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
Dante calls and says that Sam told him that Ari was upset. Ari deflects, but says that he just wasn’t in the mood to see Daniel and he doesn’t like him. Dante invites Ari to a party later with him and Daniel. Ari agrees to think about it, hangs up, and lifts weights until his muscles hurt. He showers and then wakes up to Legs lying on his stomach. Mom asks Ari if he’s okay and says that when he’s upset, he lifts.
In this instance, choosing to lift weights until he’s too tired to function shows that Ari is leaning heavily on his physical strength so that he doesn’t have to talk about difficult subjects like his feelings about Dante and Daniel. This indicates that coming to terms with his feelings rather than brushing them off will be Ari’s final challenge as he comes of age.
Themes
