THE SUMMER OF A BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE (Snapshots)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Saroyan, (born Aug. 31, 1908, Fresno, Calif., U.S.—died May 18, 1981, Fresno, U.S.) writer who made his initial impact during the Depression with a deluge of brash, original, and irreverent stories celebrating the joy of living in spite of poverty, hunger, and insecurity. The son of an Armenian immigrant, Saroyan left school at 15 and educated himself by reading and writing. Saroyan was concerned with the basic goodness of all people, especially the obscure and naive, and the value of life. His mastery of the vernacular makes his characters vibrantly alive. Most of his stories are based on his childhood and family, notably the collection My Name Is Aram (1940) and the novel The Human Comedy (1943). His novels, such as Rock Wagram (1951) and The Laughing Matter (1953), were inspired by his own experiences of marriage, fatherhood, and divorce.

WRITE A SHORT NOTE ON GAROGHLANIAN TRIBES

The Garoghlanian tribes are very poor at present. They are so poor that they cannot have enough for the old and young alike. But they were known for their honest. Whatever may be the situation they never compromised on their honesty. For the last eleven centuries or so they maintained their reputation for honesty intact. Even when they were the wealthiest family in the world they were a set of honest people. Aram says that they were proud first and honest second. They had a clear perception of what is wrong and what is right. They would never steal or take advantage of anybody in the world.

Armenia and Assyria

Armenia is a small country but a big nation. It is land locked country with Turkey in the West, Georgia in the North, Iran in the South and Azerbaijan in the East. Armenia is basically a hilly country with 85% mountain area. They are an independent country since 1991.Earlier it was a part of Soviet Russia. The Armenians are predominantly Christians. Armenia is a member of Eurasia Economic Union, Armenia support the de facto independent Astrakhan which was proclaimed in 1991.

Assyria is a Geo-cultural and historical region situated in Northern Mesopotamia, traditionally inhabited by Assyrians. Assyrian empire was olden day Mesopotamia and the whole of modern day Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. The areas that form the Assyrian homeland are parts of present day northern Iraq, Southeastern Turkey, Northwestern Iran and more recently north eastern Syria. Majority of Assyrian population in Iraq live in Kurdistan. Assyrians in Turkey live in Istanbul. The Iranian capital Tehran is the home to the majority of Assyrians also, Syria has become a Centre for Assyrian population today. Assyrians are predominantly Christians.


1. You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. What makes the story interesting?

There are various things which makes the story interesting. The story is about the adventurous desire of a 9 year old boy to ride a horse. The language used to reveal the innocence of the boy keeps in suspense about the ownership of the horse. The mystery behind riding the horse makes the story quite interesting. The writer William Saroyan spontaneously captivates the way in which the relationship between the author and the cousin develops. The author weaves the story with vivid imageries Eg. “The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted and burst into a fury of speed that was the loveliest thing I had ever seen”.


2. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience stricken or because they were afraid?

The most beautiful part of the story is the fact that the boys were innocent and meant no harm to anyone. They had a dream of riding a horse. These boys belong to a heritage known for trust and honesty. They were conscience stricken when they saw the innocent farmer searching for his stolen horse. John Byro the farmer did not suspect the boys for stealing the horse even though he saw these two boys riding his own horse. The two boys Mourad and Aram were fearless but they were guilt stricken when they met John Byro a pure hearted farmer whose horse they were riding. The two boys were also cautious about the prestige and honour of their families.


3. “Every family has a crazy streak in it somewhere” explain this behaviour in instances from the story.

Crazy steak here refers to an occasional nasty behaviour of a person even though he belongs to a decent family. Mourad demonstrates the crazy streak in the Garoghlanian family. He not only steals the horse but also claims to Aram that he has an understanding with the horse. Mourad also sings loudly when riding the horse which Aram interprets as further evidence the he inherited the family’s Crazy streak.

Aram says uncle Khosrove demonstrates a crazy streak in the family. He greets every event with the same reaction no matter how serious it is. He always says “it is no harm pay no attention to it”. Even when his house burns down Khosrove repeats the catch phrase much to the dismay of his barber and his son. Similarly when John Byro complaints to him about the loss of his white horse, Khosrove simply tells him to stop crying and get over it.



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