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Part Two, Chapter Three
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
Dante answers the phone angrily. He asks a few questions, but Ari refuses to tell Dante about his dreams. Dante shows up 15 minutes later. He chats with Mom and then appears in Ari’s room. He says that Ari looks pale and is offended when Ari says that he still looks more Mexican than Dante does. Ari comments on Dante’s sketchpad and Dante says that he’s going to sketch Ari. Ari asks if models get paid and both boys blush awkwardly when Dante says that only the good-looking ones get paid. Ari asks if Dante is actually going to be an artist and then they talk about bad dreams.
Dante’s nervousness and secrecy surrounding his sketchpad and his desire to be an artist suggests that this is one place where Dante is trying to figure out who he is and, possibly, is already considering his sexuality through his art. Taken like this, his nervousness makes sense—he and Ari live in a homophobic world and at least at this point, it still pays to ignore their attraction to each other.
Themes
Ari asks if he has a choice in the matter of Dante drawing him. Dante tosses him a book of poetry and then gets quiet. Ari feels uncomfortable and almost naked, but he starts to feel invisible. Ari forgets Dante as he reads and falls asleep. Dante is gone when he wakes up. Ari discovers a sketch of his rocking chair and he thinks it’s beautiful. The rocking chair looks sad and solitary, and the drawing is almost scary. Ari feels jealous of all the things that Dante knows how to do, and especially jealous that Dante likes himself.
It is questionable whether or not Dante genuinely likes himself. He does seem surer of who he is, but that doesn’t always translate to self-satisfaction—which in this case, suggests more that Ari isn’t happy with himself and is jealous that Dante knows who he is. In other words, Ari’s interpretation says far more about himself than it does about Dante.
Themes
Ari finds a note from Dante saying that he misses Ari at the pool, since the lifeguards are awful. Later, Ari calls Dante and says he likes the drawing. He says that it’s sad and lonely. Dante says it’s like Ari. Ari hates this, insists that he’s not sad all the time, and asks to see the other sketches. Dante refuses and says it’s the same thing as Ari not wanting to share his dreams.
For both boys, their dreams and their drawings are symbols of who they really are on the inside. Because of where they are in the coming-of-age process, neither of them are ready to share these aspects of themselves. But as they learn better how to communicate, this could change.
Themes
