The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse ( Notes and H.W. Questions)

What message is conveyed through the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful Horse’?

The primary message of the story, The Summer of the Beautiful Horse, is that despite social or economic challenges, there are some truths which are absolute and should be practised under and all conditioned. It is undeniable that the story is set within a family that is poor. Their poverty is not used as a crutch or something that limits the emotional quotient of the boys or the people in the community. The boys' love for the horse is genuine and sincere, not motivated out of some ulterior motive of greed or economic want. Their love for the animal is quite authentic. When they return the horse, they have a genuine understanding that they need to return what is not theirs. They are not motivated by anything else other than the highly human reaction of wanting to make right what is wrong.

The reaction of the horse's owner, John Byro, is also very real and valid. He knows very well the boys have taken the horse, but gives multiple opportunities for the boys to recognize the consequences of their action. Ironically enough, the owner shows a sense of charity and good will and this benefits him, as the horse is much more manageable and well-conditioned as a result of the boys' work with the horse. In the final analysis, when we examine the encounter of the boys, the horse, and the owner, there is a trend that while economic hardships area strong factor in how we behave; they are not a determinant one. There is a realm of human action that can lie outside the strictly causal world of economics. The setting of the story seems to be Depression time in California, which makes reading even more interesting.

Religion and Culture of the Garoghlanian Tribe

The Garoghlanian tribe is Armenian. The culture of these people, known for their honesty, is at the heart of the story. Hospitality is also an important function in the Armenian culture. Social gatherings revolve around large amounts of food. The religion of most Armenian people is Christianity, which is structured around forgiveness of sins and, in this story focuses on tolerance. So therefore, when thehorse is returned, the farmer does not tell the Garoghlanian family that the two boys had the horse all along.

Attempt the questions in about 30-40 words. The long questions for H.W. have already been discussed in the class. Ensure that you write the answer along with the question.

         

1.      What traits of Garoghlanian are highlighted in this story?

2.      What do you think induced the boys to return the horse to its owner?

3.      What was Khosrove’s reaction when his house was on fire?

4.      Did the boys return the horse because they were conscious stricken or because they were afraid.

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

6.      Describe Mourad’s parting from the beautiful white horse.

7.      Though Aram is younger than Mourad but considerate and understanding. Justify.