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 decides to go swimming and ignores the lifeguards. He swims laps and remembers the day he met Dante. When he gets out of the pool, a girl waves at Ari and says that she goes to Austin High too. She’s a sophomore. They laugh together, but Ari walks away and heads for Dante’s house. Sam opens the door and says that Dante is doing better. He hesitates and says that Daniel is over right now. Noticing the look on Ari’s face, Sam says that Ari must not like Daniel. He encourages Ari to forgive, but Ari angrily leaves.
Sam’s advice to Ari to forgive Daniel again reinforces that Ari is still more idealistic than will be useful in the real world. Brushing off the girl at the pool and ignoring the lifeguards continues to show that Ari actually isn’t interested in women, and suggests that part of his dislike for Daniel stems from jealousy.
Themes
