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.
Themes
The Power of Acceptance Through Understanding
Omar appreciates differences: He loves people-watching at the mosque on Eid day, and marvels at how unique every person is. Unfortunately, not everyone around him feels the same. Zanib Mian illustrates how negative stereotypes, formed from ignorance and misinformation, hurt others, making people feel marginalized and inferior. In the novel, Omar is othered, belittled and treated as an outsider. Omar and his family overcome the animosity aimed at them by educating their detractors about Islam and dispelling fear-based prejudices.
Although Omar does not like changes, he faces several. He must adjust to a new home, a new neighborhood, and a new school. In these ways, Omar starts the novel as an outsider. Omar overcomes challenges, settling into his new home, making a friend in Charlie, and getting along with everyone in class except Daniel. Omar’s British Muslim culture and Pakistani heritage, however, set him apart from others. There are no other Muslims in Omar’s class at school, and people do not understand much about his Islamic faith.
Omar’s differences do not bother him. He is secure in his identity: He is proud of his “huge imagination,” and his curious nature. Omar is also secure in his faith. His Muslim customs and traditions are a positive, fundamental part of his daily life, and he does not feel they make him strange, or inferior.
The novel shows how bigotry causes harm. Omar’s self-assurance suffers when he experiences discrimination for being different, both in school and his neighborhood. Mrs. Rogers immediately others Omar and his family. She labels them as “the Muslims,” separating them from so-called normal people like herself. When Omar, Charlie, and Maryam play loudly, she wonders why they cannot be quiet like “good children,” meaning non-Muslims. The novel also shows how media representation matters. Mrs. Rogers views the family with distrust and suspicion because she believes stereotypes perpetuated by sensationalized and false news stories. She does not want to get to know them and rejects their overtures of friendship, seeing only their differences when Esa speaks Arabic to her and when she assumes the foreign food is too spicy.
Daniel perpetuates the Muslim stereotypes espoused by his cousin. He allies himself with anti-Muslim sentiment when he threatens Omar, telling him “we” will “kick you all out” of the country (83). The “we” indicates Daniel’s “us versus them” approach, which further marginalizes Omar. Daniel views Omar and Muslims as different and of lesser value than the dominant social group.
Mian shows that educating others helps dispel fear, hatred, and prejudice. Both Daniel and Mrs. Rogers change their negative opinions when they learn about Omar’s family’s culture and beliefs. They discover that “the Muslims” are not a threat but are as kind as anyone. When the family includes Mrs. Rogers in their Ramadan meals, she learns to appreciate their faith, traditions, and culture. Omar sees that when Mrs. Rogers “knew [they] were nice” her attitude toward them changes (106).
Mian suggests that villains are open to change through understanding. Daniel, when put in a one-on-one situation where he must depend on Omar, comes to appreciate who Omar is inside. When Daniel learns about Omar’s beliefs, he no longer sees Omar as different or as a threat. Mohamed and others at the mosque also show Daniel that he has nothing to fear from Muslims: They are kind, helpful, and offer him sweets. Omar changes Daniel’s opinion and ends Daniel’s bullying.
Mian shows how even heroes aren’t perfect and can harbor prejudice. Omar recognizes that he stereotypes others, which stops when he learns more about them. Despite Eddy’s dirty, zombie-like appearance, Omar discovers that Eddy is nice. Similarly, when Omar learns more about Daniel’s home life and loneliness, Omar decides, “Daniel wasn’t too bad at all, not when I had gotten to know him a bit” (188).
Learning about other people—their feelings, backgrounds, traditions, and religion—helps transform conflicts into friendships, and fear and prejudice into acceptance and understanding.
Kindness Begets Kindness
Throughout the novel, Mian emphasizes the importance of extending empathy toward others—even when those efforts may be rebuffed. Omar knows that kind people with physical flaws are worthy; their internal nature makes them nice on the outside. Mom and Omar show that they are some of the “nice” people. Their kindness toward Mrs. Rogers and Daniel returns to them. Kindness bridges differences and leads to lasting friendships.
Omar looks past outer flaws to see a person’s character. Charlie’s physical features—his red hair, thick glasses, freckles, and missing tooth, might be off-putting to other people, but Omar thinks Charlie looks “cool” and smiles at him. Charlie returns the smile, and their friendship is born. Smiling conveys acceptance, belonging, friendship, and compassion. Eddy, the unkempt unhoused man, is motivated by kindness to help the boys, and Omar sees that Eddy is really “very smiley” despite his difficulties in life (185).
Through Omar, the novel suggests that one’s personality makes one outwardly beautiful. Omar recognizes that good people may not be model-perfect, but “they smile loads” and “always look lovely, no matter what” (201). In contrast, “awful people with rotten thoughts, they’ll look horrible” (201). Omar’s philosophy that what is inside a person matters most reflects his own kind-heartedness and empathy.
A nasty character also makes one physically ugly. Daniel’s facial expressions are typically angry. Omar frequently compares Daniel’s actions and looks to aggressive animals: a charging rhino, a growling Rottweiler, and a pouncing lion. When Daniel bullies Omar and Charlie on the playground, he stares and makes “grunting noises, as if he was having some really mean thoughts” (60). Mean thoughts make Daniel appear physically animalistic. Mrs. Rogers also manifests her negative thoughts externally in her blank stares and suspicious eyes.
Mian suggests that one should be compassionate toward bullies, and that this facilitates healing. Mom and Omar return unkindness with kindness. Muslims believe, as part of their faith, that they have a duty to assist their neighbors. There are many verses from the Qur’an and various hadith—proverbs from the Prophet Muhammad—that instruct Islamic followers to respect and help their neighbors even if they are strangers or non-Muslims. The Qur’anic verse An-Nisa 4:36 reads in part “do good—to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious.” (Ali, Yusuf. “An-Nisa: English Translation.” Quran.com).
Mom and Dad take this Islamic duty seriously. Despite Mrs. Rogers’s previous unkindness toward them, Mom forgives Mrs. Rogers’s insults and extends the hand of kindness when the older woman is vulnerable after her injury: frightened, in pain, and alone. As Mrs. Rogers accepts Mom’s help, she even attempts a smile, revealing that Mom’s kindness has changed Mrs. Rogers’s negative feelings to positive ones. Mrs. Rogers becomes kind to them—a family friend.
Omar also looks past Daniel’s cruelties when taking Daniel by the hand and caring for him when they are lost. Like Mrs. Rogers, Daniel shows his vulnerability in the situation. Daniel is badly frightened and even fears death. Like Mrs. Rogers, whose son is not with her when she needs him, Daniel feels unnoticed and alone in the world. Omar offers Daniel commiseration and comfort. He feels empathy for Daniel’s home life, admitting he “felt a little lump in [his] throat” at hearing Daniel’s story (176). Omar’s kindness strengthens Daniel. His faith, creativity, and kindness triumph, and he converts his tormentor into a good friend.
Omar observes, “Daniel had been smiling a lot more since we got lost together, and his face was definitely looking much nicer” (201). Daniel’s outward smiles reflect his new friendships and his kinder attitude toward others. Mian shows that kindness can act as a balm, bridging cultural differences. Figuratively, a smile can go a mile.
The Impact of Bullying
Being bullied causes Omar emotional pain and insecurity. Mian illustrates the daily difficulties that victims of bullying face, and how challenging it can be to end persecution. According to Stopbullying.gov, a federal site managed by the US Department of Health and Human Services, bullying is repeated “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance” (“What Is Bullying.” StopBullying.gov). Daniel’s bullying clearly demonstrates a power imbalance between him and Omar.
Daniel’s bullying is powerful enough to impact Omar’s entire school day. Omar notes that Daniel made “most days 40% bad” and some “60% bad” (72). Daniel practices three major types of bullying: Verbal bullying, which involves writing or saying unkind things; physical bullying, which is when a bully hurts a person or their belongings; and social bullying, when the bully tries to damage their victim’s relationships with others, or their reputation. Verbally, Daniel uses sarcasm, taunting, and an intimidating note to harass Omar. Daniel is physically aggressive: wrecking Omar’s painting, and later grabbing his belt in the Underground, which Omar thinks is a prelude to beating him up. Daniel deepens the power imbalance by socially othering Omar, asserting that Omar’s Muslim culture makes him inferior to Daniel. Daniel’s aggression and the fear he instills in Omar about being forced out of the country cause Omar anxiety.
The novel shows how children often do not report bullying because they believe that adults will not intervene, cannot solve the problem, or will exacerbate the problem. Omar hides his difficulties from his parents. He believes that his parents would “make a big fuss at school, and that would definitely just make Daniel worse” (85). He uses the same rationale for not reporting Daniel’s actions to Mrs. Hutchinson. At the same time, Omar feels powerless to resolve the conflict on his own. He does not feel brave or strong enough.
The novel shows how faith and imagination can be empowering. Omar always says his morning dua of protection, asking Allah for aid against Daniel’s attacks because, as Omar says: “I felt like I needed all the help I could get” (60). Omar has faith that Allah will help. Omar also has H20, his imaginary protector. Envisioning the dragon scorning Daniel or hitting him with his tail gives Omar a modicum of control over the stressful encounters. H20 makes Omar feel stronger, but is not a lasting solution to Daniel’s bullying.
Omar overcomes his bullying through courage and empathy. The power dynamic between Daniel and Omar changes when the two become lost. Debilitated by fear, Daniel becomes the weaker of the two, while Omar takes charge of facilitating their rescue, understanding that it is his opportunity to be the “hero.” Omar seizes the chance to show his bravery and brainpower, but does not use the sudden power to victimize Daniel in return. Instead, Omar returns Daniels previous cruelty with kindness. By taking the initiative and showing compassion during their fortuitous calamity, Omar turns his bully into a friend.
