A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shirin’s parents typically welcome any friends of Navid’s for Thanksgiving, so it is not a stretch for them to happily accept Ocean for the day, whom Shirin explains is a friend. Shirin’s parents add several Persian dishes to the traditional feast for Ocean to try, and Shirin’s mother packs him four containers of leftovers to take home. Shirin’s father talks freely with Ocean all day, sharing online videos that recently caught his interest and translating poetry in Farsi. In fact, both Shirin’s parents speak to Ocean at length in Farsi, trying to both interest him in the beauty of the language and get him to begin learning it. Shirin’s mother calls Ocean polite and tells Shirin she should stop swearing so much and be more like Ocean.

After dinner and poetry, Ocean prepares to leave. Shirin says goodnight and goes to her room to keep up the pretense that she and Ocean are just friends. She is shocked when Navid pretends he wants to show Ocean weightlifting equipment in his room and delivers Ocean to her bedroom instead, telling her “You have fifteen minutes. You’re welcome” (224). Ocean is fascinated by the details of her room, such as the tank top and shorts she used as pajamas the night before. They kiss one time and Shirin feels increasing passion; “The pleasure of being this close to him was unlike anything I’d ever imagined” (228). Ocean wonders aloud what Shirin would feel if he loved her, and she responds without speaking: “My entire body answered his question. Heat filled my blood, the gaps in my bones” (229). They text that night, Ocean asking Shirin what her hair looks like. She tells him it is long and brown. He calls and elaborates about falling in love, wondering if Shirin would be scared off by the intensity of his feelings; she assures him she would not.

By almost mid-December, Ocean is ready for their relationship to be more public. Shirin now knows the extent of his popularity with friends, ex-girlfriends, and rivals. She also understands the importance of basketball to the school, and the unfair burden of responsibility placed on Ocean’s skills. Shirin still allows him to drive her to school. People seem confused as she and Ocean enter the building holding hands. He insists it did not go badly, but the next day when they enter school together, one boy insults Shirin by calling her “Aladdin,” and another boy throws a cinnamon bun in Shirin’s face. It hits her cheek and headscarf. Ocean shoves the food-thrower. Shirin goes to the girls’ bathroom where she must remove her headscarf to wash the icing off. She takes her hair out its ponytail to redo it. A girl walks in, calls for Shirin’s attention, and takes a digital photograph of Shirin when Shirin looks up.

Not having a digital phone, Shirin is confused about the repercussions, but understands later in the day that others share the photo widely. Ocean apologizes repeatedly. When a boy tells him, “Hey man, I understand—I’d hit that too—” (240) regarding Shirin’s photo, Ocean shoves him to the ground. Shirin skips the rest of the day. Navid convinces her to return for breakdancing. Shirin finds in her locker a printout of two photos of herself, one in which she wears her headscarf, and the other taken in the bathroom that morning with her hair revealed. They are not unflattering pictures, but the betrayal rocks Shirin: “It was a kind of violation I’d never experienced before. I wanted to scream” (240).

Navid and the crew are respectful and sympathetic to Shirin regarding the photo, but they are infuriated when she explains why she removed the scarf. They leave to find the boy who threw the cinnamon roll. The next day the police go to Shirin’s home to question Navid about the “street fight,” but the boy who threw the roll does not press charges.

Gossip about the photo dies down as Shirin refuses to acknowledge the incident, but Ocean, unused to hatred, reminds Shirin of seeing “a child learn about death for the first time” (246). A week before winter break someone mass-emails an anonymous note to every teacher, student, and parent in the school district. It includes a photo of Ocean and Shirin holding hands and claims that Ocean supports anti-American terrorism and should not represent the school as a basketball player. New insults hit Shirin after the note goes out. Ocean is “stunned” at others’ hate-based actions. He avoids practice one day so that he and Shirin can talk. He tells her that Coach Hart wants school authorities to call the note a “hoax” and for Shirin and Ocean to break off any contact. Shirin is ready to agree, but Ocean says he told the coach no. Ocean insists he cares more about Shirin than basketball or people’s opinions. He says his mother’s inheritance will pay for college, so basketball scholarships are not necessary.

At first his loyalty comforts Shirin, but she grows uneasy and confused. Navid tells her she should break off the relationship. Coach Hart asks Shirin to talk in his office. There, he yells that she is wrecking Ocean’s chances and tells her to end the relationship. He claims that if she does not, he will have Ocean expelled. He also says Ocean has no loyalty to her: “He’s going to forget about you in a week” (255). On her way home that day, Shirin doubts that she is worth the sacrifices that Ocean will make if they stay together. A woman in an unfamiliar car get Shirin’s attention; it is Ocean’s mother, Linda. She asks to give Shirin a ride home.

Ocean’s mother insists that she doesn’t care about Shirin’s ethnicity or religion, but that Ocean must continue basketball for the college scholarships it will provide. Shirin says Ocean believes he has his mother’s inheritance for college, but his mother tells her that is not true. His mother also claims she tried to talk to Ocean, but he is so unreasonable that it is up to Shirin to end the romance. Ocean’s mother is “patronizing” and “condescending” (261). Shirin feels more powerless than ever and resolves that she has no choice now but to break off the relationship. 

Shirin initiates a conversation with Ocean to break up with him. She texts, asking to talk, but Ocean first ignores it, then simply says no. She calls, and he begs her to reconsider. She inadvertently confirms that his mother sought her out. Ocean tries to convince Shirin they should stay together: “I want everything with you […] I want this forever” (265). Shirin tells him, “We don’t know anything about forever” (266) and tells him she must get off the phone. She cries and does not respond to his repeated attempts to reach out.