Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity, Ethnicity, and Masculinity
Silence and Trauma vs. Communication
Family and Coming of Age
Intellectualism and Emotion vs. Physical Strength
Summary
Analysis
Ari stops at the drugstore where Dante works before heading to the Charcoaler. Dante smiles and says that Gina and Susie came in a while ago, and they asked if Dante knew Ari. He told them that they’re best friends. Ari starts to get angry and reminds Dante that they’re not supposed to talk about the accident. Later, Dante calls Ari at work and asks why he’s mad. Ari says that he just doesn’t want other people to know. Gina and Susie show up at the Charcoaler as Ari gets off and talk about how nice and cute Dante was. He tells them to leave him alone.
Gina and Susie finding out the truth about the accident makes it clear to Ari that his silence isn’t going to save him long-term. Eventually, people will speak up and the truth will come out, no matter how hard others try to obscure or ignore the truth. As uncomfortable as this is for Ari, this does imply that the truth about Bernardo and about Dad’s experience in Vietnam might come out in a similar manner in the future.
Themes
