45 pages • 1 hour read
Zanib MianPlanet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
H2O
H2O, Omar’s imaginary dragon, illustrates Omar’s creativity. It acts as a protective mental barrier against Omar’s fears, worries, and emotional pain. Omar invents H2O when he is nervous about starting his new school. Imagining the dragon’s antics encourages and strengthens Omar. By envisioning the dragon mocking Daniel or swatting him with his tail, Omar is better able to cope with Daniel’s bullying. H2O, though fictional, is larger and stronger than Daniel and represents Omar’s mental efforts to reverse the power imbalance between him and Daniel. When Reza seems to confirms that Pakistani people will be kicked out of England, the thought of H2O also helps assuage Omar’s fears of change and moving to a strange country. Omar says: “It made me feel better to know what wherever we had to move to, I could take him with me” (98).
When Omar’s power imbalance with Daniel is resolved and turned into a friendship, Omar imaginatively allows H2O to become a tiny dragon: “I didn’t need a huge dragon to make me feel better anymore” (197). Omar no longer needs a protective shield.
Hijab
Mom’s hijab is emblematic of her Imaan, or Islamic faith. Wearing the hijab is an act of worship: Following Allah’s commands to cover her hair brings Mom closer to Allah. Wearing the hijab also represents Mom’s strength and modesty. The headscarf protects Mom and other Muslim women from the male gaze, directing both men and women to focus more on Allah and the spiritual world than materialistic things.
To Omar and his family, Mom’s hijab is an everyday part of their life and faith. To non-Muslims, however, who are ignorant about Islamic beliefs, the hijab can symbolize difference. Daniel sees Mom’s hijab as part of her “witch” costume, something that separates her from non-Muslims and makes her a threat. Maryam comically notes that non-Muslims probably—incorrectly—think that Muslim women wear the hijab 24-7, even in the shower. Through the hijab, Zanib Mian emphasizes the importance of learning about and accepting other cultures.
Mosque
The mosque represents Omar’s beliefs and feelings about his faith, which include community, security, and acceptance. The neighborhood mosque that Omar, Mom, Maryam, and Esa visit has a kind and welcoming atmosphere, which the narrative shows when other worshippers are tolerant of Esa’s childish interruption.
Omar instinctively believes that he and Daniel will be safe in the London Central Mosque because it holds many positive memories for him: visiting with his parents, worshipping with hundreds of other likeminded people, celebrating his faith, and getting his first halal sweets. Omar’s experiences with his Islamic faith are affirming and positive and embodied in the mosque.
Mohamed represents Islam’s loving acceptance, symbolized for Omar in the mosque, in his gentle welcome. Omar explains that “I wasn’t his son, but sometimes people in the mosque who don’t know you love you like you’re their son” (182). His comment reveals how positive his experiences with his faith have been. Mohamed unconditionally accepts Daniel, a non-Muslim with equal welcome, and helps Daniel learn that the Islamic faith is not something to be feared. Through the boys’ experience in the London Central Mosque, Mian illustrates The Power of Acceptance and Understanding.
