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“The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” by William Saroyan is the first chapter in the NCERT Class 11 English Snapshots book. It is a touching and humorous story about two Armenian boys, Aram and Mourad, and their love for a beautiful white horse. The story explores themes like honesty, childhood innocence, family values, and the desire for freedom. In this blog, we will provide you with easy NCERT Class 11 English Snapshots chapter 1 ‘The summer of the beautiful white horse’ notes that will help you understand the story, characters, and main ideas better and prepare well for your exams. You can also download a free PDF of the notes for quick revision anytime.
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NCERT Notes Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 1 The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
William Saroyan was a famous American writer known for writing stories about everyday life and emotions. He was born in 1908 and came from an Armenian family. His stories often talk about love, family, childhood, and the importance of being kind and honest. His writing style is simple and easy to understand, but it has deep meaning. The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse is a story about two young Armenian boys and their adventure. It teaches us about honesty, trust, and the innocence of childhood in a fun and meaningful way.
Synopsis of the Story
The story is about two Armenian boys, Aram and his cousin Mourad, who belong to a poor but honest family. Mourad secretly takes a beautiful white horse to ride, and although Aram knows it’s wrong, he joins him out of excitement. They enjoy several rides before the horse’s real owner, John Byro, sees it but doesn’t accuse them, trusting their family’s honesty. This makes the boys feel guilty, and they return the horse, showing the importance of values like honesty and integrity.
Main Characters in the Chapter
Understand the people who play a role in this chapter:
- Aram (Narrator): Aram is nine years old, full of curiosity, and deeply connected to his family’s strong values. He is innocent and tries to understand the moral complexities of his cousin’s actions.
- Mourad: Mourad is Aram’s older cousin, known for his adventurous spirit and impulsive nature. Though he is considered “crazy” by the rest of the family, Mourad has a strong bond with Aram and shares his love for horses. He is also the one who takes the horse without any clear intention of harm, but gets caught in his own web of lies.
- Uncle Khosrove: Uncle Khosrove is a large, fiery man with a strong temper. He is famous for his catchphrase, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it,” which he uses to dismiss any issue, big or small. He represents the stubborn, proud, and sometimes overbearing nature of the family.
- John Byro: John Byro is an Assyrian farmer who owns the horse that Mourad and Aram take. Though he suspects that the boys have his horse, he chooses to believe in the Garoghlanian family’s reputation for honesty.
Themes in the Story
The story explores several important themes, such as honesty, childhood innocence, and freedom. Here’s a simpler explanation of these themes:
- Honesty and Integrity: The Garoghlanian family takes pride in being honest. Even though Mourad steals the horse, the story ends with him returning it, showing the importance of family values.
- Childhood Innocence: The story is told from Aram’s point of view as a child. His simple and innocent way of thinking helps him convince himself that riding the horse isn’t as bad as stealing something valuable.
- Moral Dilemma: Aram faces a struggle between his love for his cousin Mourad and knowing that stealing is wrong. He wants to believe in his cousin’s goodness, but he’s torn by the truth.
- Family and Tradition: Family values, especially honesty, are important in the story. Although the boys stray from these values for a while, the strong family tradition eventually leads them back to doing the right thing.
- Freedom and Desire: The horse represents freedom for Aram and Mourad. Their ride on the horse is a brief escape from their difficult lives and gives them a sense of joy and excitement.
Literary Devices in the Story
In William Saroyan’s story, he uses different literary devices like imagery, symbolism, and irony to make the story more interesting. Below, we explain these elements.
- Imagery: Saroyan uses rich imagery to describe the beauty of the horse and the natural surroundings. For example, “The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted, and burst into a fury of speed.”
- Symbolism: The horse symbolizes freedom, wildness, and desire. It also represents the moral choices the boys face.
- Irony: The irony in the story comes from the boys’ belief that borrowing the horse isn’t as bad as stealing, even though they know stealing is wrong. The story’s ending, where the horse is returned, highlights the ironic twist that the boys’ adventure ends without consequences.
- Dialogue: The conversations between the characters, especially with Mourad and Aram, reveal their personalities and create a humorous, relatable atmosphere.
Check Out: NCERT Notes and Solutions Class 11 English
Class 11 English Chapter 1 The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Summary
The story “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” by William Saroyan is a heartwarming story about two young cousins and their secret adventure with a stolen horse. The detailed summary below helps you understand the plot, characters, and key events in a simple and clear way.
1. The Early Morning Adventure
The story begins with Aram, the narrator, recalling a childhood memory. One morning, when he was nine, his cousin Mourad woke him up at 4 AM by tapping on his window. It wasn’t yet dawn, but the sky was light enough to recognize that Mourad was riding a beautiful white horse.
2. The Horse and the Dilemma
Aram is in disbelief because his family is poor and could never afford a horse. They belong to the Garoghlanian family, which has always been famous for its honesty. Aram’s immediate thought is that Mourad must have stolen the horse, but he refuses to believe his cousin would ever do that.
Mourad invites Aram to join him for a ride, but Aram hesitates because stealing a horse is not something they would ever do. However, he eventually convinces himself that borrowing a horse for a ride isn’t exactly the same as stealing, especially since they would never sell the horse.
3. The Ride and Mourad’s Charisma
Aram and Mourad take the horse out for a ride across the countryside. Mourad, who is considered the wild and adventurous one in the family, enjoys singing loudly, and his joyful spirit is contagious. He is often compared to their uncle Khosrove, who has a loud personality and responds to everything with “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”
4. The Return and the Confusion
When the boys encounter the farmer, John Byro, who claims that his horse has been stolen, Mourad handles the situation cleverly. John Byro notices that the horse is very similar to his stolen horse, but Mourad convinces him to overlook the similarities, trusting in the Garoghlanian family’s honesty.
The horse is eventually returned, but Aram realizes that Mourad has been taking the horse out for rides every morning for some time.
5. The Final Moral Decision
Mourad and Aram return the horse to its rightful owner, John Byro, and try to cover up the theft. They hide the horse in a barn for a while, but their actions eventually bring them face-to-face with their family’s principles of honesty. Mourad admits that he took the horse because he loves horses, but also recognizes that stealing goes against their family values.
By the end of the story, the horse is returned, and John Byro is grateful for its safe return, believing that it’s even stronger and better behaved than before.
Moral of the Story – The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
Below are the main moral lessons from the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ by William Saroyan. These points help us understand the values the story teaches, such as honesty, trust, and doing the right thing.
- Doing the right thing is important, even if you make a mistake.
- Honesty and family values matter more than fun or adventure.
- Trust is earned by good actions.
Download more NCERT Solutions of Class 11 English ‘Snapshot’ here!
| Chapter 2: The Address Solution |
| Chapter 3: Mother’s Day Solution |
| Chapter 4: Birth Solution |
| Chapter 5: The Tale of Melon City Solution |
Explore Notes of Other NCERT Class 11 Subjects
| History | Geography | Political Science | Sociology | Psychology |
FAQs
They take the horse because they love horses and wish to experience the joy of riding. Mourad, in particular, is passionate about horses, and Aram wants to fulfill his childhood dream.
Uncle Khosrove represents the pride and stubbornness of the family. He refuses to acknowledge problems or worries, symbolized by his repeated phrase, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”
John Byro believes the horse is his because of its distinctive features, such as its size and markings. However, he chooses not to accuse the boys directly because he trusts the Garoghlanian family’s honesty.
For NCERT study material, follow the NCERT Notes and Solutions Class 11 English by Leverage Edu now.
