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Book Review: The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse by William Saroyan

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse by William Saroyan is a short story highlighting the importance of honesty and trust even in the face of greed and hedonism. The story features two Armenian boys named Aram and his elder cousin Mourad. They belong to Garoghlanian tribe which is, across the world, famous for honesty and trustworthiness.


One early morning when the world is still asleep, Mourad appears at the window of Aram with a beautiful white horse. Aram cannot believe his eyes, as he loves horses and to ride a horse is his life’s most precious dream. Well, the problem is that their tribe is too poor to afford any kind of horse and above it the tribe is also famous for honesty and rectitude. Thus, there are no possible ways that they can steal such a beautiful horse. Their tribe can be made to do any wretched crime but stealing.

Mourad is aware that Aram loves horse riding. Thus they both move on the horse into the wild remote vineyards. Aram soon finds out that Mourad has stolen the horse but he doesn’t consider it stealing because he isn’t selling it to anyone for profits or money, rather he is just enjoying horse rides for fun. In his view there occurred no stealing – his cousin Mourad is innocent.

First Mourad takes the ride in full gallop. Aram loves watching it. When Aram tries horse riding, he falls down after some distance. He doesn’t get on with horse, but Mourad knows. When it is enough morning and people may wake up, Mourad and Aram take the horse to a barren vineyard to keep it tied and hidden from the world. At any case both don’t want to lose it so soon.

Aram doesn’t know since how long the horse has been in Mourad’s custody. He wants to find out, but every time Mourad makes plausible excuses. It is clear that Mourad being from honest and rectitude tribe in reality is a clever chap. One day a farmer called John Byro appears at Aram’s house and cries over his horse’s disappearance over a month.

Aram recounts the tale of John Byro to Mourad. Aram insists Mourad not to return the horse unless he learns riding it. To this Mourad says that it will take a year since Aram is bad at riding. Mourad says that he will return the horse after six months.

Well one day while they are going to a deserted vineyard to keep the horse, they accidentally come upon John Byro. Upon seeing the horse, John says that the horse looks like the one he had lost. Ironically, John says had he not known their parents, then he would have claimed the horse. Since the people of their tribe are famous for honesty and trust, he doesn’t blame the boys of stealing his horse. The boys feel ashamed of their act, conscience-stricken, at night they leave the horse to John’s barn.

Thus, the conclusion of the story is that to keep the legacy of their tribe both boys give up their greed and leave the horse at his deserving owner’s barn. The virtue of honesty and trust cannot be broken down so easily for the sake of trivial self-interests.

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