How Sikander Aziz’s Heritage Defines His Heroism

Thematic Claim: Heritage as the Anchor of Identity and Heroism

In City of the Plague God, Sarwat Chadda argues that a person’s heritage—their family history, cultural traditions, and faith—is not a burden to escape but the very source of their courage and sense of self. Sikander “Sik” Aziz, a thirteen-year-old Iraqi-American Muslim, must reconcile the mundane routine of his family’s Manhattan deli with the sudden intrusion of ancient Mesopotamian gods. His journey proves that true heroism does not come from rejecting where you come from; it emerges when you embrace the messy, complicated legacy of your ancestors.

Tracing the Theme Across the Plot

1. The Deli as a Sanctuary of Memory and Duty

The story opens with Sik working the late shift at his family’s deli, a place filled with photos of his deceased older brother, Mo. The deli is more than a business; it represents the family’s refugee journey from Iraq and their hard-won place in New York. Sik’s imagined conversations with Mo—whom he addresses as Yakhi (brother)—reveal how heritage operates as an internal compass. Mo’s memory pushes Sik to protect the deli from the demon attack in Chapter One, even though Sik is only a teenager armed with a wok.

The deli’s sauces—especially the fiery “Baghdad” signature—embody the heritage passed down through generations. When Sik later chooses to stay in Manhattan rather than accompany Belet to the underworld, he is choosing the everyday labor of running the family business. The deli is renamed “Mo’s” in Chapter 41, transforming it from a workplace into a living monument to family love. As Sik reflects, it is not a Michelin-starred restaurant, but anyone in the neighborhood can point you to it—it is home.

2. Navigating Cultural Spaces: Little Egypt and the Masjid

In Chapter 11, Sik leads Belet through Steinway Street in Queens—nicknamed “Little Egypt.” This bustling corridor of Middle Eastern restaurants, shisha cafes, and Arabic street signs contrasts sharply with the Manhattan of skyscrapers and celebrity parties. Sik’s casual explanation—“heritage, right?”—belies his earlier reluctance to engage with his roots. He admits he only started caring about his heritage “when it came crashing through my back door.”

The visit to the masjid (mosque) during the kebab kitchen further grounds Sik’s identity. The imam’s son, Farouk, reveals that the mosque was vandalized with a pig’s head and graffiti—a sign of anti-Muslim hatred that Sik must confront as part of his heritage. Sik’s Arabic phrases (Alhamdulillah, Inshallah) slip naturally into his dialogue, marking him as someone who belongs to this community even when he feels alienated from schoolmates who call him “raghead.” Chadda uses this scene to show that heritage is not abstract; it requires defending against bigotry while still claiming joy and community.

3. The Confrontation with Nergal and the Choice to Stay

The climactic decision occurs in Chapter 41, after Nergal’s defeat. Belet prepares to descend into Kurnugi to rescue Ishtar, and she insists that Sik stay behind: “Your place is here for now. With your family.” Sik, who earlier dreamed of traveling with Mo, now feels no desire to leave. He has learned that heroism means showing up for the people who depend on you—a lesson rooted in his family’s refugee story and Islamic emphasis on community.

This moment also resolves the tension between Sik’s modern American life and the ancient mythic realm. He does not become a warrior-deity; he remains a deli worker who happens to wield Gilgamesh’s royal seal as a keepsake. His heritage is not abandoned but expanded: the seal, the flower-gift from Ishtar, and the renamed “Mo’s” deli all become physical anchors of his identity. Faith, too, is integrated—Sik’s jihad is defined in the Author’s Note as “his noble struggle” to protect loved ones, not violence.

Character and Symbol Connections

Sik and Mo: The Invisible Guide

Mo’s imaginary presence functions as Sik’s inherited conscience. Sik talks to Mo while mopping floors, and Mo’s memory motivates him to act bravely. Mo died in a motorcycle accident in Iraq—a death linked to the same landscape from which the family fled. Through Mo, Sik inherits the role of protector. The symbol of Mo’s Promise is not explicitly discussed, but the deli itself becomes that promise fulfilled.

Belet: A Mirror of Displaced Heritage

Belet, adopted by Ishtar, has no memory of her Iraqi parents. Her photo of them is the only artifact of her biological heritage. She lacks the rootedness Sik takes for granted. In Chapter 15, she envies Sik for having a home to return to. Their bond is partly forged through shared Iraqi ancestry—Sik even jokes that their families might have been neighbors in Baghdad. Belet’s journey into the underworld mirrors Sik’s journey into his own heritage: she must reclaim her mother, while Sik must claim his home.

Symbols of Heritage

The Deli (Mo’s) : The primary symbol of heritage—a physical space where recipes, photographs, and family stories are preserved and shared. Renaming it after Mo turns loss into legacy.
The Flower of Immortality / Ishtar’s Heart : A gift from Gilgamesh that represents the fragility and beauty of life. Sik receives it as a token of his worth, linking his mortal heritage to the immortal mythic tradition.
Kasusu : Belet’s shape-shifting sword. While not Sik’s, it symbolizes the adaptability of ancient power in a modern world—much like the heritage of refugees.
Gilgamesh’s Royal Seal : A ring Sik receives as a gift. It physically connects him to the Mesopotamian past, but he does not use it as a weapon. Instead, it is a memento of a journey that has enlarged his sense of self.

Complexity and Contradiction

Chadda does not offer a simple view of heritage. Sik’s Iraqi-American identity is contested: school bullies use Islamophobic slurs, and the mosque is defaced. Within the Muslim community, there is also tension—Sik has not attended Friday prayers regularly, and he struggles to reconcile his monotheistic faith with the existence of ancient gods. The Author’s Note directly addresses this challenge, explaining that for Sik, there are super-human beings referred to as gods and then “the truly divine.” This distinction reflects the lived reality of many immigrant families who navigate multiple cultural frameworks.

Furthermore, Sik’s initial reluctance to care about his heritage until “it came crashing through my back door” underlines how heritage is often taken for granted until crisis forces engagement. The theme thus avoids nostalgia; heritage is not purely comforting. It involves confronting past trauma (Mo’s death, the family’s refugee journey, the war) and ongoing prejudice. Yet Sik’s final choice to stay and rebuild the deli suggests that embracing that complexity is what makes a person whole.

Five Study Questions with Answers

How does the deli function as a symbol of Sikander’s heritage? The deli is both a workplace and a repository of family memory, filled with photographs of Mo and recipes passed down from Iraq. It represents the family’s immigrant effort and their ongoing connection to their roots. Renaming it “Mo’s” transforms it into a memorial that keeps heritage alive through daily acts of service.
What role does Sik’s relationship with his brother Mo play in his identity formation? Mo exists as an imagined voice that guides Sik’s decisions, especially his instinct to protect the deli and his family. Mo’s death in Iraq links Sik’s personal loss to the larger story of displacement, forcing Sik to become the family’s emotional anchor.
In what ways does Belet’s heritage differ from Sik’s, and how does this affect their partnership? Belet was adopted as a baby and has no memory of her Iraqi parents; she carries only a photograph. Unlike Sik, she lacks a stable home and a strong community. This makes her envious of Sik’s rootedness but also allows her to adapt quickly to new cultures. Their shared Iraqi ancestry forms an unspoken bond.
How does the author address the tension between Sik’s Islamic faith and the presence of ancient gods? In the Author’s Note, Chadda explains that Sik distinguishes between “super-human beings referred to as gods” and the truly divine (Allah). This allows Sik to interact with Mesopotamian mythology without abandoning Islam. The term jihad is redefined as a personal struggle to protect loved ones.
What is the significance of Sik choosing to stay in Manhattan instead of going to the underworld? Sik’s choice affirms that heroism does not require leaving one’s heritage behind. By staying to help his parents run the deli and renaming it “Mo’s,” he transforms his everyday life into an act of courage. It shows that identity is built through loyalty to the people and places that shaped you.