Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
"Why do we smile? Why do we laugh? Why do we feel alone? Why are we sad and confused? Why do we read poetry? Why do we cry when we see a painting? Why is there a riot in the heart when we love? Why do we feel shame? What is that thing in the pit of your stomach called desire?"
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a book that will pull at your heart. It is a beautiful story centered on the lives of two boys who grow into young men, while navigating love, culture, and family in El Paso in the late 1980s. The story is narrated by one of the boys, Ari. Ari and his best friend Dante in many ways are like any other teenagers who are trying to find their places in the world. However, Ari and Dante also face some struggles that others do not.
In the Classroom
Students will respond to the below prompt in an informal essay. This can be done as a written journal entry, a blog post, or a video journal entry. The assignment is meant to allow students to express themselves honestly, so it should be graded on the basis of completing the assigned task, not on specific content.
Prompt: Under the title of part one of the novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, there is a line that states, "The problem with my life was that it was someone else's idea." Think about your own life, is there an aspect of it that you feel has been molded by a force, or forces, outside of yourself? Explain and expand on this idea using the following questions for guidance.
- Do you view this aspect of your life that has been influenced as a negative or positive?
- Is the force that has molded you a negative or positive influence on you as a growing young adult?
- Is there anything about this aspect of your life that you would like to change?
- How do you plan to move forward if you have decided to change it?
- If you do not think it should be changed, what is beneficial about it?
Age level: Young Adult
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