A PowerPoint presentation by: Mrinal Ghosh, PGT (English)

Summer of the
Beautiful White Horse
By: William Saroyan
 About the Author:
• William Saroyan was an Armenian-American novelist,
playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the
Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the
Academy Award for Best Story for the film adaptation of his
novel The Human Comedy.
• Born: 31 August 1908, Fresno, California, United States
• Died: 18 May 1981, Fresno, California, United States
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

• Born: 31 August 1908, Fresno, California, United States

• Died: 18 May 1981, Fresno, California, United States
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

“The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” is narrated by

nine-year-old Aram Garoghlanian, a member of an
Armenian community living among the lush fruit orchards
and vineyards of California. One morning Aram is
awakened before dawn by his older cousin Mourad, who
everyone thinks is crazy.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

• Aram is astonished to see that Mourad is sitting on a

beautiful white horse. Aram has always wanted to ride a
horse, but his family is
too poor to afford one.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

• However, the Garoghlanian family is noted not only for its

poverty but also for its honesty, so it is unthinkable that
Mourad could have stolen the horse.
• Nevertheless, Aram asks Mourad if he has stolen the horse,
and Mourad invites him to
jump out the window if he
wants to go for a ride.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

• Now Aram is sure that Mourad has stolen the horse, but he
jumps up behind Mourad, and the two of them begin to ride
out of the little town in which they live.
• As they ride, Mourad begins to sing.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

When they reach the open country, Aram wants to ride the
horse by himself, but Mourad reminds him that it is up to
the horse. Mourad can ride because, he says, “I have a
way with a horse.” When Aram tries to ride the horse, he
cannot control the animal, and it throws him. The two boys
find the runaway horse, hide him in an abandoned barn,
and go home.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

That afternoon, Uncle Khosrove comes to Aram’s house to

smoke cigarettes and drink coffee. John Byro, an Assyrian
farmer, also comes by for a visit and complains that his
white horse was stolen last month. Uncle Khosrove roars,
“Pay no attention to it.” John Byro says that he walked ten
miles to get to Aram’s house, causing pains in his legs, and
Uncle Khosrove again bellows that he should pay no
attention to it.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

John Byro points out that he paid sixty dollars for the horse,
and Uncle Khosrove shouts, “I spit on money.” John Byro
stalks out of the house.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

Aram runs to his cousin Mourad’s house and finds him

fixing the wing of a hurt bird. His cousin has a way with
birds. Aram explains that John Byro visited and that he
wants his horse back. He also reminds Mourad that Mourad
had promised to keep the horse until Aram could learn how
to ride.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

Mourad says that it might take a year for Aram to learn how
to ride, so Aram suggests that they keep the horse for a
year. Mourad roars that the horse must go back to its owner
and that no Garoghlanian could ever steal. He says they
will keep the horse for only another six months.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

For two weeks, the boys take the horse out in the mornings
for rides, and every morning Aram is thrown, but he never
gives up hope that he will learn to ride like his cousin. One
morning the boys meet John Byro as they are putting the
horse away. Mourad explains that he will handle the
situation, as he has a way with farmers. John Byro asks the
name of the horse, and Mourad tells him that it is My Heart.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

The farmer says that he looks exactly like the horse that
was stolen from him and, after inspecting the horse’s teeth,
says that the boy’s horse could be his horse’s twin.
The next morning, the boys return the horse to John Byro’s
barn. The farmer’s dogs do not bother them because
Cousin Mourad has a way with dogs. He presses his nose
against the horse’s nose, and the boys leave.
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

That afternoon John Byro rides by Aram’s house in his

surrey to show Aram’s mother the horse that has been
returned. He says that the horse is stronger and better-
tempered than ever. Uncle Khosrove shouts, “Your horse
has been returned. Pay no attention to it.”

The End