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“I don’t belong anywhere. That’s the problem” (Saenz, 88). Dante says this because he feels he cannot accurately claim the culture of being Mexican because he doesn’t have the same traditions, beliefs, or upbringing. He feels like a fraud.

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"We all fight our own private wars" (Saenz, 359)

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"Bicultural” people experience “their upbringing as the collision of multiple worlds. They sometimes face criticism for stepping outside the bounds of what’s normally acceptable in their heritage culture” (Ferenczi).

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Aristotle shows he innately identifies as Mexican. Aristotle even wants a “Mexican truck”. Dante comments on it saying that now Aristotle is a “real Mexican” now (Saenz, 245). By getting a truck that is stereotypically driven by Mexicans, this shows that Aristotle wants to show off his ethnicity and has a desire to identify as such.

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"If we studied birds, maybe we could learn to be free" (Saenz, 55)

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“How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?” (Saenz, 359)

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Aristotle and Dante are at the awkward cusp between boyhood and manhood. They must “make major adjustments, to develop new skills, or to learn to cope with new experiences” (Lenz).

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Both struggle with shame of being gay in the 1950s.

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Dante is strong in his identity as a gay man despite what others feel about his identity. Adversely, Aristotle is in denial of this identity.

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FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAYS: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe