Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Part One, Chapter Twelve Summary & Analysis

One afternoon on Dante’s front porch, Ari smiles when he notices Dante staring at his own feet. Dante wants to know what Ari is smiling about. Ari lies that it’s nothing, which Dante sees through. Ari thinks that Dante believes that people need to speak the truth, though Dante and Dad do both believe that people need to be truthful. Ari is like his dad and thinks that he can keep it private. Ari admits that he was smiling because Dante was looking at his own feet, and they discuss whether it’s weird or bad to study one’s own body. Dante asks if Ari likes dogs and then points out that dogs don’t have to wear shoes. Dante says he’d like a dog from the shelter.

They hear a noise across the street and see three boys with BB guns and a bird that they shot. Dante shouts at them to stop, races to them, and demands that they give him the BB gun. They argue about whether the second amendment applies to BB guns and Dante threatens them. Ari backs him up and threatens to beat up the boys, fearing that they’re going to hurt Dante. They all size each other up and when one boy looks ready to point his BB gun at Ari, Ari reaches over and takes it. It surprises the boy, and Ari throws the gun to the ground. The boys leave, mumbling.

Dante and Ari stare at each other. Ari insists he doesn’t really like to fight, and Dante insists he’s not really a pacifist—he just doesn’t think people should kill birds for no reason. They agree to not tell Mrs. Quintana and decide that moms are strict because they love them and because they want them to stay boys forever. Dante looks ready to cry. They state that they’ve never seen the other so mad. Dante says that the bird is just a sparrow and begins to cry. They walk back to Dante’s house, where Dante throws his shoes across the street in anger, and Ari insists he wasn’t afraid of the boys. Dante admits that he was. Ari asks why birds exist. Dante says it’s obvious: they teach people about the sky.

Ari thinks that he wants to tell Dante that the bird doesn’t matter, but he knows that the bird is very important to Dante. When Dante is done crying, they bury the bird in Dante’s backyard. Dante cries again and Ari feels mean because he’s not sad. Ari thinks that now Dante knows that he’s not as emotional. Knowing that Dante wants to be alone, Ari says that they can go swimming tomorrow. Ari wonders what it’s like to be a guy who cries over a bird. As he walks home, he thinks about Dante’s answer as to why birds exist. It makes sense, and Ari wonders what his answer would be. He thinks that some guys have tears in them and some don’t and feels alone, but not in a bad way. He thinks that it’s amazing that Dante seems to have no darkness in him.