Darius the Great Is Not Okay Themes

Darius the Great is Not Okay follows its titular teenage protagonist as he visits Iran, where Darius’s mom is from, for the first time. Darius is alone and mostly friendless in Portland, but in Iran, he meets his first real friend, Sohrab. The novel presents friendship as something of an antidote to bullying: while Darius is bullied incessantly in Portland, in Iran, he and Sohrab are able to bond over their shared experiences…

Darius the Great is Not Okay is, in many ways, the story of how its titular teenage character learns to be part of his family. Family, Darius learns, isn’t just about being related to someone by blood. Rather, it’s about the support that family members show each other that makes a family. Darius begins the novel feeling cut off from most of his family members. He and Dad have a fraught relationship, while Darius’s only…

Both Darius and Dad struggle with diagnosed depression. Throughout the novel—depending on context—depression is framed as something that is either neutral and nothing to be ashamed of—or a huge source of shame and isolation. For instance, on the plane to Iran, Mom warns Darius that Iranian culture doesn’t see depression the same way that American culture does. Upon learning that Darius takes medication for depression, various Iranian friends and family members insist that Darius needs…

At home in Portland, Darius is Trent Bolger’s favorite bullying target. Darius is nerdy, overweight, half Persian, and has a name that starts with D, which lends itself to all manner of cruel nicknames (like “D-Bag”). Initially, Dad and, to some degree, Darius himself blame Darius for the bullying he experiences: Dad insists that if Darius could just act a little more “normal” and stand up for himself, bullies wouldn’t pick on him, while…