What do we gain from the difficulties of transition from childhood to adulthood?
Knowledge
"Imagine that. Aristotle Mendoza, a free man. I wasn't afraid anymore. i thought of that look on my mother's face when i'd told her i was ashamed. i thought of that look of love and compassion that she wore as she looked at me." (359)
This last bit of text before the end of the book is so powerful and just gives a big step back on the bigger picture and give it a whole new lease on life. In the beginning of the book Ari is just trying to understand things like: "I don't know anything about the world" "I want to know more about this and this and this". but then, at the last bit of the book he thinks aobut all of his questions and turns them all around into this new lens he sees through now. and finally, Aristotle Mendoza, finally understands the secrets of the universe.
Experience
Our experiences can be damaging. Healing from them is what creates maturity.
"Okay, I said. For once in my life I understood my father perfectly and he understood me" (350).
After Ari wishing the whole book that he could have a connection with his father, he finally understands him. Now they can heal and move on with their relationship.
"Scars,. A sign that you had been hurt. A sign that you had been healed. Had I been hurt? Had I healed?" (335).
This moment represents transition to maturity. The scars symbolize Ari's hardships during his life from meeting Dante to confessing to Dante.
Ari has come so far. He is no longer a random boy. Going through experiences like healing from the accident, learning to drive, and having a relationship with Dante have taught him that there will always be struggles. It is you choose to do that rectify those scars.
Navigational Capital
"When i woke, Legs had her head on my stomach. I kept petting her" (342)
This also shows that with Ari in the hospital before he named Legs, he was sort of helpless in the hospital, which also shows the lack of power in a situation feature. just being there for weeks on end, not able to do anything, not being able to have free will or choices in this matter. but even though that happened, he still got through it. again, throughout all the hardships he was able to build up such a strong resistant capital, which will help for what comes ahead with Ari and Dante
By Legs putting her head on Ari's stomach means even though she has been a living memory of The Accident and how much struggle and pain it caused to him, he's still living to let it gloss over and make him develop who he really is.
Endurance
"I went down to the basement and lifted some weights for a couple of hours. i lifted and lifted until every part of my body was in pain. Pain wasn't so bad." (342)
This means and shows that Ari has been so much pain. physical, emotional, mental and even people who remember or cause him pain as-well. he's been hurt so much it's like a sixth sense or something you just went numb to. And with him saying "Pain wasn't so bad" means that he can also get over it.
Friends
"I decided to write something. This is what i wrote: I learned how to swim this summer. No, that's not true. Someone taught me. Dante. I tore out the page" (164)
Fear of change because of by Ari admitting that someone helped him and was nice to him, and also maybe that he's scared that Dante will leave him because of something he did or might have acted in the near future
This quote means that Ari might have been alone before The Accident, and even before he went to the pool; but after he met Dante, It was game-changing for Ari. Maybe not the way he thought he would make a friend, but still a friend that stuck with him throughout his life.
