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 and Legs pick Dante up that evening. Mr. Quintana and Mrs. Quintana come outside to look at Ari’s truck. Dante, inspecting the rims, says that Ari is a real Mexican. Mr. Quintana is just as enthusiastic about the truck, so Ari tosses him the keys. Ari watches the Quintanas and Legs look at his truck, and wants time to stop in this perfect moment. He sits down with Dante while Mr. and Mrs. Quintana drive away, and remarks that Dante’s parents look like kids. Ari says that his parents are happy and adore each other, but Dad isn’t “demonstrative.” Dante makes fun of Ari’s expanding vocabulary, but Ari says he’s studying for college.
The conversation that Ari and Dante have about their respective parents shows that now, at age 16, both boys are beginning to see their parents more as complex people. Ari understands now that Dad isn’t just a piece of animate stone; he’s a person who just isn’t open with his emotions. Specifically, being able to recognize that Dad is happy despite (or because of) his silence indicates that Ari is seeing Dad as a human being with nuanced thoughts and emotions.
Themes
Dante asks if Ari will ever be “demonstrative,” and when Ari says he won’t, Dante declares that Ari is like Dad. Dante says that Mrs. Quintana is reserved, but he also thinks that his mom loves Mr. Quintana more than his dad loves her. They wonder if love is a contest, and Dante remarks that Ari is talking and asks if there are rules this summer. Ari says that he doesn’t kiss boys, so Dante can’t kiss him, and Dante says he has a rule of his own: Ari can’t run away. He knows that people will be mean to Ari for hanging out with a gay guy. They argue over who has the harder rule to follow. They reminisce about the game they played with their shoes last summer, knowing that they’re too old to play it now.
Talking about the game they played with their shoes (and especially the fact that neither Ari nor Dante have made any mention of whether or not Dante’s war against shoes is still on) is an even more obvious flag that these two are growing up. Now, they’re able to practice communicating better. This shows that Ari’s practice in writing in his journal has paid off, as he’s now able to combine the rules and the silence with actual deep conversation.
Themes
