Article #271-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had grown fine and soft,
and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my
forehead. I was thought very handsome; my master would not sell me till
I was four years old; he said lads ought not to work like men, and colts
ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up.

When I was four years old Squire Gordon came to look at me. He examined
my eyes, my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all down; and then I had
to walk and trot and gallop before him. He seemed to like me, and said,
“When he has been well broken in he will do very well.” My master said
he would break me in himself, as he should not like me to be frightened
or hurt, and he lost no time about it, for the next day he began.

Every one may not know what breaking in is, therefore I will describe
it. It means to teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and to carry
on his back a man, woman or child; to go just the way they wish, and to
go quietly. Besides this he has to learn to wear a collar, a crupper,
and a breeching, and to stand still while they are put on; then to have
a cart or a chaise fixed behind, so that he cannot walk or trot without
dragging it after him; and he must go fast or slow, just as his driver
wishes. He must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses,
nor bite, nor kick, nor have any will of his own; but always do his
master's will, even though he may be very tired or hungry; but the worst
of all is, when his harness is once on, he may neither jump for joy nor
lie down for weariness. So you see this breaking in is a great thing.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell**

Context of the Source

Black Beauty (1877) is a novel by Anna Sewell, written from the first-person perspective of a horse named Black Beauty. It is one of the first major works of animal welfare literature and played a significant role in changing public attitudes toward the humane treatment of horses in 19th-century England. The novel follows Black Beauty’s life from a carefree colt to a working horse, experiencing both kindness and cruelty at the hands of humans.

This excerpt comes from Chapter 3, where Black Beauty describes his early training ("breaking in") under the kind ownership of his first master, Farmer Grey, before being sold to Squire Gordon. The passage highlights themes of growth, discipline, and the loss of innocence as Black Beauty transitions from a free-spirited young horse to a working animal.

Themes in the Excerpt

The Transition from Youth to Adulthood (Coming-of-Age)
- Black Beauty describes his physical maturation: "I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black."
- His master’s refusal to sell him until he is four years old reflects a belief in natural development—colts, like children, should not be overworked before they are ready.
- The "breaking in" process symbolizes the loss of freedom and the imposition of human expectations, much like a child’s transition into adulthood with its rules and responsibilities.
Power, Control, and Submission
- The passage emphasizes the hierarchy between humans and animals: horses must suppress their natural instincts ("never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses, nor bite, nor kick, nor have any will of his own").
- The training process is framed as necessary but restrictive—Black Beauty must learn to obey even when tired or hungry, mirroring how societal structures demand conformity from individuals.
- The phrase "always do his master's will" reinforces the master-servant dynamic, a common theme in 19th-century literature (e.g., slavery, class systems).
Animal Welfare and Human Responsibility
- Sewell critiques harsh training methods of the time by contrasting Black Beauty’s gentle breaking-in with the potential for cruelty ("he should not like me to be frightened or hurt").
- The detailed description of the process (saddle, bridle, collar, crupper) educates readers on the physical and psychological burden placed on horses, subtly advocating for kindness in animal treatment.
The Loss of Natural Joy
- The most poignant line: "he may neither jump for joy nor lie down for weariness"—Black Beauty’s natural behaviors are suppressed for human convenience.
- This reflects a broader Victorian-era tension between industrialization (where animals and workers were often exploited) and the Romantic ideal of nature’s purity.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

First-Person Narration (Anthropozoomorphism)
- The story is told from Black Beauty’s perspective, giving him a voice—a radical choice for the time, as animals were typically seen as property.
- This device humanizes the horse, making his struggles relatable to readers and evoking empathy.
Juxtaposition of Beauty and Constraint
- The opening lines describe Black Beauty’s physical perfection ("bright black" coat, "pretty white star"), contrasting with the later imposition of control.
- The shift from "handsome" and free to "broken in" and obedient underscores the tragedy of domestication.
Repetition for Emphasis
- The phrase "he must" is repeated ("he must never start… nor speak… nor bite… nor kick… nor have any will of his own") to build a sense of oppressive obligation.
- The anaphora (repetition at the beginning of clauses) makes the restrictions feel inescapable, reinforcing the loss of autonomy.
Irony & Understatement
- The phrase "this breaking in is a great thing" is ironic—while it sounds positive, the description reveals it as harsh and unnatural.
- The understated tone makes the cruelty more striking, as Black Beauty accepts his fate without bitterness, highlighting his resignation.
Sensory & Kinesthetic Imagery
- Sewell uses tactile descriptions ("felt them all down," "wear a saddle and bridle," "collar, crupper, and breeching") to immerse the reader in the physical experience of being a horse.
- The mention of "walk and trot and gallop" appeals to movement, contrasting with the later stillness required ("stand still").
Symbolism
- The "white star" on Black Beauty’s forehead could symbolize purity or individuality, which is later suppressed by training.
- The "harness" represents social constraints, much like how Victorian society imposed strict rules on behavior.

Significance of the Passage

Historical Impact on Animal Welfare
- Sewell’s detailed, emotionally engaging description of horse training exposed the cruelty of common practices (e.g., harsh bits, overwork, neglect).
- The novel contributed to legal reforms, such as the prevention of cruelty to animals laws in England.
Literary Influence
- Black Beauty is one of the first animal-autobiography novels, paving the way for works like Watership Down and Charlotte’s Web.
- Its moral clarity and accessible style made it a children’s classic, though its themes resonate with adults.
Social Commentary
- The passage critiques industrialization—horses (like workers) were exploited for labor, their natural needs ignored.
- The master-servant relationship mirrors class struggles, where the powerful dictate the lives of the powerless.
Philosophical Questions
- The text raises ethical dilemmas: Is domestication necessary but cruel? Can kindness exist within systems of control?
- Black Beauty’s acceptance of his fate contrasts with modern animal rights movements, which question whether animals should be subjugated at all.

Close Reading of Key Lines

"Lads ought not to work like men, and colts ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up."
- Parallel structure equates human children and young horses, suggesting both deserve protection and gradual growth.
- This reflects progressive 19th-century views on child labor and animal treatment.
"He examined my eyes, my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all down..."
- The clinical, almost invasive inspection reduces Black Beauty to a commodity, foreshadowing his future as a working animal.
- The passive voice ("I had to walk and trot") emphasizes his lack of agency.
"He must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses..."
- The prohibitions accumulate, creating a sense of suffocation.
- The phrase "nor have any will of his own" is devastating—it erases Black Beauty’s individuality.
"So you see this breaking in is a great thing."
- The ironic understatement critiques the human justification for control.
- The word "great" could mean important or oppressive, depending on perspective.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is pivotal in Black Beauty because it marks the end of innocence—the moment when Black Beauty’s natural freedom is replaced by human-imposed discipline. Sewell’s gentle but firm narration forces readers to confront the cost of domestication, not just for horses but for any being subjected to systems of control.

The passage remains relevant today in discussions about:

Animal rights (e.g., factory farming, circus animals).
Child labor and education (how much freedom should young beings have?).
Workplace exploitation (the balance between productivity and well-being).

By giving Black Beauty a voice, Sewell ensures that his story is not just about a horse—it’s about empathy, responsibility, and the ethical treatment of those under our care.

Final Thought: The "breaking in" of Black Beauty is not just about training a horse—it’s a metaphor for how society tames the wild, the free, and the innocent, often in the name of progress. The question Sewell leaves us with is: At what cost?

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s description of the "breaking in" process is structured to evoke a sense of:

A. cumulative oppression through syntactic parallelism and escalating restrictions.
B. nostalgic resignation by contrasting past freedom with present constraint.
C. didactic clarity by systematically enumerating the steps of equine training.
D. ironic detachment through understated descriptions of physical discomfort.
E. sentimental appeal by anthropomorphizing the horse’s emotional resistance.

Question 2

The master’s refusal to sell Black Beauty until age four primarily serves to:

A. underscore the economic value of a fully matured horse in the marketplace.
B. establish a thematic parallel between equine development and human childhood.
C. critique the impatience of potential buyers like Squire Gordon.
D. highlight the master’s exceptional kindness in an otherwise exploitative system.
E. foreshadow the horse’s eventual rebellion against premature labor.

Question 3

The phrase "he may neither jump for joy nor lie down for weariness" functions as:

A. a synecdoche for the broader erasure of natural instinct under domestication.
B. a metaphorical indictment of industrial-era labor practices applied to animals.
C. an example of bathos, undercutting the gravity of the horse’s plight with trivial details.
D. a literal description of the physical limitations imposed by harness equipment.
E. an appeal to pathos, emphasizing the horse’s emotional suffering over physical constraints.

Question 4

The repetition of "he must" in the third paragraph most closely aligns with which rhetorical effect?

A. Anaphora to create a sense of ritualistic inevitability.
B. Polysyndeton to emphasize the exhaustive nature of the horse’s duties.
C. Epistrophe to reinforce the master’s authority as the subject of each clause.
D. Asyndeton to accelerate the pacing and mirror the horse’s loss of control.
E. Auxesis to escalate the severity of restrictions through cumulative syntax.

Question 5

The narrator’s tone when describing the "great thing" of breaking in is best characterized as:

A. bitterly sarcastic, exposing the hypocrisy of human justifications.
B. stoically accepting, reflecting the horse’s learned helplessness.
C. subtly ironic, undermining the phrase’s apparent positivity with prior details.
D. objectively informative, prioritizing factual clarity over emotional appeal.
E. resignedly nostalgic, mourning the irreversible loss of youthful freedom.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The passage employs syntactic parallelism ("he must never... nor... nor...") to create a relentless, accumulating list of prohibitions, mirroring the escalating oppression of the horse’s natural behaviors. The structure forces the reader to experience the weight of constraints as they build, reinforcing the theme of systematic control.