Unfortunately, age catches up with Squire Gordon, and he too falls ill. One particular incident that sticks with Beauty is when he was ridden to fetch a doctor for Squire Gordon’s wife, who had fallen ill. Beauty feels fulfilled and happy living at Birtwick, as beyond being treated well, Beauty is included in various tasks that give him a sense of importance. It is also at Birtwick that Beauty meets other horses and becomes fast friends with two horses named Ginger and Merrylegs. Squire Gordon and John are also compassionate individuals and take exceptional care of Beauty. When Beauty is slightly older, he is sent to live at Birtwick Park, which Squire Gordon manages, and he is cared for by John Manly. Beauty spends most of his childhood as a foal living an idyllic and carefree life. Despite being born as one of the more privileged horses, Beauty understands that not all humans are as compassionate as Farmer Grey and can even cause them harm. Birtwick Parkīlack Beauty was born on a Victorian farm where she led a peaceful childhood with her mother, Duchess, and the kind Farmer Grey that looked after her.

Despite the protagonist’s form as a horse, the vivid way Black Beauty’s life experience is captured draws readers in, forming a sense of realism that invokes empathy.īlack Beauty illustration 1891 2. Poignant and full of emotion, Sewell illustrates a tale of kindness and evil toward animals through the eyes of one. Told from an autobiographical standpoint, Black Beauty recounts the time from when he lived as a wild foal in the English countryside on a farm to when he was held captive as a transport horse, made to pull the carriages of people. Synopsisīlack Beauty follows a horse bearing the same name and the key life lessons he learns while growing up and interacting with humans. Sewell’s work has caused a powerful ripple effect in the treatment of horses and animal rights and welfare standards, drawing more attention to these areas. While Black Beauty is still loved by many today, Anna Sewell could only enjoy the fruits of her labor a short five months before she died from her chronic illness.īlack Beauty’s skillful exploration of moral themes makes it a cornerstone of Children’s Literature, with the book teaching children values and lessons such as compassion and animal welfare. Read Black Beauty online for free at īlack Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse, more commonly known as Black Beauty, is Anna Sewell’s only novel, and upon its publication in 1877, it immediately garnered large-scale attention, with fifty million copies sold to date.

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