The Best at It

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of anti-gay bias, bullying, and mental illness.

The Best at It is part bildungsroman, or coming-of-age story. Rahul eventually grows more comfortable with several intersecting identity factors as he navigates perceived normativity when it comes to both sexuality and ethnicity.

One of the things Rahul struggles with is weighing how people perceive his identity and judging it against standards of supposed “normativity.” Brent sees Rahul doodling hearts in his notebook and interprets them as a symbol of Rahul’s sexuality. He asks, “Were the hearts for Justin?” (30), and this perception of Rahul’s identity persists throughout the entire book, fueling Brent’s bullying. Brent sees being gay—or even potentially gay, as he does not have confirmation of Rahul’s sexuality—as a deviation from the norm of heterosexuality and thus something to be mocked. Brent’s treatment of his identity also touches on the theme of Navigating Bullying and Mental Health as a Teen.

Rahul is confronted with the perceived normativity of heterosexuality elsewhere, too. Because Rahul spends a lot of time with Chelsea, Nandita Auntie says, “Have you asked Chelsea to be your girlfriend yet? She’s soooo cute! […] It’s never too early to be thinking about marriage” (46). Nandita Auntie also frames heterosexuality as normative. Unlike Brent, who assumes that Rahul is gay and thus treats him as aberrant, Nandita assumes heterosexuality to be a default sexuality. This reflects the dual pressures that Rahul faces from his peers and family, illustrating how societal norms can create internal conflict about one’s identity.

Rahul also absorbs messages about perceived normativity from the types of people who surround him. When he goes to the audition, he realizes that “almost everyone in the waiting room [i]s white” (156). One of the white casting directors shows Rahul a picture of a family, “all with blond hair and tan skin, in khaki pants and flowy white shirts. They’re outside on a bright-green lawn playing with a fluffy golden retriever. ‘This is the feel of the commercial’” (158). The vision of a “regular” American family that the commercial wants to portray is a white, middle- to upper-class family. This—plus the makeup of the people he sees around him in the waiting room— indirectly influences how Rahul perceives normativity. He rejects his Indian identity and begins to actively desire the aesthetics of whiteness, editing his headshot and wearing white makeup. This moment highlights how systemic biases in media representation contribute to internalized racism and the erasure of cultural identity.

Rahul slowly begins to accept his racial identity and sexual orientation. One significant moment is when he sees Chelsea and David’s Sadie Hawkins costumes: a gender-bent Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Part of the reason they gender-bend the costumes is to stay true to their racial identities. Chelsea, who is white, goes as Prince Harry. David, who is a person of color, goes as Meghan, with “a tiara, lipstick, and a long brown wig. He has a sparkly dress on, and his ankles are wobbling around in high heels” (258). Rahul is shocked that David is “okay being dressed like that” and immediately looks around to see if people are bullying him (258). Rahul notices David breaking a perceived norm about gender and sexuality—that boys should look, act, and dress a certain way. David embraces his disruption of the norm, and no one mocks him for it. While gender and sexuality are different, this scene of David subverting perceived gender norms immediately anticipates Rahul coming out to Chelsea, his first step in accepting that aspect of his sexuality. This moment demonstrates how witnessing others confidently break norms can inspire self-acceptance and courage.

The second important moment for Rahul embracing his identity is when he rooms with Jai at the Mathletes competition. Rahul realizes that he has never “seen any other Indian guys [his] age, like, changing in front of [him]” (272). Usually, Rahul is in spaces like the audition room or locker room, surrounded by white boys. Being with Jai makes Rahul “think [his] body is more okay or something. Like [he’s] not so different” (272). Being around different types of people disrupts the way Rahul has come to see whiteness as normative and himself as “different” from this norm. This interaction underscores how representation can affirm identity and challenge feelings of alienation.

Rahul’s acceptance of his sexuality and Indian heritage are solidified at the International Bazaar, where he wears his kurta. While Brent tries to mock him, a coalition of support from both the “nerds” and “cool-kids” forms around Rahul, giving him the courage to stand up to Brent and come out publicly—this also shows The Importance of Positive Support Systems for Young People. With the help of supportive people and a lot of reflection, Rahul is able to embrace his identity exactly as he is rather than trying to become someone else. This climactic moment affirms that true confidence comes from embracing all facets of one’s identity, regardless of societal expectations.