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Part Three, Chapter Four
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
Dad visits Ari every evening, but Ari wants him to go away. Dad tries unsuccessfully to make conversation, but Ari suggests that they each choose one of the books that Dante brought and read. Dad reads War and Peace, leaving The Grapes of Wrath for Ari. Sometimes, they talk about Ari’s dreams. Now, Ari dreams about searching for his legs. Mom never brings up what Ari said about Bernardo and she doesn’t try to make Ari talk. Soon, Ari gets tired of Mom’s hovering and of his wheelchair. One day, he threatens to curse in front of her if she doesn’t give him some space.
By suggesting that they read together, Ari is consciously trying to maintain the silence between himself in Dad. Subconsciously, however, reading together and connecting over these books will begin to lay the foundation for Dad and Ari to begin to use their words and actually connect with each other meaningfully in the future.
Themes
Dante calls twice per day, but he never visits because he gets the flu. They discuss their bad dreams and one day, Dante says he has something he needs to say. He quickly walks this back. Ari is sure that it’s actually very important, but they talk instead about swimming. Ari is happy to talk to Dante, but he’s also glad that he doesn’t visit. He somehow knows that his life will be different now that he’s almost lost his legs.
In this instance, Dante is starting to experiment with silence like Ari. When Ari recognizes that Dante really does want to talk about something important, he gains useful information: silence doesn’t mean that nothing’s wrong; in actuality, it keeps Ari from learning things he should learn.
Themes
Ari tries to use crutches, but has to settle for the wheelchair. He names it Fidel. Before he gets out of the hospital, Dr. Charles visits Ari one more time and asks Ari if he’s thought about what they discussed. Ari cracks jokes and doesn’t take it seriously. Dr. Charles says that it’s time for Ari to go home, which makes Ari happy and then suddenly anxious. He lectures Mom about how she can’t hover once they get home. In the car, Ari has to lie down in the backseat. He looks out the windows for birds.
For Ari, the hospital was a place where he didn’t have to truly grapple with the gravity of his situation. There are others to care for him, but at home, he’ll rely on Mom and Dad to do everything for him. This returns Ari to more of a childlike state, something that scares him because of his growing independence and desire to stay closed and hidden.
Themes
