Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

“Words were different when they lived inside of you.” -page 31, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”

Ari’s words, in his head, speak of teen angst and the inability to reach out to others. When he tries to put his words into words, and his thoughts into conversation, they just don’t present themselves right.

“Scars. A sign that you had been hurt. A sign that you had healed.

Had I been hurt?

Had I been healed?” -page 335, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”

“I’m about to drive in the ocean

I’ma try to swim from somethin’ bigger than me”

After finishing “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” and reading about the author, Benjamin Alire Saenz, I’ve discovered that there is an author surrogate in the book.

On the novel’s book jacket, it is written that “Saenz is a professor in the creative writing department at University of Texas, El Paso”. An English professor, which Dante’s father was in the book. I believe and interpret this to be an author surrogate, which is when there is a fictional character based on the author.

“I loved her for her silence.

Or maybe I just understood it.” -page 324, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”

After finding out about his brother Bernardo and his emprisonment, Ari feels just a little bit free-er. He analyzes and understands his parents unlike before, especially his mother, who he is describing in this quote.

What is Ari’s biggest secret of the universe?

“The summer sun was not meant for boys like me. Boys like me belonged to the rain.” -page 294, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”

Ari’s perspective in this quote is really eye-opening, in my opinion! In this passage, he feels like summers are all about the rain, not the sun and heat parts. Storms came and went, and these were what Ari felt attached to during summertime.

I can connect “Ari and Dante” to J.R.R Tolkien’s book “The Hobbit”. In an odd way, the two books are similar.

In “The Hobbit”, Bilbo Baggins is suddenly taken away on a journey in Middle Earth by the wizard Gandalf. Without any warning, he is the only hobbit chosen to raid the dragon Smaug’s treasure with a group of dwarves.

In “Ari and Dante”, Ari randomly meets Dante one day at his public pool and is set on a long tour of life/love. Dante teaches him how to express freely and be outgoing.

The idea of one person sweeping another character away, into a new world, is present in both of these books.

The situation in “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”, including Aunt Ophelia and Ari’s family, is an interesting one. Ari’s Aunt Ophelia suffers a stroke and isn’t going to make it: the trip Ari and his parents take to Tucson reveals many things hidden from him, things like the lesbian relationship Ophelia shared and his mother’s troubles with coping with Bernardo’s (Ari’s brother) emprisonment.

Ari’s parents are the only ones in his family who accepted Ophelia’s relation. When they tell Ari and ask him if that bothers him, he simply says “no”-the same way his parents felt. My opinion on this is that it is a sad situation, that most of a family wouldn’t show up to their relative’s funeral because of their sexual orientation. Our culture should be more aware and accepting of couples that aren’t simply man-woman.

”She reached over and wiped my tears. I couldn’t speak.

‘We don’t always make the right decisions, Ari. We do the best we can.’” -page 286, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”