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
Darius and his family fly to New York, where they then wait for several hours for their flight to Dubai. Darius has a salad for lunch to appease Dad, while Laleh buys a bag of Sour Patch Kids. The sugar and the jetlag mean that once they’re on the flight to Dubai, she’s wide awake and peppering Mom with questions about what they’re going to do in Yazd and what they’ll eat. Darius’s anxiety ramps up, as Laleh isn’t asking the important questions. What if they have trouble at customs, and what if they can’t enter the country at all?
Darius notices a major double standard when he feels pressured to have salad for lunch, while Laleh—who seemingly doesn’t struggle with her weight—is allowed to have candy. It again makes him feel like Dad doesn’t like him, and that Dad may even prefer Laleh. Darius’s maturity compared to Laleh’s also shines through here, as he seems aware of the issues the family might have entering Iran, while Laleh is blissfully ignorant.
Themes
Soon after Laleh finally falls asleep, Mom says she needs to talk to Darius. She explains that people in Iran don’t think about mental health the same way they do in the U.S., so Darius shouldn’t take any weird comments personally. Darius asks if Mom is nervous, and if she’s nervous to take him and Dad to Iran. Mom says she’s nervous, but only because she should’ve visited sooner. Darius admits that he’s nervous too.
Mom, importantly, doesn’t tell Darius to hide his struggles with his mental health—she simply warns him that people in Iran might not be as understanding as they are in the U.S. This reminds Darius that having depression isn’t something to be ashamed of. She also makes it clear that she’s not at all ashamed of Darius; rather, she’s disappointed in herself for not making this trip happen years ago.
Themes
When the family lands in Dubai, it’s night again. Darius isn’t convinced when Mom says it’s dinnertime, but Laleh is so hungry she’s ready to have a tantrum. She perks up when she sees a sign for Subway, her favorite restaurant. The menu is almost the same as it is in Portland. Though Darius is hungry after his subpar plane meals, he doesn’t really want Subway. And when Dad suggests Darius choose a sandwich with vegetables rather than the meat one Darius would rather have, Darius says he’s not hungry and escapes to the restroom. There, he eats the rest of Laleh’s Sour Patch Kids.
Darius has to balance jetlag and family politics during dinner in Dubai. Dad continues to make Darius feel lesser and like a disappointment. While agreeing to eat at Subway—Laleh’s choice—Dad again suggests to Darius that he prefers his daughter to his son. It also seems like Darius is getting close to the breaking point if he’s willing to boycott any dinner in order to escape Dad’s disapproval.
Themes
Darius is pretty sure he can’t hide any longer, so he rejoins Mom, Dad, and Laleh at Subway. Before he reaches the table, he overhears Mom telling Dad to let Darius make his own decisions and to stop making Darius feel ashamed. Dad says Darius would be bullied less if he fit in more and “act[ed] a little more normal.” Mom catches sight of Darius then, glares at Dad, and suggests they get Darius something else to eat. He refuses. When Mom takes Laleh to the bathroom, Dad awkwardly tells Darius they should try to get along and that he’s sorry. Darius says he’s fine; he’s not sure what Dad is apologizing for. But they both say, “I love you,” which means the conversation is over. They have a short flight to Tehran next. Mom and Laleh cover their hair with headscarves and Mom takes Darius’s hand.
Finally, Darius gets concrete proof that Dad does want him to change: he wants Darius to be “a little more normal.” This is difficult for Darius to hear, as it tells him that he’s not okay the way he is, and the only way he’ll be accepted is to become more like Dad. Then, notice that as Darius tells readers about his conversation with Dad, he presents it as a fact that the conversation is over. This implies that Darius might want to talk more and share with Dad how he’s feeling, but he doesn’t think he can just change how things work between them right now.
Themes
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