Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Darius the Great Is Not Okay, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Friendship
Family
Persian Identity and Culture
Mental Health, Depression, and Connection
Bullying
Summary
Analysis
The trees end abruptly and Sohrab tells Darius to look up. Darius finds himself looking at a wind tower behind the mansion, which is about 100 feet tall. Sohrab says they can go inside the mansion, which is the hugest, most colorful thing Darius has seen. A stained glass window casts rainbows everywhere, and white lines on the ceiling converge to form a 24-sided star. It feels like something out of The Lord of the Rings, and Darius says they have nothing like this at home.
When all Darius can do is liken this mansion to something out of The Lord of the Rings, it shows how he’s starting to put his multicultural identity together. The Lord of the Rings wasn’t at all inspired by Middle Eastern culture or architecture, and yet, Darius finds similarities between the two. Similarly, Darius begins to see that he can be both Persian and American—and the result, judging by this building, is beautiful.
Themes
That afternoon, Darius packs a kit for himself to play soccer, though he’ll borrow Sohrab’s cleats again. He’s worried about being naked, but he trusts Sohrab to stand up for him. At the locker room, Darius successfully taarofs and gets Sohrab to wear the nicer cleats, and Sohrab says Darius looks like a soccer star. On the field, Ali-Reza and Hossein are already playing against eight younger boys, and they’re being needlessly aggressive. Sohrab throws himself onto the kids’ team and scores a goal. Darius hangs back to defend the goal with another boy who doesn’t speak much English.
Darius continues to feel increasingly Persian—and less alone. With Sohrab’s encouragement, Darius tries something new and is even able to taarof successfully for the first time, which is one way he shows Sohrab he’s thankful for his friend’s help and support. And happily for Darius, the younger boys seem to accept him without question, even though he doesn’t speak much Farsi. It’s his soccer skills that matter in this context, as well as his desire to be a team player.
Themes
After a bit, Hossein calls everyone to a huddle. He and Sohrab argue in rapid Farsi, and Darius feels like Frodo—invisible. But Sohrab insists on English so Darius can understand. He and Hossein explain that they’re playing six-on-six, and Hossein calls Darius “Ayatollah.” Despite the nickname, Darius has a great time—and Sohrab tells the younger boys Darius’s nickname is because he’s in charge. Sohrab agrees to return and play tomorrow, and Darius infers that Sohrab has given up regular games to hang out with him. He doesn’t have to do that.
The bullying doesn’t stop entirely. But with Sohrab’s support, Darius has a fantastic time—the younger boys seem to buy Sohrab’s explanation of the nickname, and he again appreciates that Sohrab ensures Darius understands what’s going on. Generally speaking, Sohrab’s behavior shows Darius that it’s totally okay to be who and what he is. He doesn’t have to change to impress Sohrab.
Themes
While Ali-Reza, Hossein, and the younger boys shower, Sohrab and Darius kick a ball around. Darius appreciates what Sohrab is doing. Still, it’s awkward when they go into the locker room to shower, and Darius is uncomfortable when he realizes that all his soccer gear is from Sohrab. He decides he’d like to get Sohrab a pair of cleats as a gift. To Darius’s surprise, they manage to carry on a conversation about the social dynamics while they shower—maybe he’s relaxing a bit. Darius thanks Sohrab for inviting him to play on the walk home. Sohrab reminds Darius that his place was empty—but it’s not empty anymore.
Waiting until the other boys are finished in the locker room ensures that the younger boys won’t have any opportunity to learn where the Ayatollah nickname came from, which is another way that Sohrab protects Darius from further bullying and humiliation. And thanks to Sohrab’s kindness and support, Darius begins to relax and become more comfortable being himself (and being naked) around his friend.
Themes
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Darius finds Mamou in the kitchen and tells her about wanting to get Sohrab cleats. She accepts his offer to pay for them and says Dayi Soheil will pick some up. Then Darius offers to help Mamou rinse dishes. Mamou is humming along to the radio and suddenly, Darius realizes what she’s listening to: “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. She says they’re her favorite band. Suddenly, Darius wants to know everything about his grandmother. She asks him to steep some of his special tea for them, and Darius feels his walls coming down. He asks when she started listening to ABBA.
ABBA is a Swedish band that became popular in the 1970s, and even today is still wildly popular—but it’s not something Darius expects to encounter his Iranian grandmother listening to. In fact, learning that Mamou likes ABBA is surprising enough that Darius finally finds his voice and is able to ask Mamou about her life. It’s significant too that this comes after Darius begins to relax around Sohrab: Sohrab’s friendship is showing Darius that being open, curious, and caring isn’t going to end in pain or humiliation.
Themes
