Discovering the Universe by Ruby

Discovering the Universe by Ruby - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

It is said if you read tons of books you become intelligent, but if you read “too much” you are a bookworm. I do not know what category I fall behind, but I know books carry stories that can teach us about ourselves. I remember scrolling through social media and coming across a book called Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. The title caught my attention and I searched for the summary for the book. Next thing I knew the next time I was in the store I went to the book section and began searching for the title.

It was a weekend, I was the first person in my home to wake up. The house was filled with an eerie silence, I knew I had time to read the book I purchased. I opened the book and the opening page was blank except for a series of questions that started as “Why”. As I read the questions I was sparked with interest. The setup of this page was enough to reach out to me and wonder what Aristotle and Dante discovered.

Aristotle Mendoza, a 15-year-old boy. At 15 he had already held so much hatred for the world, for himself, his parents, his siblings, and his school. He was stuck in his head, drowning in his thoughts. Ari did not realize it but the hatred he held led to isolation. His thoughts made him distant from his father, a man whom Ari wanted to understand. Ari believed that his mother was too much of a bother, bothering him about school and going out. He knew his mother loved him but he felt as if the love was too much. Ari was lonely and rejected the love his heart needed.

Throughout the book, I developed a care for Aristotle Mendoza because he represented every teenager who has felt disconnected from their world. Being a 14-year-old girl, I understood Ari. At the time I did not realize I was making connections with my life through Ari’s storyline. I never was encouraged to think about my feelings or describe how I felt leading to being oblivious. As I read Ari’s emotions it seemed as though I was reading my own. Through the book, I became self-aware of my thoughts and emotions which was a peculiar thing. Like Ari, I despised my life and I did not know how to work through those feelings. Reading about Ari opened my eyes that I was not the only person to feel the way I did.

That same summer Ari thought he would spend alone, he would spend with Dante. A boy who was the opposite of Ari. Dante was charismatic and open. He saw the world in colors and loved what the world offered. Dante valued his connection with his parents and had a kind soul. He did not reject the love that was shown, instead, he embraced it. He lived his life in acceptance without much care.

As I got to know Dante, I knew this character and I shared a connection between art and the world. Though I did not enjoy my life at the time, I did enjoy reading, music, and watching movies. All these things were created by people as a way to channel their creativity. Dante and I both understood the beauty in creativity and we valued being able to escape by artistically expressing ourselves.

In the book Ari and Dante become great friends and Ari observed many things from Dante. Ari did not have any true friends, but Dante quickly became a close friend to Ari. Like many great friendships, Ari and Dante shared a number of arguments and laughter. The turning point of the story happened when Ari and Dante were playing on the street laughing away the stress on their shoulders. Dante comes across an injured bird, being who he is a caring soul, he goes towards the bird but a car comes just as he approaches the bird. Ari instantly pushes Dante away leaving Ari to get hit. This moment causes a rift between the two boys. Ari has to recover from his injury and he hates the fact that everyone keeps saying he saved Dante. Ari saw his act as an instinct, one that he did not have to think about.

The complexity of their friendship called out to me. The way both characters carried deep emotions humanized the words on a page. The two boys contrasted each other greatly, yet they both were capable of challenging each other and helping them find who they were. Throughout the book Ari and Dante found the secrets of the universe inside another. This book showed the beautiful complexity humans carry and how each of us is tailored to the world around us, yet we meet people who show us more.

During my early teen years, I found a book I resonated with and it felt like my own journal. Even though I did not write Ari and Dante's story, their journeys mirrored my own. I found this book at the time I needed it the most. Their story did not disappoint me, it allowed me to understand myself in a way I could not with other people. This story is a celebration of human creativity and connection.