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The Kolinahr Discipline
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
At the outskirts of Yazd, Babou slows the van down and starts to snap at Mom in Farsi. He argues with Mamou until he finally slams on the brakes. When Mom tells Dad she’s going to finish the drive, he insists on driving and straps himself into the driver’s seat. As Mamou guides Dad home, Sohrab whispers to Darius that Babou got lost. Darius knows Babou won’t get to drive again after this. He and Sohrab say nothing when they drop Sohrab off. When they get home, Mamou leads Babou inside. Darius and Laleh go in too, and Darius looks back to see Dad holding Mom while she cries. Darius doesn’t know what to do, but he does know where Mamou keeps her tea supplies now. He makes tea and then offers Babou a cup in the sunroom.
The trip to Persepolis ends really sadly: it’s impossible for the family to ignore that Babou’s health and mental acuity are worsening. For Darius, though, this turns Babou into a more sympathetic figure. And Darius also knows how to connect to Babou, at least superficially: through tea. By making Babou tea, Darius is able to show Babou that he values the things that Babou can teach him (such as how to make proper Persian tea) and wants to do nice things for his grandfather. Also, note that Darius feels compelled to do this in part because it’s the only thing he’s comfortable doing to help. He doesn’t know how to help Mom, for instance—or even if he can help her at all.
Themes
Somehow, in the lamplight, Babou looks friendlier as he processes stalks of cilantro. But Babou also looks gray—and Darius thinks he might prefer seeing Babou on a computer screen. Babou points out photos of Mom as a kid and teen, and then he says Mom did well in America—she married Dad and had Darius and Laleh. Laleh runs off with the colander of herbs, and Babou says that Dad is a good man but he’s not Zoroastrian, and neither are Darius or Laleh. Darius is used to being a disappointment, but he feels bad that Laleh is disappointing Babou for something she can’t change. He wants to tell Babou that he’s still his grandson, he’s glad to get to know him, and he’s sorry about the brain tumor, but instead they sit in silence and sip tea.
Only interacting with Babou over video phone chats created distance between Darius and his grandfather—=over video chat, Babou doesn’t say things like he does here, about Darius and Laleh being disappointing to him. So, being around Babou in person forces Darius to confront the less savory aspects of Babou’s identity and his beliefs. Privately, Darius has a pretty specific idea of how Babou should treat his grandkids, and in his view, Babou should show them unconditional love and respect. But Darius isn’t able to advocate for this, as he’s not sure how to voice this in a way that would get through to Babou.
Themes
Darius finds Mamou in the kitchen with a cup of tea. She confirms that he put cinnamon in the tea and says Babou can’t taste that sort of thing anymore, but she likes it. They discuss the trip and Mamou says she wishes Darius lived here, so he’d be close and know his history. But she’s happy for him in America, too. Then, Darius asks if Babou is okay. Sadly, Mamou says he is, but Darius knows he isn’t. They say they love each other. Then, Mamou changes the subject and asks if Darius wants to eat broccoli tomorrow. While he washes teacups, Mamou says Darius is like Dad: he washes dishes and is very sweet.
Mamou is more of the grandparent Darius wants to have. She’s kind, generous, loving, and seems to genuinely appreciate Darius for who he is. Her willingness to be openly affectionate also seems to be really meaningful for Darius, suggesting that this is something he craves and doesn’t really get at home. And then again, Mamou drops another clue that Darius isn’t an expert on Dad. If so many folks here describe Dad as sweet, they likely know something about Dad that Darius doesn’t.
Themes
