Susie Byrd Character Analysis in Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

Overview

Susie Byrd is one of Aristotle Mendoza’s oldest and most steadfast friends. First introduced through Ari’s reluctance to connect, she emerges over the course of Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World as a fiercely loyal, politically conscious young woman who refuses to let injustice pass unchallenged. She is a character defined by directness, emotional honesty, and a willingness to stand up—even when doing so comes with consequences. While the novel primarily follows Ari’s interior journey, Susie serves as an external catalyst for his growth toward vulnerability, activism, and communal belonging.

Plot Role

Susie functions as a bridge between Ari’s solitary world and the larger community that welcomes him. She and Gina have been persistent in their friendship toward Ari for years, despite his emotional distance. The turning point comes when Ari invites her to the coming-out lunch at his home (chapter 54). From that moment, Susie becomes an active ally: she stands with Ari when he and Chuy confront a racist teacher, she helps uncover a school prank, and she offers comfort during Ari’s grief over his father’s death. Unlike characters who hover at the story’s periphery, Susie’s actions directly affect Ari’s decisions—such as his choice to speak out in Mrs. Livermore’s class (chapter 75) and his eventual willingness to trust his peers.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Susie’s primary motivation is a deep-seated sense of justice and empathy. She cannot tolerate cruelty, especially when it targets those she cares for. This is evident when she calls out Mrs. Livermore’s racist comments, labeling her a “racist bitch” without hesitation (chapter 75). She is also emotionally attuned: she cries easily, but her tears are not a sign of weakness—they reflect her capacity to feel the weight of others’ pain. At the same time, she possesses sharp wit. She teases Ari for never calling in twelve years (chapter 53), yet immediately accepts his invitation to lunch. Her actions consistently show that she values connection over social convenience. She takes risks—like leaving a note for the cricket prankster, David Brown, and inviting him to sit with her (chapter 126)—that demonstrate a willingness to extend kindness even to strangers.

Chronological Arc

Susie appears at several key junctures in the narrative:

• Before the novel’s main events (implied): Susie and Gina have long been friendly to Ari, though he has kept them at arm’s length.
• Chapter 53: Ari calls Susie to invite her and Gina to lunch, using the metaphor of friendship as countries needing visas. Susie cries and accepts immediately.
• Chapter 54: At the lunch, Ari introduces Dante as his boyfriend. Susie cries, then warmly accepts the news. She also engages in playful conversation with Dante.
• Chapter 71: Susie vents to Ari about Mrs. Livermore’s racism, expressing frustration with Ari’s earlier passivity. She warns that one day she will explode.
• Chapter 75: Susie does explode: she confronts Mrs. Livermore directly, calling her a racist and getting herself and Ari removed from the class. The principal handles the fallout.
• Chapter 115: After Ari’s father dies, Susie, Gina, and Cassandra wait by his truck to coax him out of isolation. Susie kisses him on the cheek and insists on taking him for burgers.
• Chapter 125: In the aftermath of the cricket prank, Susie is called to the principal’s office alongside Ari and Chuy. She stands firm and later reflects on the adults’ failure to teach right from wrong.
• Chapter 126: Susie discovers David Brown is the cricket prankster, leaves him a supportive note, and invites him to eat with her and Ari. She reframes the crickets as demonstrators demanding justice.
• Chapter 129: During an icebreaker, Ari declares he wants to be a writer of border stories; Susie promises to keep his secret.
• Chapter 158 (implied in outline): Ari says goodbye to his friends before leaving for Paris. Susie is among those he parts from.

This arc shows Susie moving from a persistent but somewhat peripheral friend to a central pillar of Ari’s support network. She does not waver in her loyalty, and each appearance reinforces her role as a moral compass for both Ari and the reader.

Relationships

Susie’s most pivotal relationship is with Ari. She helps him move from isolation to connection, first by insisting on being seen (“We want so much to visit you” – chapter 53) and later by modelling how to speak truth to power. Her friendship with Ari is built on mutual honesty: she calls him out when he is too passive, but she also comforts him when he is in pain.

Key Decisions and Consequences

• Confronting Mrs. Livermore (chapter 75): Susie decides to name the teacher’s racism directly in front of the principal. The consequence is removal from the class and assignment to study hall, but she also receives validation from Ari and Chuy. More broadly, this decision empowers Ari to speak up for the first time.
• Inviting David Brown to lunch (chapter 126): Susie chooses to befriend a loner rather than let him face the fallout alone. The consequence is a small but meaningful act of inclusion that expands the circle of empathy within the novel.
• Persistent friendship with Ari (throughout): She refused to give up on Ari even when he rebuffed her for years. The consequence is that Ari eventually trusts her with his deepest secret and later leans on her during grief.
• Leaving a supportive note for the cricket prankster (chapter 126): Her decision to protect David and celebrate his defiance of an unfair teacher reinforces the theme of justice and shows Susie’s strategic kindness.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Susie embodies the themes of love and sacrifice, identity and coming out, belonging vs exile, and family and acceptance. Her willingness to call out racism directly ties to the theme of love as a force that fights for justice. The epigraph of the novel compares love to a guiding torch; Susie acts as a kind of torchbearer, illuminating the ugliness of prejudice and lighting the way toward a more inclusive community. The symbol of the visa and the journey (from chapter 53) is actualised through Susie: having been granted a “visa” to Ari’s inner world, she travels there and helps him explore the “beautiful country” of his own heart. She also connects to the theme of grief and healing by refusing to let Ari isolate himself after his father’s death—she forces him back into connection, a small but essential step toward healing.

Susie’s actions also reinforce the idea that friendship itself can be a form of activism. She does not simply tell Ari he should be brave; she shows him what bravery looks like. Her presence in the novel widens the narrative from a strictly romantic love story into a story about the love that exists between friends and the way that love can change the broader world.

Five Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. How does Susie first react when Ari tells her he is gay?
Susie cries—something Ari expected (chapter 54). After composing herself, she accepts him without hesitation, telling him he is brave. She also engages warmly with Dante.

2. What does Susie do in response to Mrs. Livermore’s racist remarks?
During class, Susie confronts Mrs. Livermore directly, calling her a “racist bitch” (chapter 75). She later defends herself to Principal Robertson by citing the teacher’s pattern of racial bias.

3. How does Susie support Ari after his father dies?
Susie, along with Gina and Cassandra, waits by Ari’s truck after school (chapter 115). She kisses him on the cheek, hugs him, and insists they go get burgers, refusing to let him wallow alone.

4. How does Susie handle the cricket prank in Mrs. Livermore’s room?
She investigates and discovers David Brown is responsible (chapter 126). Rather than reporting him, she leaves a supportive note in his locker—“Dear Cricket, you’re my hero”—and later invites him to sit with her and Ari at lunch.

5. What does Susie’s friendship reveal about the theme of belonging?
Susie’s persistent efforts to connect with Ari show that belonging must be offered, not passively received. She uses the metaphor of countries and visas (chapter 53) to explain that true belonging requires mutual permission to enter each other’s inner worlds. By the end of the novel, Ari has granted her full access, and she helps him feel that he is part of a community.

For further exploration of Susie’s impact and the novel’s broader meaning, see the themes page on identity and coming out, the ending explained, and frequently asked questions.