Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Sam Quintana Character Analysis

Dante’s dad. Ari refers to him as Mr. Quintana for most of the novel. Mr. Quintana is an English professor and like Dante, he’s bright, open, and affectionate. Though Ari thinks that Mr. Quintana is certainly a dad (in that he has authority), he’s not scary and is generally easy to talk to. He laughs a lot, is a self-professed bad driver, and cares deeply for both Dante and Ari, especially after the accident in which Ari breaks both of his legs. After the accident, Ari begins to chafe under Mr. Quintana’s affection, as it feels like a burden and like Mr. Quintana only cares for Ari because Ari saved Dante—something that Mr. Quintana shows through his actions isn’t true. After a school year as a visiting professor in Chicago, Mr. Quintana and his family return to El Paso for Dante’s sake. Though Mr. Quintana suspected that Dante was gay, he doesn’t have to fully confront this fact until four boys beat Dante for kissing another boy. He’s distraught to learn that Dante was worried about disappointing him and so never came out to him, and he insists that he doesn’t care about having grandchildren. At this point, he asks Ari to start calling him Sam and the two begin to relate more as equals. Sam and Dad develop a friendship over the course of the novel’s second summer, which helps Dad learn how to open up to Ari.

Sam Quintana Quotes in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

The Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe quotes below are all either spoken by Sam Quintana or refer to Sam Quintana. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Identity, Ethnicity, and Masculinity Theme Icon
).
Part One, Chapter Five Quotes

It made me smile, the way they got along, the easy and affectionate way they talked to each other as if love between a father and a son was simple and uncomplicated. My mom and I, sometimes the thing we had between us was easy and uncomplicated. Sometimes. But me and my dad, we didn’t have that. I wondered what that would be like, to walk into a room and kiss my father.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Dante Quintana, Dad, Mom, Sam Quintana
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Part One, Chapter Seven Quotes

“My dad says it’s all right if people make fun of you. You know what he said to me? He said, ‘Dante, you’re an intellectual. That’s who you are. Don’t be ashamed of that.’”

I noticed his smile was a little sad. Maybe everyone was a little sad. Maybe so.

“Ari, I’m trying not to be ashamed.”

I knew what it was like to be ashamed. Only, Dante knew why. And I didn’t.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Dante Quintana (speaker), Sam Quintana
Page Number: 35
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two, Chapter Eight Quotes

“I mean, my dad’s parents were born in Mexico. They live in a small little house in East LA and they speak no English and own a little restaurant. It’s like my mom and dad created a whole new world for themselves. I live in their new world. But they understand the old world, the world they came from—and I don’t. I don’t belong anywhere. That’s the problem.”

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Dante Quintana (speaker), Sam Quintana, Mrs. Quintana
Page Number: 87-88
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two, Chapter Eleven Quotes

“When I went to the university, I never had one Mexican-American professor. Not one.” There was a look on her face, almost anger.

I knew so little about her. About what she’d been through—about what it felt like to be her. I’d never cared, not really. I was starting to care, starting to wonder. Starting to wonder about everything.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Mom (speaker), Sam Quintana
Page Number: 99
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Four, Chapter Thirty Quotes

The thing is I love my dad. My mom too. And I keep wondering what they’re going to say when I tell them that someday I want to marry a boy. I wonder how that’s going to go over? I’m the only son. What’s going to happen with the grandchildren thing? I hate that I’m going to disappoint them, Ari. I know I’ve disappointed you too.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Sam Quintana, Mrs. Quintana
Page Number: 227
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Six, Chapter Two Quotes

“He was so happy that you were going to have another baby. And not just because he was going to be a big brother. And he said, ‘He has to be a boy and he has to like girls.’ That’s what he said. So that you could have grandchildren. So that you could be happy.”

“I don’t care about grandchildren. I care about Dante.”

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Sam Quintana (speaker), Dante Quintana
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe PDF

Sam Quintana Quotes in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

The Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe quotes below are all either spoken by Sam Quintana or refer to Sam Quintana. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Identity, Ethnicity, and Masculinity Theme Icon
).
Part One, Chapter Five Quotes

It made me smile, the way they got along, the easy and affectionate way they talked to each other as if love between a father and a son was simple and uncomplicated. My mom and I, sometimes the thing we had between us was easy and uncomplicated. Sometimes. But me and my dad, we didn’t have that. I wondered what that would be like, to walk into a room and kiss my father.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Dante Quintana, Dad, Mom, Sam Quintana
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Part One, Chapter Seven Quotes

“My dad says it’s all right if people make fun of you. You know what he said to me? He said, ‘Dante, you’re an intellectual. That’s who you are. Don’t be ashamed of that.’”

I noticed his smile was a little sad. Maybe everyone was a little sad. Maybe so.

“Ari, I’m trying not to be ashamed.”

I knew what it was like to be ashamed. Only, Dante knew why. And I didn’t.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Dante Quintana (speaker), Sam Quintana
Page Number: 35
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two, Chapter Eight Quotes

“I mean, my dad’s parents were born in Mexico. They live in a small little house in East LA and they speak no English and own a little restaurant. It’s like my mom and dad created a whole new world for themselves. I live in their new world. But they understand the old world, the world they came from—and I don’t. I don’t belong anywhere. That’s the problem.”

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Dante Quintana (speaker), Sam Quintana, Mrs. Quintana
Page Number: 87-88
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two, Chapter Eleven Quotes

“When I went to the university, I never had one Mexican-American professor. Not one.” There was a look on her face, almost anger.

I knew so little about her. About what she’d been through—about what it felt like to be her. I’d never cared, not really. I was starting to care, starting to wonder. Starting to wonder about everything.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Mom (speaker), Sam Quintana
Page Number: 99
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Four, Chapter Thirty Quotes

The thing is I love my dad. My mom too. And I keep wondering what they’re going to say when I tell them that someday I want to marry a boy. I wonder how that’s going to go over? I’m the only son. What’s going to happen with the grandchildren thing? I hate that I’m going to disappoint them, Ari. I know I’ve disappointed you too.

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Sam Quintana, Mrs. Quintana
Page Number: 227
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Six, Chapter Two Quotes

“He was so happy that you were going to have another baby. And not just because he was going to be a big brother. And he said, ‘He has to be a boy and he has to like girls.’ That’s what he said. So that you could have grandchildren. So that you could be happy.”

“I don’t care about grandchildren. I care about Dante.”

Related Characters: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (speaker), Sam Quintana (speaker), Dante Quintana
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis: