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
Dad is gone when Ari gets out of the shower. Ari finds Mom at the kitchen table with Bernardo’s file and a glass of wine. Ari sits down and admits that he drinks beer and isn’t always a good person. Mom opens the envelope and offers Ari a photo of him and Bernardo. Bernardo is handsome and Ari looks happy. Mom says that Ari loved Bernardo, but it hurt too much for her to talk about him. She hands Ari the envelope and says that Bernardo killed someone with his bare hands. She says that it still hurts and always will. Ari reminds her that it’s not her fault, but she says that parents always blame themselves.
Learning that Bernardo killed someone by beating them to death makes it more understandable why Mom had such a reaction to learning that Ari beat up Julian. It likely made her question whether she’d failed at being a mother more than she thinks she already has because of what Bernardo’s actions. This conversation, however, reminds both of them that they can begin to heal by talking about their shared trauma.
Themes
