My Heart

The white horse, My Heart, symbolizes uninhibitedness. Though Aram cannot believe his cousin would have stolen the animal, he soon joins Mourad's adventures with My Heart. The horse allows the boys to discard their inhibitions, and embrace youthful abandon. The horse's name also speaks to both Aram and Mourad's longings to enjoy their lives, despite their family's strict moral code, and significant poverty.

Robin

The robin whose wing Mourad mends symbolizes freedom. When Aram finds Mourad with the bird, he realizes his cousin is speaking to it while tending to its injury. After Mourad finishes, he releases the bird into the sky, and Aram watches as the bird struggles, but succeeds in taking flight in a straight line. The author uses the bird to illuminate both Garoghlanian boys' desires for freedom. By connecting with their pure animalistic natures, both Aram and Mourad, like the bird...