The novel is a collection of seven stories that revolve around characters living in Bloomington, Indiana. They draw inspiration from the author’s time residing in the region while studying for his Master of Arts in the 1970s. Though the narratives were originally written in his native language and style, the characters are mostly Americans except for one narrator. As a firm believer in never losing your roots despite living away from home, Drama maintains this writing style.
The stories are set in the American Midwest during the late 1970s hence delving into the themes of social isolation, paranoia, and loneliness. This portrait of the region is accentuated by the setting and imagery of self-contained apartment units separated by deserted and lonely streets. They consist of characters who are mostly old people suffering from a mental or physical ailment that heightens their peculiarity. Darma dwells on their thoughts and personalities to display the strangeness of the human mind. The keen view of these people highlights their brief curiosity about each other that lacks any significant human connection. Through this alienation and distrust, Darma places the characters in a position where they have a moment of moral redemption.
Darma focuses on the longings and tortures that the human mind undergoes regardless of the individual’s identity. The Millions said, “Across seven stories set in the gridded streets and rented rooms of Bloomington…Darma's characters navigate their morbidly funny lives in this meditation on alienation, failed connection, and the universal strangeness of the human mind.”
