The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Essay Example

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Essay Example The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Paper The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Paper This short story is a part of a book written by William Saroyan that centers on Aram, a nine-year-old boy from the Garoghlanian family. The Garoghlanian family is a tribe of Armenian descent that has immigrated to California. In this tribe they value honesty above all else â€Å"most important of all, though, we were famous four our honesty† (p. 160). Aram and his cousin Mourad went on an adventure during a summer season; it emphasized the tribe’s behavior which ran on their own sense of morality but not according to the laws of society. In this story, Saroyan brought out the theme redemption through action. In other words, redeeming or restoring the Garoghlanian family’s name through a kind act. This story also shows how in the Garoghlanian family, material wealth is not important to the tribe members. What’s important is being true to one self and to the family and it is what makes a man good. Aram reflected innocence. According to him the world was full with imagination and life was beautiful with mysterious dreams. At nine years old he was trying to find a way to integrate the culture of the family or the tribe with the culture of his life in this new land. However, his earliest memories were about horses and the desire to ride them. Due to the fact that the family was poor, it was a mystery for people to understand how they eat everyday let alone afford a horse. Therefore, Aram could not believe his eyes when cousin Mourad showed up sitting on a beautiful white horse to his window. Despite the tribe was poverty-stricken; it remained famous for their honesty. As a result Aram refused to believe that cousin Mourad had stolen the horse. Sadly, Aram realized that the horse was stolen. However, according to him stealing a horse for a ride was not necessarily stealing, as it was not considered as stealing money or selling the horse â€Å"For all I knew, maybe it wasnt stealing at all. If you were crazy about horses the way my cousin Mourad and I were, it wasnt stealing† (p. 160). They decided to keep the horse a secret and hide it in order to learn to ride. To Aram, cousin Mourad was a free spirit even though he was considered the crazy streak of the tribe. Cousin Mourad reflected life and wilderness; he had a way with animals, especially with horses. He was a good horse rider. He was not in the world by mistake â€Å"†¦he enjoyed being alive more than anybody else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 160). He was considered the natural descendant of their uncle Khosrove. Given that in the tribe â€Å"a man could be the father of his sons flesh, but that did not mean that he was also the father of his spirit† (p. 161). In other words, cousin Mourad was carefree as uncle Khosrove and people often dismissed their behavior. Riding horses was significant to Aram and cousin Mourad, it was a wonderful feeling. In the days that follow they rode and they let the horse run as long as it felt like running. After all, when Aram wanted to ride alone it was up to the horse according to cousin Mourad. However, every time Aram tried to ride the horse alone he leaped over grape vines and small trees and threw him and ran away. Regardless, he was determined to ride like cousin Mourad. One day Aram and cousin Mourad was taking the horse to the farm at which they have been hiding it. They came face to face with the farmer John Byro the horse’s owner. After careful examination he concluded that this white horse was identical to the one that was stolen from him many weeks ago. Nevertheless, since the Garoghlanian tribe was known for its honesty he refused to accuse them, he showed compassion and wisdom, for â€Å"a suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart† (p. 164). Aram noted that cousin Mourad looked ashamed even though he did not admit to anything. The next day they brought the horse back to the owner’s farm. Later that day John Byro visited the Garoghlanian family home and told them about his horse which was mysteriously disappeared from his farm and had returned, not only that, the horse was better trained and well-tempered. The horse represented several things to Aram and Mourad in Saroyans story. The first would be a sense of indescribable beauty. It was magnificent, lovely and exciting. Second of all they were mesmerized by the presence of the horse and decided to fulfill their passions and interests. Being hesitant at first, Aram gave in knowing that his behavior could potentially disrupt the balance in the family. In other words it could tarnish the family good reputation. On the other hand, cousin Mourad completely let his passion and interest namely animals guided him. After the encounter with John Byro, they quickly realized their mistake and guilt led them to return the horse and redeemed the family’s name. Overall, the Garoghlanian family was still known for their honesty, John Byro found his lost horse better than it was before and Aram and cousin Mourad fulfilled their dreams.

The ABCs (and Ds and Es) of Plot Development

The ABCs (and Ds and Es) of Plot Development The ABCs (and Ds and Es) of Plot Development The ABCs (and Ds and Es) of Plot Development By Mark Nichol Plot develops out of conflict, either external, such as a person or an event that precipitates a series of actions the main character undertakes, or internal, driven by the protagonist’s wants and/or needs. How that character, and others, makes choices and otherwise responds to stimuli determines the course of events. The traditional structure of a plot is linear, in which the protagonist’s actions are charted in a more or less straight line, although many stories shift from that person’s point of view to that of one or more other characters as the tale progresses. Others involve one or more flashbacks, introducing new elements to the overarching plot or by explaining elements that appeared in previous acts (known as Chekhov’s Gun). In one sense, there are innumerable stories; looking at storytelling another way, various analysts have discovered variable finite numbers of basic plots (such as the quest, which is ubiquitous in all genres), though these types have a seemingly infinite number of variations, as a visit to any large bookstore or library will attest. But stories almost invariably follow a simple pattern, in which rising action propels the protagonist through a series of complications that result in a climax, followed by the falling action of the resolution. At this point, the character, or at least the character’s circumstances, have changed, though most readers (and writers) find it most satisfying if the character has experienced significant growth or change and has accomplished a palpable goal, such as a physical journey that has allowed the character to achieve some reward, or an intangible goal that still satisfies the reader’s desire for the protagonist to undergo a metamorphosis of some kind. Writer Annie Lamott created a helpful mnemonic catechism, ABCDE, to help writers remember the basics. Here are the elements: Action: Set the scene with an event that launches the series of events that constitutes a story. This scene should happen as early as possible, and though writers renowned and obscure alike have broken this rule with some degree of success, observe it unless you have an outstanding reason not to. Background: Context is essential to settle your readers into the story, though, as indicated above, it usually follows initiating action. Pay it out parsimoniously, however, and don’t let your reader get ahead of your protagonist, or you’ll likely release the dramatic tension prematurely. Conflict: Such tension is produced by your protagonist’s impetus to achieve a goal. That goal should be specific, and, for the story to be compelling, it should be something the character can’t live without. To be even more so, it shouldn’t be easy for the character to satisfy that desire. The tension is produced by desire, but it is sustained by obstacles to attainment of that desire. Development: This element constitutes the bulk of the plot; it is the journey, and all the events and incidents along the way. These happenings should bring the protagonist ever closer to resolution of the conflict, and they should steadily escalate in import and impact to heighten the suspense and keep the reader engaged in the story. End: The final step is further subdivided into a mnemonic trio: The crisis is the stage at which the protagonist must decide how to resolve the conflict, the climax is the tipping point at which the conflict is resolved, and the consequences consist of the state of affairs that exists after the crisis and the climax has the main character changed, or has the main character changed the world in some way? What is the outcome of all that has come before? This stage in a story, also called the denouement, is the final, necessary release of dramatic tension. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?Letter Writing 101