Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Part Three, Chapter Three Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Dante calls Ari and apologizes for not visiting. He says that their moms talked and he can’t get out of seeing a counselor. They laugh. Dante says he’s starting to like his face and asks if things still hurt. Ari says that his legs own him. Dante says that it’s all his fault, so Ari institutes more rules: no talking about the accident, no saying thank you, Dante can’t think it’s his fault, and they must move on. Ari refuses to budge, but Dante apologizes and thanks Ari once more. That afternoon, Dante comes to visit. He looks sad and guilty, but Ari insists that the doctor says he’s going to be fine. Dante pulls out The Grapes of Wrath and War and Peace for Ari to read.
The rules that Ari institutes are a convenient way for him to make sure that he can continue to perpetuate the cycle of violence and silence. At this point, staying silent is more comfortable for Ari. It’s what he knows, and having to talk about the accident is far scarier and represents a huge change in habits that Ari isn’t yet ready to deal with. Dante’s gift of books, however, will start to steer Ari towards more intellectual and emotional maturity.
Themes
Silence and Trauma vs. Communication Theme Icon
Intellectualism and Emotion vs. Physical Strength Theme Icon
Dante takes out his sketchpad. He says that Ari can look at his drawings and tells him to not get too excited. Ari explains that the pain comes and goes and that he’s trying to not take meds. Dante hands over the sketchpad and says that Ari has to wait until he leaves to look. They laugh and things feel normal. Dante tells Ari about a man on the bus and Ari thinks about the bird with the broken wing. He still doesn’t know what happened to it, but now that he’s made his rules, he can’t ask. Ari thinks suddenly that he hates Dante. When Dante leaves, Ari thinks that Dante is only letting him see his drawings because he’s grateful. He hates this, so he throws the pad across the room.
When Ari thinks about the bird and wonders what happened to it, he recognizes that his rules don’t actually serve him or anyone else—they may save him some pain and discomfort in the short term, but in the long term, Ari will miss out on important knowledge by refusing to communicate. Ari throws the sketchpad in part because of this. He recognizes that Dante is trying to communicate, but this is very uncomfortable for Ari.
Themes
Silence and Trauma vs. Communication Theme Icon
Quotes