Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

 

Author: William Saroyan

• Discusses Armenian - American life in his plays and other works. 
• Armenian origin, American author and dramatist of the twentieth century
• Married Carol Lucas with whom he had two children - Aram and Lucy.

Major Themes:

• The loneliness and poverty faced by expatriate communities living miles away from their homeland.
• The concepts of honour and theft by Aram, Mourad, the tribe and John Byro
• The lure of a desire in the face of poverty and binds of tradition. 
• Traditions and free spirit: the conflict and the triumph of one.
• Rising above personal desire to take a mature decision.
• The impact the story has due to a child narrator.
• The relationship between the two brothers.
• Sensitivity to the environment.
•  The concept of insanity.
• Guilty pleasures.

Major Characters:

Aram - 

The ten year old cousin of Mourad who had always been conscientious of his tribe's reputation for integrity.  Fascinated with horses since he wsas a child, he knew in his heart that Mourad had stolen the horse but justified the action by claiming that it wasn't stealing unless Mourad sold the horse for monetary gain. Was jealous of the bond Mourad shared with the horse and hoped to have the same connect with the horse someday. Found a way to keep the horse even when he found out that John Byro was the owner. Since we see the story unfold from a child's perspective, an innocence, an honesty and unbiased quality is added to the narration.

Mourad -

Considered crazy and a direct descendent of Uncle Khosrove, Mourad seemed to have a special "way" with animals and even with people. He could make them feel calm and safe. He looked after the horse in such a manner that John Byro found it better tempered and healthy on its return. Mourad too seems fascinated with horses and isn't beyond bending the rules to get what he wants. Perhaps he chooses not to tell Aram that he stole the horse to save Aram from trouble too. Mourad is a free spirited child of nature who enjoys "being alive". He does have a conscience and hence, chooses to return the horse when reminded of his family's honourable reputation.

Uncle Khosrove -

According to Aram, Uncle Khosrove, the huge man with a large mustache and a volatile temper, seems similar to Mourad in spirit. Having left Armenia perforce, Khosrove feels as if his true home and a part of his identity have been stripped away. This leads to a lack of belonging to the new land of Central Valley, California, where the Armenians have settled and a sense of frustrated anger. Thus, he is commonly observed to roar, "It is no matter. Pay no attention to it." Nothing is quite as important to him anymore and nothing quite as tragic or urgent.

The horse -

In the American culture, the white horse is quite significant. It is a symbol of purity and courage. The mythical unicorns, the courageous 'Silver' of the Lone Ranger and even the majestic king of horses, Shadowfax, from the Lord of the Rings were represented as white horses. Here, in our story, the horse becomes a symbol of the innocence of the boys as well as their uncaptivated spirits. On one hand, it establishes Mourad as the gifted child who can connect with animals and on the other, proves that Mourad had had the horse for quite some time before he brought it to Aram.

QUESTION BANK:

Q.1.  Do you think John Byro recognised his horse? Why did he not accuse the boys of stealing his horse?

Q.2. “We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries”,the narrator describes his family in these words.Do you think Mourad and Aram were honest too?Give examples to prove your point.

Q.3.   The narrator mentions “a crazy streak” running in his family. Which two characters show this streak in their behaviour and words?  Write briefly about them showing how they can be called crazy.

Q.4.   What was the Garoghlanian tribe known for over the centuries? What kind of people were they?              

Q.5.  Why was Aram frightened and delighted at the same time when he saw his cousin Mourad on a beautiful white horse?

Q.6.   How did little Aram define stealing when he had to decide whether or not to ride the horse?

Q.7.  What were the pecularities in uncle Khosrove’s behaviour?

Q.8.  How can we say that both Aram and Mourad were very fond of riding?

Q.9.  What did John Byro say to the boys when he found them walking with it one morning?

Q.10. Describe Mourad’s parting from the beautiful white horse.