Chapter summaries Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Chapter 70 Summary: Ari's Dream of Dante Dying of AIDS

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

In a letter addressed to Dante, Ari recounts a vivid nightmare. In the dream, Ari and Dante walk hand in hand along a riverbank under dark clouds. Dante says he is afraid. Ari sees his brother on the opposite bank, spitting into his face and shouting “Faggots!” Dante becomes gaunt, and Ari understands he is dying of AIDS. Thousands of marchers approach, carrying Dante’s dead body. Ari wakes screaming and finds his mother sitting on his bed. She tells him dreams cannot hurt him and that she is there. Ari asks Dante if he ever has bad dreams and why they linger. He also asks if Dante’s mother can interpret dreams. The next day at school, Ari walks the hallways feeling as alone as he did before meeting Dante. He wonders whether he and Dante will die from AIDS, and whether all gay men will die so the world can go on without them.

Key Events

  • Ari writes a letter to Dante describing a nightmare.
  • In the dream, Ari and Dante walk along a riverbank holding hands.
  • Ari’s brother appears on the other side, spits at them, and yells “Faggots!”
  • Dante transforms into a gaunt figure dying of AIDS.
  • Marchers carry Dante’s dead body while Ari yells his name.
  • Ari wakes up screaming, drenched in sweat.
  • Ari’s mother comforts him, affirming that dreams cannot hurt him.
  • At school the next day, Ari feels isolated and questions whether all gay men will die of AIDS.

Character Development

  • Aristotle (Ari): Ari’s internal fears surface in the nightmare, revealing his deep anxiety about losing Dante to AIDS and to homophobic violence. He transitions from feeling safe with Dante to a stark sense of solitude, echoing his pre‑Dante isolation. His questions about dreams show a growing introspection and need to process his emotions.
  • Dante (mentioned): Even off-page, Dante remains Ari’s emotional anchor. The dream’s devastation centers on Dante’s imagined death, underscoring how central Dante is to Ari’s life.
  • Ari’s mother: Her gentle presence after Ari wakes symbolizes safety and maternal support. She offers reassurance without prying, respecting Ari’s private struggle.
  • Ari’s brother (unnamed): Though present only in the dream, his hostile words and spitting embody the homophobia Ari fears from family and society.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Nightmare as Psychological Truth: Ari’s dream functions as a conduit for his real‑world anxieties about homophobia, the AIDS crisis, and the possibility of losing Dante. The surreal imagery—bullets of rain, marching crowds—amplifies his sense of powerlessness.
  • AIDS and Erasure: The dream literalizes the notion of queer erasure: Dante dies of AIDS, and the marchers carry his body away. Ari later ponders whether “all the faggots” will vanish, leaving the world without them. This motif connects personal fear to a historical epidemic.
  • Water and Riverbank: The riverbank setting recalls earlier river scenes between Ari and Dante, now corrupted by dark clouds and threat. Water, once a space of connection, becomes a boundary that separates Ari from his brother and from safety.
  • Maternal Comfort vs. Social Hostility: Ari’s mother offers a counterpoint to the dream’s aggression. Her whispered words “Dreams can’t hurt you” attempt to shield Ari, yet the chapter ends with Ari feeling that the world wants him gone.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter gives readers unfiltered access to Ari’s deepest fears. The nightmare crystallizes the intersection of homophobia, the AIDS crisis, and the terror of losing Dante. It shows that despite Ari’s developing comfort with his identity, external violence and disease remain looming threats. Ari’s final thought—that the world would get what it wanted if all gay men died—illustrates the emotional weight of internalized societal hatred. The chapter sets the stage for Ari to confront these fears in the story’s remaining chapters.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What specific elements of Ari’s dream reflect his anxiety about being gay?
    The dream includes Ari’s brother spitting and yelling “Faggots,” representing familial rejection. Dante’s death from AIDS and the marchers carrying his body symbolize the belief that gay men are doomed to illness and erasure. The rain that feels like bullets suggests that the outside world is actively hostile.

  2. How does Ari’s mother respond to his nightmare, and what does her response reveal about their relationship?
    She sits on his bed and calmly tells him dreams cannot hurt him and that she is there. Her response shows her as a source of unconditional comfort and protection, allowing Ari to feel safe enough to share his fear without judgment.

  3. What does Ari wonder about at school the next day, and why is this significant?
    He wonders if he and Dante will die from AIDS and if all gay men will die so the world can go on without them. This is significant because it reveals Ari’s internalization of social hatred and his fear that his love for Dante is doomed by a disease that the world views as a punishment.

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