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#1 Bacason, Leslie C.
English 132 – F- 3:00-6:00 SW # 4-RW
IIS 2009-2010 29 January 2009
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
by William Saroyan
I. Objectives
At the end of the 60-minute period, the III-A students will:
A. recognize the short story as form of literature
B. determine the tone of a short story
C. identify the setting of a short story
D. recognize the technique of repetition as an element of style
E. apply the literal, interpretative, and critical level in analyzing a short story.
II. Subject Matter
Topic: “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse”
Reference: William Saroyan . “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” .
Reading Literature . McDougall Litell and Co. Illinois . 1985 . 211-
217.
Materials: Chalkboard, textbook
III. Procedures
1. Preliminary Activities

• Prayer

• Greetings

• Checking of Attendance

• Recap of previous lesson

2. Unlocking Difficulties

• Class, yesterday I told you that using a dictionary, look for the
meaning of the chosen unfamiliar words that you would encounter as you
read the short story. Did you do that? Have you looked for the meaning of
those words?
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Yes, Ma’am.

• That’s good. All right, before we read the story. Let us first give the
meaning of those words.
(Students’ answer)
a. poverty – n. state of being poor
b. descendant – n. offspring of a particular ancestor
c. capricious – adj. unpredictable
d. vagrant – adj. nomadic (wandering in places)
e. surrey – n. light, four-wheeled carriage pulled by a horse

Afterwards, ask them to use each word in a sentence.

C. Motivation

Ask the students to try to remember a summer when everything seemed to go

right, a summer they wish they could live over again. Explain that this story tells
about such a summer.

• Have you ever experienced an unforgettable summer? A summer you wish

you could have over again?

• This story is about such a summer where it seems to be unforgettable

because of the interesting occurrences that transpired in that season.

State in own words what they should try to find out in the story.

• Find out what makes that summer an unforgettable one.

• Explain why the first person point of view makes the story enjoyable.
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D. Presentation

Have the students silently read the story of ‘The Summer of the Beautiful
White Horse’ by William Saroyan or ask some students to have the parts of the
characters in the story where they have conversations. Doing so, this will help to
arouse the students’ interest in the story.

• Silently read the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ by
William Saroyan. Make sure to read it with comprehension. And reminder, search for the
answers to the questions that I posted a while ago.

• Anyone from the class who wants to read Aram’s part? Mourad’s? Mr.
Khosrove’s? John Byro’s? To the representatives, I want you to deliver your part with enough
confidence, proper facial expressions, and correct volume of voice.

After reading, ask the students the same questions.

• What makes that summer an unforgettable and beautiful one?

 That summer becomes unforgettable and beautiful because the characters,
especially Aram, have rare experience. He still has that kind of experience
and this is through the help of his cousin, Mourad.
• Why does the use of the first person point of view make the story enjoyable?

 In the first person point of view, the character tells the story. Sometimes, the
first person narrator tells a story that focuses on another character. The
narrator says ‘I’ but the readers feel that the story is about some other
figure.1

 Through this, the story becomes enjoyable because the narrator (Aram)
vividly explains what really happened that summer. Thus, the readers create
vivid pictures in their minds of the scenarios that transpired in the story.
He stated characteristics of his family and tribe and cited some of his
experiences. With these, the readers empathize with him by putting
themselves in Aram’s status.
Below are the statements from the story that support the statements.
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“We were poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe was

poverty-stricken. Every branch of the Garoghlanian family was
living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world.
Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to
keep us with food in our bellies, not even the old men of the
family. Most important of all, though, we were famous for our
honesty…”2

E. Generalization

Ask the students about the theme and moral of the story.

What is the story about?

It is about the person (Mourad) who took a horse without asking the
owner’s permission. The family and tribe of the two (2) main characters (Aram
and Mourad) in the story were known to be ‘honest.’ And with what they did,
especially Mourad, it seemed that they violated the norms of their tribe. But for
them, they did not because as they stated, ‘Well, it seemed that stealing the
horse for a ride was not the same thing as something else, such as money.’

What is the moral of the story?

The moral of the story is ‘honesty.’ Mourad should have asked the
owner’s permission if they wanted the horse for a ride instead of taking it
without permission because they can be accused for ‘stealing.’ And so with
Aram, he should have urged Mourad’s conscience for him to return the horse to
its owner. Although the man (John Byro) did not scold them after knowing what
they did and although the horse became stronger, it was better that they asked
the owner’s permission. Perhaps, the owner could have let them ride on the
horse for free.

F. Exercises
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Ask the students to answer the Check Test and Developing Comprehension Skills.

• Now that we’re done with the story, I want you to answer
questions based from the story. Through this, we will know if you comprehend
the short story.

Check Test

1. From whom did Mourad steal the horse?

Mourad stole the horse from John Byro, a farmer, a neighbor and a friend
of their family.

2. Where did the boys hide the horse?

Mourad and Aram hid the horse in the barn of a deserted vineyard, where
there were dry alfafa, owned by a farmer, Fetvajan.

3. How much had John Byro paid the horse?

John Byro bought the horse for sixty dollars ($ 60).

4. Why did John Byro look at the horse’s mouth?

John Byro looked at the horse’s mouth to see if the horse’s teeth matched
the teeth of his lost horse.
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Developing Comprehension Skills

1. To emphasize the tradition of honesty in Garoghlanian family.

Ask the students to characterize the Garoghlanian family regarding their

tradition of honesty.

• Although the Garoghlanian family was very poor, they were well-known
for their honesty. As Aram stated, none of them would take advantage of
anybody in this world or worse, steal.

2. Remind students that the group had just come to America from another
country. Ask them why Aram’s family was especially important to him.

Aram’s family had migrated to America. They lived together and

depended with each other. Why was Aram’s family important to him?

• Aram’s family was important to him because he valued their tradition. He

respected the culture and history of their tribe. Although they were very
poor, they lived decently. Their tribe was known to be honest, proud, and
integrity-filled.

3. Ask the students how the boys and their family would have felt if someone
would have caught them stealing.

This question is for the boys of the class. What would you feel if someone
caught you stealing? What do you think would be your family’s reaction about
what you did?

(Probable answers)

• I would feel ashamed of what I did because it was not only I who would
be humiliated; it was my family as well. I would be regretful of what I did
and would never repeat that act again.
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• They would scold me and may be would drive me away from the tribe
because I violated our family’s tradition and tainted the respected name of
our tribe.

4. Ask them to evaluate a character statement towards stealing.

“Well, it seemed that stealing the horse for a ride was not the same thing
as something else, such as money.” This is the statement of Aram (one of the
principal characters in the story). Do you agree or disagree? Why and why
not?

(Answers may vary)

• Based on what Aram said, for him what they did was not that
bad because although they did not ask the owner’s permission, they did
not intend to steal the horse but instead, they would want to borrow it. All
they wanted was a ride on the horse because due to their social status, they
could not experience to have one. I think it is not that bad as long as their
intention is good.

• I disagree with what Aram said. It is not money or the stolen

thing that matters; it is the norms of their tribe. The cousins should not get
the horse without John Byro’s permission. They should have thought of
their tribe’s reputation. What Mourad and Aram did was stealing because
they took the horse without being known by John Byro. Thus, what they
did was wrong.

5. What were the statements that John Byro said about the horse’s loss?

Class, what did John Byro said about the loss of his horse?

• “I do not know what to think. The horse is stronger than ever. Better-
tempered too. I thank God.” These are John Byro’s statement. These
convey that the loss of the horse was favorable. It was because both the
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horse and the man would benefit from it. The horse was trained and with
that, it would be more useful to the farmer.

IV. Evaluation

Study Questions

Literal Reading

Why was Aram surprised to see his cousin with the horse?

Aram was surprised to see Mourad with a horse because it was one of his
dreams. He really wanted to have one or better, to ride on. He never thought that
would happen because they were very poor. Seeing his cousin with a horse, he
would immediately think that he stole the horse.

Interpretive Reading

2. Why do you think the speaker presented so much information

about the Armenian “tribe”? List some of the characteristics of his “tribe.”

It is to have the readers known that the Garoghlanian family was known to
be honest in spite of poverty. Doing so, this contrasts what the cousins did
(stealing the horse). It is to trigger the mind of the readers and augment their
interest on the story.

The Armenian tribe was known to be honest, proud, and it believes in

right and wrong.

This supports the above statement.

“We were proud first, honest next, and after we believed in

right and wrong. None of us would take advantage of anybody in
the world, let alone steal.” 3
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Interpretive Reading

3. When he met Mourad and Aram on the road, John Byro

inspected the white horse. Why did he not take this horse from Mourad and
Aram? Do you think he knew that it was his horse? Explain.

John Byro knew that it was his horse because as he inspected the horse’s
teeth, it matched the teeth of the lost horse. But, he did not accuse the boys
because he did not want to humiliate them and the tribe. Another thing is that he
knew how ‘honesty’ matters for the family.

Here is the scenario.

“The farmer looked into the mouth of the horse.

‘Tooth for tooth,’ he said. ‘I would think it is my horse if I didn’t

know your family. The fame of your family for honesty is well
known to me. Yet the horse is a like a twin of my horse. A
suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.’4

Interpretive Reading

4. Byro mentions two (2) positive things that happened to the

horse in its absence. What are these positive things? Why do you think the horse
had made these changes in attitude?

The horse became stronger and better-tempered. The horse’s changes

were due to the attitude of Mourad. He trained the horse every morning and
become patient and kind to the horse.

Critical Reading

5. Comment on this statement on the story: “Well, it seemed

that stealing the horse for a ride was not the same thing as something else, such
as money.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.
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The statement was Aram’s words. I disagree with that because what they
did was stealing for they did not ask Kohn Byro’s permission. Although, the loss
of the horse benefited all of them, still they should have asked the owner’s
permission. With that, the tradition of honesty of their tribe would not be tainted.
They were fortunate because the man respected their family and he did not accuse
them of stealing.

Critical Thinking

6. How could Aram define stealing before and after his cousin stole the horse?
Define “crazy.”

Aram defined stealing as an act of getting something from anybody and

taking advantage of anyone. It was then, but when he saw the horse and knew that
it was stolen by his cousin, Mourad, his perception changed because it was
affected by his longing for a horse.

He said that for him, stealing a horse for a ride was not like stealing
money since they would bring the horse back to its owner soon. Based on what he
said, it conveys that it is not stealing as long as one does not intend to own the
thing. It will be if one does not return the thing to its owner.

Crazy refers to the people who are considered as insane. They are the
people who act unnaturally and improperly in particular scenarios.

An example is Mourad. Aram considered him as one of the craziest

members of the Garoghlanian family because he acted differently from Aram, as
they rode on a horse. He roared and enjoyed very much.

An excerpt is presented below.

“My cousin, Mourad, who was considered one of the

craziest members of the Garoghlanian family, began to sing. I
mean he began to roar.” 5
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On the Short Story

1. How did you recognize the tone of this story? Is the author’s tone critical of
the boys? How did you describe the tone? Amused? Forgiving?

The author’s tone towards the story is amused and forgiving. It is because the
author did not judge what the characters did. He let things happened; he did not
judge the characters; and he is not biased nor prejudiced with any of the character.

Here are some of the statements from the story proving the paragraph.

‘“It was true, then. He had stolen the horse. There was no question
about it. He had come to invite me to ride or not, as I chose. / …Of
course not,’ he said, ‘but if we are found out, that’s what you are to
say. I don’t want both of us to be liars. All you know is that we
started out riding only this morning.”’6

2. How to appreciate setting? Is the setting important in this story? New York
City or large urban area? Cite passages.

The setting is essential because the scenarios transpiring in the story vary with
the setting. Thus, it is important that the setting is relevant to the story. In the story,
the setting was a rural area because there were vineyards, fields, ditches, and
orchards. If it happened that the setting was an urban area. It will be difficult for
Mourad to steal the horse since that kind of animal is rarely seen in the place and
there were many people. With that, he will be caught.

Some passages are presented below.

“…we lived at the edge of the town….behind our house

were vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches, and country roads.”7

3. What type of a person was Uncle Khosrove? What did he mean when he
said, “It’s no harm. Pay no attention to it.”? Do you believe that there are people
like uncle Khosrove?
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Uncle Khosrove was a huge man who was ill-tempered and impatient. He
meant that one should not pay attention to problems since it was already there.
Problems should not be taken seriously for one to survive in this world. And once
that problem was solved, one should not mind that again. Instead, he should do
some other things.

There are people who are like Uncle Khosrove. They do not mind problems
that much because for them, it would only augment the intensity of the problem.
They simply think of the solutions for that problem and when it was resolve, then
they would simply go on with their lives.

4. Throughout the story, the author uses various kinds of repetition. This
repetition helps Saroyan to express his ideas clearly and to create interesting patters
of sound. Find examples of each of these techniques:

• Ask the students to define repetition and give statements from the
story where the author used repetition. Ask them to explain why there is repetition
in the given statements.

Repetition is a literary style where the author uses same patterns of sounds
or ideas in phrases and sentences, or sentence length. 8

Here are some examples:

a. Repetition of ideas

“We were poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe was poverty-stricken”9

This is a repetition of ideas because there is only one idea that centers in the
statements and it is ‘poverty.’

b. Repetition of phrases

“I have a way with a horse. I have a way with farmers. I have a way with
animals.” 10
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This is repetition of phrases because the phrase, “I have a way with” is

repeated. The object of the preposition ‘of’ varies.

c. Repetition of sentence patterns

“Consequently, even though I could see the horse, so magnificent; even

though I could smell it, so lovely; even though I could hear it breathing, so
exciting.”11

The sentence patterns of the statements are the same.

End Notes

1
Asuncion D. Maramba . Early Philippine Literature (From Ancient Times

to 1940) . Pasig City: Anvil Publishing Inc. 2006.64.

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2
William Saroyan . “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse .”
Reading Literature . McDougall Litell and Co. Illinois . 1985 . 211 .
3
Ibid . 212 .

4
Ibid . 217 .

5
Ibid . 213 .

6
Ibid . 211 .

7
Ibid . 213 .

8
Erlinda B. Sialongo et . al . Literatures of the World . Manila : REX Printing
Co., Inc . 2007 . 13 .

9
Saroyan . 211 .

10
Ibid . 214-216 .

11
Ibid . 212 .

Bibliography

Books

Maramba, Asuncion D. Early Philippine Literature (From Ancient Times

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to 1940) . Pasig City: Anvil Publishing Inc. 2006. 264 .

William Saroyan . “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse.”

Reading Literature . McDougall Litell and Co. Illinois . 1985 . 211 .

Sialongo, Erlinda B. et . al . Literatures of the World . Manila :

REX Printing Co., Inc . 2007 . 488 .