Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Part Three, Chapter Seven Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
It rains almost every afternoon. Ari finishes The Grapes of Wrath and then War and Peace. Dad decides to read everything that Ari does. Dante comes over every day and reads The Sun Also Rises out loud to Ari. They talk about how sad it is, but they never discuss Dante’s sketches. Ari thinks that he’s punishing Dante by not looking at them, but he can’t figure out why he’s doing this. One day, Dante says that he saw a counselor. He asks if Ari is going to go and says that it helped. Ari points out that talking doesn’t help everyone.
The rainy weather mirrors Ari’s injuries, and the changing weather also symbolizes that something fundamental has changed in Ari’s life and in his relationship with Dante. Were Ari willing to admit it, his choice to leap in front of a car shows that he loves Dante, something that’s uncomfortable for him—but the rain here suggests that it’s still inescapable, even if he’s ignoring it.
Themes
Identity, Ethnicity, and Masculinity Theme Icon
Intellectualism and Emotion vs. Physical Strength Theme Icon