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The Ayatollah’s Turban
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
According to Dr. Howell, crying is normal and healthy. Hossein, Ali-Reza, and Sohrab’s teasing makes Darius cry. He’s not ashamed of his penis, but he’s also never showered in front of other guys before (though he’s pretty sure he’s normal, thanks to the internet). When Darius gets back to the house, he goes in the back door and kicks off Sohrab’s black Adidas. Babou is in the kitchen and wants to know all about the game and why Darius didn’t invite Sohrab for dinner, but Darius says he’s not going to play soccer again. He says the boys didn’t like him much as tears well in his eyes. Babou takes Darius by the shoulders and just like Dad would do, says that Darius probably misunderstood and that he shouldn’t worry. Darius excuses himself to shower.
The beginning of this passage reads as Darius trying his best to tell himself he’s fine—when really, he’s never been more embarrassed and upset. The boys’ teasing has the power to make Darius feel awful about himself, even if logically, Darius knows there’s nothing wrong with his penis. Then, at home, Babou compounds Darius’s trauma by essentially scolding Darius for being rude and misunderstanding the boys. This makes Darius feel like he can’t trust his grandfather with the truth (that he was bullied about something really personal), so Darius feels even more distanced from his family.
Themes
Darius cries in the shower so nobody can hear him. Sniffling, he turns on the Dancing Fan and gets in bed. He decides that Sohrab is another Soulless Minion of Orthodoxy. After a while, Mamou knocks on the door and invites Darius to come out for tea and cookies. He insists he’s too tired. Minutes later, though, Dad comes in and says Darius has to come have tea. In the doorway, Laleh agrees with Dad, and Dad tries to pull Darius’s covers off. Darius hisses he’s naked, so Dad sends Laleh away. Once she’s gone, Dad suggests Darius doesn’t sleep naked here—but grinning, he admits he slept naked until Darius was born. They both laugh and it’s awkward, but it’s better than being laughed at. Then, Dad says he’s proud of Darius for playing soccer and making a friend.
Keep in mind that nobody but Darius knows why he’s so upset. Darius is too embarrassed and doesn’t trust people like Dad or Babou enough to feel comfortable telling them what happened. This means that Dad isn’t really able to effectively connect with Darius: at first things seem okay between them, but praising Darius for playing soccer and making a friend doesn’t land how he intends it to, since playing soccer turned into the most humiliating and hurtful experience of Darius’s life.
Themes
