About the Lesson
In William Saroyan's evocative short story "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse," readers are transported to a small Armenian-American community where the simplicity of rural life and the complexity of familial expectations intertwine. Set against a backdrop of poverty and a rich cultural heritage, the story centres on the youthful exuberance of Aram and his enigmatic cousin Mourad. Mourad, known for his spirited and unconventional behaviour, arrives at dawn one summer morning on a magnificent white horse—a sight that sparks a whirlwind of emotions and ethical dilemmas for Aram.
The story unfolds as Aram grapples with the conflicting feelings of wonder and suspicion provoked by Mourad's unexpected gift. As the boys embark on a series of exhilarating rides, they navigate the boundaries of honesty and adventure within their close-knit community. Saroyan's tale explores themes of integrity, the allure of rebellion, and the deep bonds of family, all while capturing the essence of youthful innocence and the moral complexities that accompany it. Through vivid descriptions and heartfelt dialogue, Saroyan invites readers to reflect on the values that define us and the nature of true happiness.
Explanations
Word Meanings:
1. magnificence - splendour, grandeur, beauty.
2. delightful - pleasing, enjoyable, delightful.
3. mysterious - unfathomable, enigmatic, baffling.
4. pious - religious, reverent, devout.
5. comic - humorous, amusing, funny.
6. advantages - benefits, gains, profits.
7. irritable - easily angered, testy, crabby.
8. impatient - restless, eager, anxious.
9. descendant - heir, successor, scion.
10. capricious - fickle, unpredictable, erratic.
11. vagrant - wandering, nomadic, rootless.
12. fury - rage, wrath, ire.
13. loveliest - most beautiful, charming, delightful.
14. kicked - struck, jabbed, prodded.
15. snorted - huffed, snorted, blew.
16. reared - leaped, jumped, soared.
17. irrigation - dousing, watering, sprinkling.
18. roared - yelled, shouted, bellowed.
19. enormous - huge, vast, titanic.
20. moustache - facial hair, whiskers, goatee.
21. Vazire - command, order, directive.
22. muscles - strength, power, brawn.
23. alfalfa - hay, fodder, feed.
24. sympathy - compassion, empathy, kindness.
25. assurance - confidence, faith, conviction.
26. dismounted - got off, alighted, descended.
27. neighbours - friends, acquaintances, associates.
28. surreys - horse-drawn carriages, wagons, buggies.
29. loneliness - solitude, isolation, desolation.
30. sighed - panted, gasped, breathed.
31. leaped - jumped, bounded, sprang.
32. pains - aches, throbs, pains.
33. stalked - strolled, wandered, roamed.
34. explained - clarified, expounded,
35. descendant - offspring, heir, progeny
36. magnificence - splendour, grandeur, beauty
37. roared - shouted, bellowed, screamed
38. capricious - fickle, whimsical, erratic
39. vagrant - wanderer, drifter, transient
40. fury - wrath, rage, ire
41. pious - devout, reverent, reverential
42. humour - wit, jest, irony
43. leap - jump, bound, spring
44. reared - raised, lifted, hoisted
45. snorted - sniffed, snuffled, exhaled
46. Vazire – the name of the horse in the story
47. alfalfa - fodder, hay, feed
48. irritated - annoyed, vexed, provoked
49. loneliness - isolation, desolation, alienation
50. resounded - echoed, reverberated, thundered
Character | Description
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Aram The protagonist of the story, a nine-year-old boy.
Mourad Aram's cousin, considered to be "crazy" but has a way with animals.
Khosrove Aram's uncle, a large man with a powerful head of black hair and the largest moustache in the San Joaquin Valley.
Arak Khosrove's son.
Zorab Mourad's father, practical and nothing else.
John Byro An Assyrian farmer who had learned to speak Armenian.
Fetvajian A farmer whose vineyard was used to hide the horse.
Vazire It is the name of the beautiful white horse that Mourad and Aram ride in William Saroyan's short story, "The Beautiful White Horse
CHARACTERS
William Saroyan's "The Beautiful White Horse" features several characters.
The protagonist of the story is Aram, a nine-year-old boy from a poverty-stricken, but honest Armenian family. As the story begins, Aram is woken up in the middle of the night by his cousin Mourad, who is sitting atop a beautiful white horse. Mourad is considered to be the "crazy" member of the family, and he invites Aram to join him on a ride.
Arak is a member of the Garoghlanian family and the son of Khosrove, a man known for his fiery temper and large moustache. He is the cousin of Mourad, who is considered to be the craziest member of their family. Arak is the narrator of the story and he is nine years old when the story takes place. He is passionate about horses and longs to learn how to ride. He also has a deep admiration for his cousin Mourad, who has a special understanding with horses that Arak hopes to one day acquire.
Aram's uncle Khosrove is also mentioned, and is described as a large man with an enormous black moustache. He is known for his temper, impatience, and for his roaring catchphrase, "It is no harm; pay no attention to it."
The other main character is John Byro, an Assyrian farmer who learned to speak Armenian out of loneliness. He visits Aram's family on the day after Mourad and Aram's ride, and is in search of his stolen horse.
The story also mentions Dikran Halabian, the owner of the vineyard where Mourad and Aram ride, and Fetvajian, the owner of the deserted vineyard where Mourad hides the horse.
Zorab is the father of Mourad, a member of the Garoghlanian family, in William Saroyan's story "The Beautiful White Horse." He is described as being "practical and nothing else" and is in stark contrast to his brother Khosrove, who is considered the crazy one in the family. Zorab is mentioned in the passage when Mourad's cousin Aram is questioning how Mourad could have gotten a white horse, as the family was poverty-stricken and would never consider stealing.
Vazire is the name of the beautiful white horse that Mourad and Aram ride in William Saroyan's short story, "The Beautiful White Horse." Vazire is a mysterious character in the story because we never learn where Mourad got the horse or why it responds so well to Mourad's command. We only know that Mourad has a special way with horses, and Vazire's behaviour reflects that.
Preparation
QUESTIONS
1. You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?
2. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
3. “One day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and mysterious dream...” The story begins in a mood nostalgia. Can you narrate some incident from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
4. The story revolves around characters who belong to a tribe in Armenia. Mourad and Aram are members of the Garoghlanian family. Now locate Armenia and Assyria on the atlas and prepare a write-up on the Garoghlanian tribes. You may write about people, their names, traits, geographical and economic features as suggested in the story.
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOOK:
1. The story makes it interesting because of its beautiful description of life in a small village and the bond between two brothers. The story also contains a moral lesson about how it is important to value things that are not necessarily of material value.
2. The boys returned the horse because they were conscience-stricken.
3. An incident from my childhood that might make an interesting story is when I was about 8 years old and I went camping for the first time with my family. It was a magical experience for me because it was my first time really being in the outdoors and I was so excited to explore the woods. I remember the campfire was so mesmerizing and the stars so bright at night, and I remember feeling so connected to nature and feeling so alive.
4. The Garoghlanian family is a tribal group which is located near the border of Armenia and Assyria. The family is known for their traditional way of life and culture. They are known to be quite friendly and hospitable with outsiders, but they also value their privacy and prefer to stay close to their own community. They are also known for their strong work ethic and resilience. The Garoghlanian family has a long history of farming and animal husbandry, and they are especially known for their work with horses. They place a great deal of value on the horses they own, taking great care of them and ensuring they are well-fed and groomed. They also have a strong sense of family and community, and they value the bonds between their members.
SET 1
QUESTIONS:
1. What time did Mourad wake up Aram?
2. What was the first thing Aram saw when he looked out the window?
3. How long had the Garoghlanian family been famous for their honesty?
4. What did Aram think of Mourad's suggestion to steal a horse?
5. What did Mourad do to get the horse to obey him?
6. Where did Mourad and Aram go on their ride?
7. What did Mourad do when Aram fell off the horse?
8. What did Mourad say when Aram asked how to get a horse to understand him?
9. Who was John Byro and why did he visit Aram's house?
10. How did the farmer know the horse belonged to him?
11. What did Mourad and Aram do with the horse?
12. What did Mourad do when the farmer asked to look inside the horse's mouth?
13. Where did Mourad and Aram take the horse the following morning?
14. What did John Byro observe about the horse when he saw it?
15. What did Mourad do to the horse before they left it at John Byro's vineyard?
16. What was the reaction of Aram's uncle Khosrove when he heard that the horse had been stolen?
17. What did Mourad say he had with dogs?
18. How was the horse different when John Byro saw it again?
19. What did John Byro do when he saw the horse again?
20. What did Mourad and Aram do when the farmer asked to look inside the horse's mouth?
21. What did John Byro observe about the horse when he saw it again?
22. How did Mourad show affection to the horse before they left it at John Byro's vineyard?
23. What did Aram's uncle say when he heard that the horse had been stolen?
24. What did Mourad tell Aram to say if they were caught?
25. How did Mourad show affection to the horse before they left it at John Byro's vineyard?
26. How did Mourad get the dogs to be quiet?
27. What did John Byro do when he saw the horse again?
28. What did Mourad and Aram do when the farmer asked to look inside the horse's mouth?
29. How was the horse different when John Byro saw it again?
ANSWERS:
1. Mourad woke Aram up at four in the morning.
2. The first thing Aram saw when he looked out the window was the moon.
3. The Garoghlanian family had been famous for their honesty for hundreds of years.
4. Aram was shocked by Mourad's suggestion to steal a horse and was unsure how to respond.
5. Mourad sang a song to the horse to get it to obey him.
6. Mourad and Aram went to the village beyond Walnut Avenue and Olive Avenue behind their house.
7. Mourad quickly got off his horse and ran over to where Aram had fallen, helping him up.
8. Mourad told Aram that he needed to be gentle and loving with the horse and that he should talk to it as if it were a person.
9. John Byro was a wealthy man who had come to visit Aram's house in order to buy a horse.
10. The farmer knew the horse belonged to him because it had a distinctive white star on its forehead.
11. Mourad and Aram took the horse to John Byro's vineyard.
12. Mourad opened the horse's mouth so the farmer could examine its teeth.
13. Mourad and Aram took the horse to the Garoghlanian farm the following morning.
14. John Byro observed that the horse was strong and healthy when he saw it.
15. Mourad hugged and kissed the horse before they left it at John Byro's vineyard.
16. Khosrove was shocked and angry when he heard that the horse had been stolen.
17. Mourad said he had a special way with dogs.
18. The horse was much calmer and friendlier when John Byro saw it again.
19. John Byro was amazed and pleased with the horse's transformation and bought it from Mourad and Aram.
20. Mourad and Aram opened the horse's mouth so the farmer could examine its teeth.
21. John Byro observed that the horse was much calmer and friendlier when he saw it again.
22. Mourad hugged and kissed the horse before they left it at John Byro's vineyard.
23. Khosrove was shocked and angry when he heard that the horse had been stolen.
24. Mourad told Aram to say they had found the horse if they were caught.
25. Mourad hugged and kissed the horse before they left it at John Byro's vineyard.
26. Mourad whistled a tune which calmed the dogs down.
27. John Byro was amazed and pleased with the horse's transformation and bought it from Mourad and Aram.
28. Mourad and Aram opened the horse's mouth so the farmer could examine its teeth.
29. The horse was much calmer and friendlier when John Byro saw it again.
SET 2
QUESTION AND ANSWERS:
1. What did Aram see when he opened his window?
Aram saw his cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful white horse.
2. How did the members of the Garoghlanian family feel about stealing?
The members of the Garoghlanian family were proud and honest, and none of them would take advantage of anyone in the world, let alone steal.
3. How did Mourad get the horse to behave?
Mourad had a way with horses, and he was able to get it to do what he wanted it to do.
4. What did Mourad tell Aram to do if they were found out?
Mourad told Aram to say that they had only started riding that morning, and he would take all the blame.
5. What did Mourad do when the horse ran away?
Mourad ran after the horse and eventually found it and brought it back.
6. What did John Byro say about the horse?
John Byro said that the horse was the twin of his horse that had been stolen, and he was amazed that it was stronger and better-tempered than ever.
7. How did Mourad get the dogs to not bark?
Mourad had a way with dogs, and they followed them around without making a sound.
8. What did Mourad and Aram do with the horse?
Mourad and Aram took the horse to John Byro's vineyard and put it in the barn.
continue making questions with answers.
9. What did the Garoghlanian family do when the horse was returned?
The Garoghlanian family was so grateful that they gave the horse to John Byro as a gift.
10. What did John Byro do with the horse after he got it back?
That afternoon John Byro came to narrator’s house in his surrey and showed his mother the horse that had been stolen and returned.
11. What did Mourad and Aram do after they returned the horse?
Mourad and Aram returned home and continued their life as normal, though Mourad was praised for his bravery and kindness.
12. How did John Byro's neighbours react when they saw the horse?
John Byro's neighbours were amazed when they saw the horse and praised him for finding such a beautiful animal.
13. How did Aram feel after they returned the horse?
Aram felt relieved and proud that he and Mourad had done the right thing and returned the horse.
14. What did the neighbours say about Mourad?
The neighbour said that Mourad was a brave and noble young man, however he was a crazy streak of the family.
19. How did the villagers react when they heard the story?
The villagers were amazed and inspired by the story, and they praised Mourad and Aram for their courage and honesty.
20. What did William Saroyan write about in his book The Beautiful White Horse?
William Saroyan wrote about the courage and selflessness of the Garoghlanian family, and the importance of doing the right thing even when it is difficult.
