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Part Two, Chapter Two
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
Ari gets to watch TV because he’s sick, but he discovers that he doesn’t like it. One day, he asks Mom if she likes teaching, even when her students don’t care. Mom explains that it’s not her job to make her students care, but her job is to care about them. They laugh about how 15-year-olds are all in a phase where they think life is boring. Ari asks to go out but when Mom refuses, he calls her a “fascist.” She takes offense to this, but Ari insists that she knows what he means. Ari complains that he’s bored. Mom gets up, holds Ari’s face, and starts to say something about how things will be when Ari is older. Ari asks how much older or smarter he has to be, since he’s not a boy anymore.
For Ari, it’s infuriating that Mom keeps talking about how things will change in the future—as far as Ari is concerned, the future is already happening to him but not much has changed. Though Ari’s view is understandable, Mom has a point: though Ari can see now where he needs to go in terms of learning to communicate, especially with Dad, he still has definite ideas about how the world works that he’ll need to interrogate before he can really step into adulthood.
Themes
Mom cries and says that Ari is still a little boy to her. Ari doesn’t understand the tears and tries to comfort her. Mom says that she’s trying not to worry and asks what he does when he goes out. She whispers that he doesn’t have friends, but Ari insists he doesn’t want any and, for that matter, can’t make them if she won’t let him out. He mentions Dante, which pleases Mom. Ari insists that he’s just different. Mom says that Ari doesn’t know how loved he is and says that she wants him to be happy. Ari says he’s supposed to feel miserable and asks if Dante can come over.
It’s clear to reader (though not to Ari) that Mom cares deeply for Ari and is aware of the emotional turmoil he’s experiencing as part of growing up. The experience of being a teen is uncomfortable, scary, and is happening both too fast and not fast enough for him. However, Mom also can’t do much to fix this except to remind Ari that he needs be emotionally open if he wants to grow up healthily.
Themes
