The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

A paradox is a larger statement or observation that logically contradicts itself. One example of paradox is when Aram contradicts his narrative: “My cousin Mourad who was considered one of the craziest members of our family began to sing. I mean, he began to roar” (4). Sounds produced from singing and roaring are vastly different, so here Aram contradicts himself, perhaps pointing to the Mourad as a multifaceted character who behaves in paradoxical ways. Khosrove is likewise a paradoxical character. Aram’s mother explains his outbursts as due to him having “a gentle heart […] It is simply that he is homesick and such a large man” (9). Having a gentle heart and yelling at anyone who tries to speak with him are character traits that one would conventionally suppose are in opposition. In fact, Khosrove’s worldview is paradoxical. He is an angry optimist. This is illustrated when John Byro complains that he had to walk 10 miles to get to their house, and Khosrove shouts, “You have legs” (9). Although he is sad and bitter and lashes out at those around him, he nevertheless points out the more optimistic side of the situation in this instance. Aram experiences conflicting, paradoxical emotions, as well. When Mourad and the horse exhibit “pious stillness and humor” (3) before their early morning ride, this makes Aram feel “delighted […] and […] frightened” (3) at the same time. He experiences two very different and conflicting emotions. Overall, Saroyan’s use of paradox throughout the story highlights the duality of existence.

Hyperbole is exaggerating for effect. Hyperbole appears often in this story. Aram describes his family as the poorest family ever: “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” (2). He also describes them as the most honest family ever: “Most important of all, though, we were famous for our honesty. We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries” (2). He also uses hyperbole when he mentions their previous wealth: “even when we had been the wealthiest family in what we liked to think was the world” (2). The use of hyperbole partially stems from the fact that the story is written from the point of view of a nine-year-old boy, whose experiences and knowledge of the world are limited. The use of hyperbole also precludes shades of meaning or understanding of various nuanced contexts, in which a family member might actually have some money or might actually be dishonest. In this regard, Aram’s hyperbole denotes a fixed mindset, with which he falls squarely on one side or the other of a dual or paradoxical situation.