Benjamin Alire Sáenz is famous for his use of setting in all his works. From novels such as Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012) to his poetry “Calendars of Dust” (1991). This Chicano author grew up in the Texas borderlands, underlining his personal connection to his stories. Sáenz’ use of settings in the borderlands builds the plot of his work by connecting with its characters through the environment in which they live. Establishing a time and place that Sáenz is personally familiar with allows for his stories to dive deep into the context, behaviors, and life of his complex stories and Chicano characters. Utilizing this rhetorical device enhances Sáenz’ work to deepen the reader's understanding of the borderlands (Ambacher, 2025).

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood (2004), Last Night I Sang to a Monster (2009), The Inexplicable Logic of my Life (2017), and Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World (2021) are a few of Sáenz’ pieces that are written in first person. As Sáenz grew into a novelist he employed first person regularly with intent of appealing to the emotional sides of his readers. Writing in first person narrative forms a more personal connection resulting in the reader sharing the same feelings and thoughts as the character. Sáenz evokes a sense of knowledge and comfort between the reader with his (often male) protagonists, creating a more relatable and intimate story. 

An allusion is a “brief, indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, or idea, often from literature, mythology, or history, that adds meaning without a lengthy explanation.” Sáenz utilizes allusions on many occasions in very different ways. In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012) the two main characters, Ari and Dante, are similar and different on many different levels. Sáenz employs allusions to art and music to identify key characteristics about the characters. From the beginning of the novel, Ari is immersed into cultural music such as “The Los Lobos version of ‘La Bamba’”, while Dante is more interested in “The Beatles". Sáenz incorporates this allusion to highlight to the readers that Ari is comfortable in his Hispanic heritage, while Dante is not. 

Additional ubiquitous themes recurring in Sáenz’ novels are love and identity. From talking about Sáenz’ employment of family issues, we started to mention how he solves those issues in his stories. To resolve a conflict, most of Sáenz’ novels result in his characters finding their true self, and therefore loving themself, which reflects how they act with/to others. Specifically in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012) the main character Ari finds himself discovering his identity through the desert of the borderlands. Sáenz utilizes the desert to “[appear] to be a wasteland but offers solace to those who understand and search out its hidden fertility.” Finding one’s identity, especially in Ari’s case, allows for the character to come to terms with the conflicts in his family. Not being scared and confused on who he is, he builds the strength to have those difficult conversations with his family. Aside from Ari’s story, Sáenz implements many rhetorical devices, allusions, and themes throughout his works to ultimately connect with readers on a more personal level (Melendez, 1999).