Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

Early in the novel, Ari establishes a fascination with cartography. During a heart-to-heart with his mother, Lilliana tells Ari that he and Dante “are going to map out a new world” (16). While Ari knows his mother only means to support him by encouraging his new romantic relationship with Dante, he cannot help but fear that he is “going to be a terrible cartographer” (16). For the rest of the novel, Ari makes constant reference to cartography, often doubting himself and his abilities to adequately map out his life and see his visions through. Despite its challenges, Ari acknowledges that “making a map of the new world” would be “something fantastically, amazingly beautiful” (62). On his own, Ari is filled with uncertainty—namely about his capabilities and about his future—but feels more confident about his “cartography” abilities with Dante by his side. The first time Ari and Dante have sex, Ari realizes that by choosing to be together, despite all the complications involved, “it seemed that we had actually become cartographers of a new world, had mapped out a country of our own, and it was ours and only ours” (82). With Dante, Ari feels safe, hopeful, and a sense of belonging.