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Part Four, Chapter Sixteen
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 writes to Dante. He apologizes for not writing and says that, miraculously, his legs have healed. He says that he named the dog Legs, and that she’s great. Mom tried to keep Legs outside, but this didn’t last long. He tells Dante about his pickup truck and his first driving lesson with Dad. Shifting isn’t intuitive yet, but Ari knows that eventually, it will be.
Learning to drive gives Ari another safe place to practice healthy behavior—he understands that driving is something he has to work at, which can also remind him that he can work to become more emotionally intelligent and open as well.
Themes
After the lesson, Dad parked and smoked a cigarette. He told Ari that the cigarettes help him with the dreams. Ari asks if Dad ever dreams about Bernardo. Dad said that he does sometimes, and then they drove home. Ari knows that he upset Dad, and that he’s upset Dante too. He apologizes.
It’s commendable that Ari chose to ask Dad about Bernardo, even if it did make Dad mad. Ari is actively trying to form a connection with his dad, which is a major leap for him. This makes it clear that Ari will drive the change in his family as they become more communicative.
Themes
