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Part One, Chapter Six
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
In Ari’s room, Dante is shocked that there’s “nothing” there and says that Ari’s furniture, radio, and books don’t count. He asks if Ari has hobbies and suggests that Ari will be a priest. Ari says that he doesn’t believe in God enough to be a priest, which makes Dante laugh. Dante says it’s good and smart to question and says that Ari is smart, no matter what he says to the contrary. Mr. Quintana told Dante that he’s an intellectual and shouldn’t be ashamed, but Ari notices that Dante looks a little sad. Dante says he’s trying to not be ashamed. Ari understands what it’s like to feel ashamed, but he tells the reader that only Dante knows why Ari is ashamed. Ari admits to the reader that he really likes Dante.
Again, the way that Ari talks about his shame and directs it at the reader through the narration subtly lets the reader in on Ari’s secret that he’s gay, while making it clear that Ari’s character in the novel isn’t yet willing to accept this about himself. This shows that coming to terms with one’s sexuality also has to do with finding the language to communicate that to oneself, something that Ari doesn’t yet have but that he might gain if he continues to pursue his intellectual and emotional development through poetry and novels.
Themes
