Entry 2- July 6th

 

 

 

              In the beginning, I believe that the complexity of Aristotle is that he wants to have friends. Evidence from the book that supports my thesis is the quote, "I got along ok. I had school friends. Sort of. I wasn't wildly popular. How could I be?..." (Saenz 23). After him meeting Dante, Aristotle has been respectable. Aristotle has been pleased of Dante and he would never trade a friend like him for anything.

 

             Overall, the complexity of Aristotle's mom is that she wants the best for her son. Evidence from the book that supports my thesis is the quote, "There were days when I wished I had it in me to rebel against my mother's rules (Saenz 69). After what has happened to Aristotle's older brother, she doesn't want the same thing to happen to him. So sometimes Aristotle agitated that he can't do things that he is wants to do.

 

              A theme in the book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, is loneliness. Aristotle felt lonely because he had no friends and he mostly stayed inside during the summer or went to the pool by himself. This theme sets a negative tone throughout the book because it only talks about the main character and how his gruesome life has affected him as a teenager. He also is lonely because none of his parents and siblings are there for him which makes him more isolated.

               Another theme for the book is character. Aristotle has had times where his character has came to a destruction or when it enlarges. When his character is dwindling, he is usually thinking about his family or a dramatic time in his life. 'When I was a boy, I used to wake up thinking that the world was ending' (Saenz 73). When his character enlarges, he is with Dante having fun or just talking about life. "That really made me smile" (Saenz 21).

               The structure of this text is different than many texts I have read. I would compare this book's structure to Hunger Games because of the layout and how it has been constructed. Each novel are broken into parts or different events. Each part has chapters based on the event. This book also contains a mountain leading to the climax and declining to the resolution.



Entry One- July 5th

 

 

           In the book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, the main characters are Aristotle and Dante. They have became friends even though their personalities and attitudes are incomparable. But, they both show a strong bond of friendship towards each other.

 

           The setting of this book is in their home town. Usually, Aristotle and Dante hang out at each others houses or at their community pool. The book first started at the community pool where Aristotle and Dante first met. This situation made their friendship start and develop.

 

            The conflict in the novel is Aristotle's experience with life. He has always carried a negative attitude because of his family. His dad travels because he is at war, his twin sisters left to starts their lives, and his brother is in jail. He always said he didn't want any friends, but Dante has changed Aristotle as a person.

 

            As I have been reading, I predict at the end of the book that Aristotle and Dante will become the best of friends. I think both bring out the best in each person which makes their bond so strong. I also think their differences help them become friends. They are learning about each other's lives, but also learning about how they compare and contrast.

 

            Some examples of questions that I had while reading were

•     How are Dante and Aristotle best friends when they have little in common?
• As I was reading I thought that each other's differences help them create a better friendship.
•    How will Aristotle learn more about his family?
• I think Aristotle will have to find that on his own because his parents don't talk about his brother. I believe they don't want the same things to happen to Aristotle.

 

             While I was reading, I made two text-self connections. My first connection I made was to Aristotle. We both did not know how to swim so we took swimming lessons and learned from our instructors. The second connection I made was to Aristotle's dad. Both of our dad's travel around the world to do their job.