Characters City of the Plague God Sarwat Chadda

Sikander Aziz: The Immortal Hero of City of the Plague God

Overview

Sikander Aziz is the thirteen-year-old Iraqi-American protagonist of City of the Plague God. He lives in Manhattan with his parents and works at the family deli, Mo’s, named after his older brother who died two years earlier. Sik is a regular kid—good at customer service, loyal to friends, and haunted by grief—until a supernatural attack forces him into a war between ancient gods. After accidentally ingesting the Flower of Immortality, Sik gains the ability to heal from fatal injuries, a power that he never asked for and must learn to wield.

This analysis covers Sik’s role in the plot, his core motivations and traits, his chronological arc, his key relationships, the pivotal decisions he makes and their consequences, and how his story connects to major themes like mortality, heroism, and identity. For a full overview of the novel, see the main book page.

Plot Role

Sik is the heart of the story. He starts as an ordinary teen trying to keep his family’s deli running while mourning his brother Mo. When demons—Sidana and Idiptu—attack the deli looking for an object, Sik becomes entangled in the conflict between the goddess Ishtar and the plague god Nergal. His role shifts from victim to reluctant ally, then to active hero. He and Belet, Ishtar’s adopted daughter, investigate Nergal’s plague, uncover clues about the Flower of Immortality, and eventually travel to the underworld to retrieve a cure. Sik’s immortality allows him to survive a train crash and other ordeals that would kill anyone else, but his real growth comes from choosing to fight for others rather than hide.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Sik’s primary motivation is protecting his family—first his parents, then his friend Daoud, and later Belet and even the city. This is established early when he attacks the demons in the deli despite being outmatched (chapter 3 outline). He refuses Ishtar’s offer of two million dollars in chapter 8 because he distrusts making deals with gods, preferring to rely on his own efforts. His cleverness shines in chapter 19 when he uses his customer-service skills to manipulate demons into fighting each other. He also shows empathy: in chapter 11 he takes time to make a custom kebab for a homeless girl, Ada, trusting her as a source of information. His sense of honor is deeply tied to his Muslim faith—he redefines his fight against Nergal as a jihad, meaning a personal struggle to protect loved ones, not a holy war (chapter 9).

Character Arc

Sik’s arc moves from grief and fear to acceptance and selfless heroism. In the beginning, he avoids talking about Mo and feels helpless when his parents fall into comas. He initially rejects Ishtar’s call to adventure. But after seeing the plague spread, he chooses to act. The journey to the underworld forces him to confront his brother’s death. In Kurnugi, he reunites with Mo and learns the truth about the flower and his immortality. Mo’s final farewell in chapter 32 gives Sik closure and strengthens his resolve. By the end, Sik returns to a devastated New York, helps defeat Nergal by using the diluted perfume “Mo’s Promise,” and heals Belet. He does not seek glory—a street vendor dismisses him as the hero—but he finds peace in rebuilding his family’s deli, renamed “Mo’s,” and in knowing he saved those he loves. This arc connects to the theme of heroism and sacrifice.

Relationships

Mo (brother): Mo’s death haunts Sik throughout the novel. He talks to an imaginary version of Mo while mopping the deli. The brothers’ past bond is shown through their shared love of The Epic of Gilgamesh; Mo once dressed as Gilgamesh for Halloween. In the underworld, they work together to retrieve the flower, and Mo’s selfless decision to stay dead allows Sik to return to the living. This relationship embodies the theme of family and brotherhood.

Belet: Initially adversarial—Belet is brusque and dismissive—Sik slowly earns her respect. He pulls her away from a suicidal charge against demons (chapter 22) and shares his own loss when she tears up a fake photo of her parents (chapter 25). They become partners, and he ultimately saves her life with the perfume.

Daoud: Sik’s best friend and Mo’s former promise-brother. Daoud supports Sik through the crisis, albeit reluctantly. He uses his acting skills to create “Mo’s Promise” perfume, which becomes the key to curing the plague. Sik trusts him completely.

Ishtar: Ishtar acts as a mentor and a figure of awe. Sik is wary of her godly powers but learns to accept her help. She gives him the royal seal that leads him to Gilgamesh’s hidden ziggurat.

Gilgamesh: The ancient hero initially refuses to fight Nergal, disappointing Sik. But Gilgamesh’s pacifism teaches Sik that strength can take nonviolent forms. Their meeting also reveals the origin of the flower.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Refusing Ishtar’s payment (chapter 8): Sik turns down two million dollars. Consequence: He retains his moral autonomy and avoids being indebted to a goddess.

  2. Choosing to hunt Nergal (chapter 10): After his parents fall ill, Sik decides to actively fight rather than wait. Consequence: He gains Belet’s grudging respect and a concrete lead from Ada.

  3. Sparing Mr. Georgiou (chapter 37): When the lamassu Sargon is about to kill a neighbor turned poxy, Sik stops him, showing mercy. Consequence: Demonstrates that even enemies deserve compassion; the rain later cures the poxies.

  4. Using the diluted perfume (chapter 36): Sik gives Daoud the choice to stretch the cure, risking failure. Consequence: The diluted perfume saves Belet and many others, but is not enough to cure the entire city—that happens when Nergal dies and the rain washes away the corruption.

  5. Letting Mo stay in Kurnugi (chapter 32): After retrieving the flower, Mo cannot return. Sik accepts his brother’s fate instead of trying to force him back. Consequence: Sik gains closure and the strength to continue alone.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Mortality and Immortality: Sik’s immortality is a burden—Gilgamesh calls it a sickness. The flower that grants life also causes imbalance. Sik must learn that being immortal does not mean he cannot lose people, as seen with Mo’s permanent death. This theme is explored in the mortality and immortality page.

Plague and Decay: Nergal’s plague represents physical corruption but also spiritual decay—fear is described as a disease (chapter 11). Sik confronts the plague head-on, using both supernatural aid and human kindness.

Identity and Heritage: Sik is a Muslim who interacts with pagan gods. He reconciles his faith with the existence of beings like Ishtar by acknowledging her as a powerful but not divine entity. His Iraqi-American heritage is central—he finds strength in Mo’s garden and the community at the masjid. See identity and heritage.

Heroism and Sacrifice: Sik’s heroism is quiet and practical. He does not seek fame. His greatest sacrifice is accepting Mo’s death and then risking his own life to save Belet. The novel redefines heroism as ordinary courage.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sik refuse Ishtar’s offer of two million dollars? Sik turns down the money because he does not want to be indebted to a god. He has just experienced a “god surge” that showed him Ishtar’s capacity for destruction, and he prefers to rely on his family and himself rather than make a deal that could have hidden costs.

2. What is the significance of the flower that Sik accidentally ate? The flower is the Flower of Immortality, originally consumed by Gilgamesh. Mo sent a cutting to Sik, which Sik replanted. When he ate the flower, he gained immortality. It later produces the cure for Nergal’s plague when distilled into perfume.

3. How does Sik’s relationship with his brother Mo change during the novel? At first, Sik idealizes Mo and avoids processing his grief. In the underworld, he sees Mo as a flawed but loving brother who stayed in Iraq to help others. Mo’s decision to remain dead allows Sik to move forward, transforming his grief into a source of strength.

4. What decision does Sik make that most shows his growth from a passive victim to an active hero? Sik’s decision to pursue Nergal in chapter 10, after his parents are hospitalized, marks his shift from avoidance to action. Instead of waiting for help, he uses street wisdom and community connections to track the plague god’s entry point.

5. How does the novel’s ending reflect the theme of heroism? The novel ends with Sik helping his parents reopen the deli, now named “Mo’s.” A street vendor tries to sell “rainwater” as a souvenir and does not recognize Sik as the hero. This emphasizes that true heroism is not about fame but about quietly protecting loved ones and rebuilding community.