Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2012

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Part 1, Chapters 7-12

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4, Chapters 1-15

Part 4, Chapters 16-31

Part 5

Part 6, Chapters 1-10

Part 6, Chapters 11-21

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Part 1, Chapters 7-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary

Dante sees Ari’s room and notes that “there’s nothing in [it]” (34). Ari says he doubts the existence of God; Dante thinks it’s smart to doubt. As Dante expresses his shame over his intelligence, Ari realizes that he “really, really like[s] him” (35).

Part 1, Chapter 8 Summary

Ari learns that his father studied art before he went to the Marines. He always thought of him as “an ex-Marine mailman who didn’t like to talk much” and is surprised by his father’s artistic side (35).

Part 1, Chapter 9 Summary

Dante tells Ari he doesn’t understand why Mexican people use nicknames. Ari asks him, “It bothers you that you’re Mexican, doesn’t it?” (39-40). Dante admits that it does, adding that he is disliked by Mexican people.

Part 1, Chapter 10 Summary

Dante’s parents take the boys to the desert to stargaze. Ari looks through Dante’s new telescope in awe at the vast universe, “aware that there was something inside of [him] that mattered” (42).

Part 1, Chapter 11 Summary

Ari learns that Dante hates wearing shoes. Dante invents a shoe-throwing game in which they measure the distance of each throw. Aristotle thinks this is tedious and unnecessary for a made-up game, but Dante insists that the game “is a real sport […] and the rules we establish—they’re real too” (47).

Part 1, Chapter 12 Summary

Dante is furious when he and Ari see boys shooting a bird with a BB gun. He tries to stop them. When the boys threaten him, Ari defends Dante. As Dante cries over the dead bird, Ari realizes that he is “harder than Dante” (55).

Part 1, Chapters 7-12 Analysis

As Ari and Dante become closer, the differences and similarities that they share grow more profound. These contrasts in their personalities, ways of navigating life, and family relationships help them have a more dynamic relationship. Though these contrasts become more apparent, the deeply-held values that they share bond them even more closely.

One of the biggest differences between Ari and Dante concern their conceptions of their identities. Ari is comfortable with his Mexican heritage, while Dante feels uncomfortable with his. Dante confesses he feels out of place among other Mexican people. The issue of Dante’s disconnection from his racial identity is brought up during an argument about wearing tennis shoes. Dante hates wearing shoes because he thinks it is “unnatural” (46). Dante argues that Japanese people don’t wear shoes in other people’s homes and Aristotle says that they are Mexican, not Japanese. Ari calls Dante a “pocho,” implying he is not fully Mexican or doesn’t embrace his identity (45). This argument exemplifies his struggle to accept his Mexican heritage, while also showing that Ari is more at ease with his racial identity. It also plays into the book’s themes concerning the relationship between identity and shame. While it may be an overstatement to say that Dante is “ashamed” of his Mexican heritage, he feels acute unease over it, which will parallel Ari’s shame over his sexual identity.

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Another strong contrast in Ari’s and Dante’s personalities is demonstrated when they see a group of boys shoot a bird with a BB gun. Dante buries the bird and cries, and Ari wonders to himself what it would be like to be that sensitive. Ari contemplates Dante’s response to the death of the bird and Dante’s belief that birds can teach human beings to be free. Ari wonders why he never wondered about these things before. He concludes that “different boys lived by different rules” (55). This introduces birds as an important symbol representing the freedom that is so alluring yet elusive to the characters.