages Christine to perform at the talent show. In this way, Wang illustrates The Transformative Power of Friendship. After meeting Moon, Christine has already begun to let go, dancing with confidence. Inspired by Moon, she will form an identity that is both her own and which still honors the traditions of her family.

Moon represents nonconformity. Christine, who has been encouraged to conform her entire life, initially does not want to get to know Moon. She is intrigued by Moon, but fears Moon after hearing that Moon beats people up. Moon’s appearance seems to reflect this, with her messy hair, stocky frame, and agitated facial expression. Moon’s name alone makes her stand out from the crowd, and Christine’s friends make fun of it as they stare at her from across the church. Moon’s mother also represents nonconformity. Unlike other mothers in the community, she is single, and is rumored to sing to the plants at the nursery she runs. All of this sounds very strange and mysterious to Christine, who has been raised in a traditional Asian American, Christian home.

Moon’s confidence and outgoing personality allows Christine to feel comfortable around her rather quickly. By visiting Moon and her mother, Christine learns about a different side of Asian American cultures. She discovers how friendly and warm the Lins are and is amazed to find that she enjoys the dan dan noodle dish in spite of it lacking pork. Mrs. Lin explains: “We don’t eat meat because we believe in respecting life” (32). Rather than making Christine feel awkward, Moon adds with her characteristic humor: “It’s okay if you eat meat, though. Some animals are probably jerks” (32). Food becomes a way of Bridging the Cultural Divide between the two girls. Throughout the novel, food is also used to illustrate comfort, community, and tradition. It is the way that Christine warms up to Moon and her different way of life.

Wang’s artistic style is an important aspect of characterization, setting, and mood. Wang moves outside the typical panel-style conventions of graphic novels and comics, often drawing her characters sitting above or reaching out of the frame, as if the story continues beyond what’s depicted. The drawings illuminate the difference between Moon and Christine. Facial expressions often change in subtle ways, and characterize how the girls see the world in a different way. Christine often looks confused, unsure, or cautious, while Moon is always filled with wonder and joy. When Christine meets Moon for the first time, Moon screams with excitement, wide-mouthed at the idea of dan dan noodles. In contrast, Christine stands beside her, staring and looking puzzled with one flat line for a mouth. Another example of this is when Christine and Moon discuss their favorite musical artists. The illustration of Hayden Mills, Christine’s favorite artist, is blonde and conventionally attractive. Chara, Moon’s favorite artist, is edgy and fierce. The artists—one mainstream, the other daring—represent the girls themselves.