Fleming #1- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe- LGBTQ

[Ian]

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz describes a 15-year-old boy named Ari who meets another boy named Dante at a swimming pool. The two boys are immediately drawn to one another; Ari to Dante because of his swimming ability, kind family, and love of poetry, Dante to Ari because of his loyalty and humor. Dante begins to fall in love with Ari, but Ari is reluctant to explore a relationship with him. Throughout the three years the story takes place, the boys endure struggles of unreciprocated love, identity crises, a serious accident, and a move halfway across the country. Not to mention all the perils of growing up gay in a 1980s Texas high school. Through all of this, they aim to discover the secrets of their own universe. I would mostly recommend it for high school or possibly advance middle school readers.

As previously mentioned, this story takes place in Texas in the 1980s. Both Ari and Dante are Mexican American, and one of the themes of the book is the gender roles that particularly Ari feels the need to fit into. Throughout the story, he works to hide his feelings and avoid opening up to Dante because he is afraid of what he feels on the inside. Dante is frustrated by what Ari refuses to acknowledge, even when he openly confesses his love for him. Ari also struggles to talk to his family, particularly his dad, who suffered from PTSD after his service in the Vietnam War. The story is beautifully written, using lots of internal dialogue and incorporating Spanish words and phrases throughout. It has several highly emotional moments that would resonate with most, if not all, kids.

This book has so many themes that it could be a window and/or a mirror for every student. As previously mentioned, Ari struggles to fit into his cultural gender roles throughout the story. His brother is incarcerated, which plays a significant role in his family dynamic, especially the way his mother interacts with him. His initial denial and uncertainty of his feelings for Dante could reflect the fear and anxiety faced by many young LGBTQ students as they go through school. In contrast, Dante is completely open and accepting of his sexuality, so readers also get to see the perspective of someone who is comfortable, confident, and embraces it. I suppose these could all be windows or mirrors (or both) depending on the cultural perspective and personal history of the individual reader.

I think one theme that would be really easy to incorporate at all levels is the issue of identity. What everybody sees vs. what most people don’t see. How they act vs. how they are. You could even alter it for students who are struggling by having them discuss how they act with their friends vs. how they act with their family. Have them examine the differences and draw them, write about them, or represent them in some other way. Tie it in with how Dante struggles with his identity as a Mexican. This story took place after the initial LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement, but still during a time when the community was not as socially accepted as it is today (which still has a ways to go). For students who are interested in the LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement, you could have them do some independent research using the timeline found at https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/19/us/lgb.... There are over a dozen names of important figures and events from the movement that they could explore through a variety of projects.

Sáenz, B. A., & Miranda, L. (2013). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. New York: Simon And Schuster.