Explain the theme and tone of the story 'The summer of the beautiful white horse' ?
Answers
We were proud first, honest next, and after that we believed in right and wrong. None of us would take advantage of anybody in the world, let alone steal.
Mourad, who is considered to be “crazy” by his clan, has an uncanny way with animals. He relates to them with caring and understanding. As a result, when he takes the horse, it is well exercised and thrives. In his mind, he is not stealing the horse, he is caring for it.
John Byro, the horse’s rightful owner, has a suspicion about the boys having the horse and pays a visit to Aram’s home. He was a lonely man who befriended the family. He understands their virtuous, honorable existence, but also knows the boys have his horse. He hints to the adults but does not accuse the boys of stealing. When Byro and the boys run into each other, the boys have the horse. Byro knowingly examines the horse but does not accuse the boys of stealing it. He allows the boys to return the horse without asking any questions.
Early the following morning we took the horse to John Byro's vineyard and put it in the barn. The dogs followed us around without making a sound.
The dogs, I whispered to my cousin Mourad. I thought they would bark.
They would at somebody else, he said. I have a way with dogs.
Again, Byro visits Aram’s house, this time with his horse pulling his surrey. His actions allow the boys to maintain their honor. John Byro appreciates the horse being a healthy specimen when he is returned.
I do not know what to think, he said. The horse is stronger than ever. Better-tempered, too. I thank God.
The boys learned a lesson in respect and John Byro is able to maintain his friendship with the family.
Answer:
The short story “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” by William Soroyan is about Aram and Mourad, two cousins with a passion for horses, steal a horse and start to ride it among the fruit orchards and vineyards of the San Joaquin Valley. Though their tribe is known for their honesty, the boys continue to keep the horse until Aram learns how to ride. After he fufills his longing to ride a horse, they secretly take the horse back home. There are four components that contribute to the story, which are dialogue, setting/mood, characters and word choice/vocab. For example, the dialogue element helps the readers understand the story more in depth. “ and then at last, sighing sadly, he said, My white horse which was stolen last month is still gone. I cannot understand it.” (pg. 7). In the previous quote Soroyan adds dialogue to express the farmers gloomy tone more profoundly. Next, the setting/mood component helps the reader to make the setting more imaginable. For example, “good old days” (pg 2) brings a positive or reminiscent vibe to the mood. Also, the setting has been mentioned as the San Joaquin Valley where they live at the edge of town on Walnut Avenue. It helps the readers to not just imagine the valley but specifically where they live. “ Every family has a crazy streak in it somewhere, and my cousin Mourad was considered the natural descendant of the crazy streak in our tribe.” This quote from the story brings us to the next element which is characters. The quo