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Part Four, Chapter Nine
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 that he’s going to kiss Ileana, but is unsure of when or where because he barely ever sees her. He plans to find her locker at school.
Kissing Ileana is Ari’s way of emulating the masculine norms that he observes in other boys his age. Since he has shown a clear disinterest in girls throughout the story, it’s clear that his plan is motivated by his desperation to fit in and be accepted rather than a genuine desire to be with Ileana.
Themes
