Throughout many novels, there are many recurring themes, one of which is parental development. The main character of the novel experiences situations that causes the main character to grow up, or come of age. These experiences challenge the main character’s relationship with their parents or help strengthen their relationship. This is very clearly expressed in “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. In the novel, a Mexican-American boy named Aristotle, nicknamed Ari, meets a Mexican-American boy named Dante. The two become best friends and are almost inseparable. Ari is going through rough times, he doesn’t understand his father, who has been extremely distanced from him ever since he returned from
…show more content…
It isn’t a bad relationship, but it also isn’t the greatest. His dad never talks to him about the things that actually matter in Ari’s life. He has closed himself, and his feelings, off from the rest of the world. He keeps an entire war to himself and shares his burden with no-one. Ari then meets Dante, and they become fast friends. The first time we ever saw some development with Ari and his father, was when Dante came over to Ari’s house and gave him a book all about Mexican art. Ari was surprised that his father liked it so much, and he learned something new about his father. After that, Ari began to talk to his father more. One significant case of this is when Ari caught the flu, and his mom and dad heard him talking in his sleep. His dad realized that his son was trying to find him, and himself, and told Ari that he also has nightmares. This was the first case of his dad opening up to him, and the start of development later in the novel. In the beginning, Ari thought that he was the exact opposite of Dante, and he was more like his dad, but that changed throughout the novel. “I wasn’t like Dante. I was more like my dad” (Sáenz, 50). This point in the story was the very beginning of development, and represented where Ari stood at the beginning of the novel. During the middle of the story, Ari’s relationship with his father was unsteady after the accident. It happened on a rainy day, and they were …show more content…
Ari’s story was an example of someone getting back on their feet and relying on friends and family to understand himself. In the beginning of the novel, he was trying to find himself, and at the end of the novel, he knew himself better than anyone else. He knew that he loved Dante, and he knew that he loved his dad. He could finally understand his dad, the way his mind works, and his experiences in the war. He showed us that friends and family are the people that keep us who we are and keep us on the right track. Through relying on Dante and his own family, he understood them, his brother, and himself. Knowing himself completed his life, and meeting Dante made it possible. Ari discovered the secrets of his own universe with Dante, and it completed him as a person. This novel showed how Ari found himself, and readers were captivated by his process of finding himself. I think that readers were more inclined to look at their own selves, and discover themselves through this book too. People like Ari are all around us, maybe even yourself, someone who does not know what they want to do with their life, or are unconsciously unhappy. Reading this book can show readers how Ari overcame this, and how others can overcome
It isn’t a bad relationship, but it also isn’t the greatest. His dad never talks to him about the things that actually matter in Ari’s life. He has closed himself, and his feelings, off from the rest of the world. He keeps an entire war to himself and shares his burden with no-one. Ari then meets Dante, and they become fast friends. The first time we ever saw some development with Ari and his father, was when Dante came over to Ari’s house and gave him a book all about Mexican art. Ari was surprised that his father liked it so much, and he learned something new about his father. After that, Ari began to talk to his father more. One significant case of this is when Ari caught the flu, and his mom and dad heard him talking in his sleep. His dad realized that his son was trying to find him, and himself, and told Ari that he also has nightmares. This was the first case of his dad opening up to him, and the start of development later in the novel. In the beginning, Ari thought that he was the exact opposite of Dante, and he was more like his dad, but that changed throughout the novel. “I wasn’t like Dante. I was more like my dad” (Sáenz, 50). This point in the story was the very beginning of development, and represented where Ari stood at the beginning of the novel. During the middle of the story, Ari’s relationship with his father was unsteady after the accident. It happened on a rainy day, and they were …show more content…
Ari’s story was an example of someone getting back on their feet and relying on friends and family to understand himself. In the beginning of the novel, he was trying to find himself, and at the end of the novel, he knew himself better than anyone else. He knew that he loved Dante, and he knew that he loved his dad. He could finally understand his dad, the way his mind works, and his experiences in the war. He showed us that friends and family are the people that keep us who we are and keep us on the right track. Through relying on Dante and his own family, he understood them, his brother, and himself. Knowing himself completed his life, and meeting Dante made it possible. Ari discovered the secrets of his own universe with Dante, and it completed him as a person. This novel showed how Ari found himself, and readers were captivated by his process of finding himself. I think that readers were more inclined to look at their own selves, and discover themselves through this book too. People like Ari are all around us, maybe even yourself, someone who does not know what they want to do with their life, or are unconsciously unhappy. Reading this book can show readers how Ari overcame this, and how others can overcome