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Part Four, Chapter Eighteen
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
On the weekends, Ari and Dad get up early for driving lessons. Dad is a good teacher, but they never talk about anything other than driving. Ari does notice that Dad seems more relaxed. Dad whistles, and Ari wonders if he just doesn’t need words to move through the world. Ari thinks that on the inside, he’s not like his dad: he’s like Dante, which scares him.
This realization scares Ari because it means that he has to be honest with himself and others, which silence has protected him from having to do up until this point. It’s important, however, that Dad and Ari are getting to know each other better, as it lays the groundwork for a more open relationship in the future.
Themes
