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 tells Mom that he didn’t know he could love her this much. Her smile is suddenly not sad, and she says that Ari helps her bear everything. Ari warns her that he’s going to disappoint her, like he did today. Mom says she understands why he did what he did, and Ari feels as though she understands something about Ari that even he doesn’t understand about himself. Ari looks through pictures of Bernardo and asks where Dad went. Mom says that he went to see Sam to talk, since they’re friends.
The fact that that Dad went to see Sam shows that, just like Ari, Dad is starting to seek help and affirmation from other people. He’s beginning to realize that he can’t just be silent about things and expect everything to work out. This sets an example for Ari and encourages him to seek out Dante, as well as Gina and Susie, as he figures out who he is.
Themes
