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Chapter 16
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Black Beauty, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Horse Care, Abuse, and Neglect
Class, Transportation, and Victorian England
Good, Evil, and Power
Dignity and Religion
Summary
Analysis
The rest of the journey is easy, and Black Beauty and Ginger are happy to be settled in a nice stable. The coachman there is very proud of James when he hears that James was able to lead the horses out of the fire; he notes that for some reason, horses are always unwilling to leave their stalls during fires and floods. The horses must trust James.
As the coachman notes, horses tend not to want to leave their stalls when disaster strikes—a stall is often where a horse feels safe. It requires someone they trust to get them out again, so this illustrates an important safeguard that a person gets when their horse trusts them: they’re more likely to be able to save that horse from a fire or a flood.
Themes
Once the party returns to Birtwick, John is also thrilled with James’s heroism. But when he shares that Joe Green is going to replace James, James is aghast—Joe is just a child. John insists that Joe is a good boy who can learn, and he takes the opportunity to give James some advice. He shares that he was 14, Joe’s age, when his parents died and left him to care for his sister, who is disabled. His sister would’ve gone to the workhouse if Mrs. Gordon hadn’t saved them by giving his sister needlework and then employing John in the stables. John says because of his experience, he’ll never refuse to help a little boy—it’s important to take opportunities to help people when they arise.
John suggests that part of being a good, virtuous person is helping others—and not being too snobby, particularly when it comes to giving youngsters a chance. He doesn’t say so outright, but he draws a connection here between Mrs. Gordon helping him when he was young, and Squire Gordon getting James the job with his in-laws. James is young and perhaps less experienced than others who could take the job—but the novel suggests it’s the right thing to do to give him the opportunity to excel. The same, the novel suggests, goes for Joe.
Themes
James asks if John doesn’t believe in the saying to take care of number one. John says he doesn’t—he and his sister would be destitute if the Gordons had looked out for themselves, and Black Beauty and Ginger would’ve died in the fire had James thought only of his own safety. People who believe that saying are selfish. James laughs and thanks John for his mentorship. John promises to help if ever James needs something.
John is extremely direct when he insists that it’s selfish to only look out for number one. The world is a better place, he implies, when people look out for each other and help wherever they can—whether they’re helping other people or animals. Bringing up that Black Beauty and Ginger owe their lives to James also reinforces that horses are pretty powerless; they depend entirely on their owners to care for them.
Themes
The next day, Joe comes to the stables to learn his job before James leaves. He’s too short to groom Ginger or Black Beauty, so James uses Merrylegs to teach him. Merrylegs complains about being “mauled about” by Joe, but he eventually says Joe will be just fine with some training. Finally, it’s time for James to leave. He forlornly tells John that he’s going to miss the familiar faces here; he won’t know anyone where he's going. John assures him that he’ll make friends soon. Once James leaves, Merrylegs pines for several days. John leads him while he rides Black Beauty so they can gallop and have some fun. Joe’s father, Tom, sometimes helps his son, and Joe is eager to learn all he can.
Merrylegs’s complaint about being “mauled about” adds some humor to an otherwise very sad departure. The fact that Merrylegs and the other horses are so upset to lose James speaks to the strength of James’s relationship with the animals—this is the root of the horses’ trust in him. But note that it’s made very clear that while Joe is a good kid who wants to try his best, he’s not experienced. So he’s on the right track to becoming just like John and James—but until he has a few more years of training, he’s not a skilled horseperson yet.
Themes
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