Previous
Chapter 21
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 next morning, Joe hitches up Merrylegs and says goodbye to Ginger and Black Beauty before driving to the vicarage. John then rides Ginger and leads Black Beauty the 15 miles to Earlshall Park, home of the Earl of W. The coachman, Mr. York, is friendly to John, but he seems like the sort of person who expects to be obeyed. A groom puts Ginger and Black Beauty in pleasant stables and grooms them, and soon after, Mr. York and John enter the stable. Mr. York asks what he should know about the horses, since horses have “their peculiarities” just like people.
Mr. York seems a harder, more serious man than John. But at first glance, he seems to care just as much about horses’ welfare. Asking about Black Beauty and Ginger’s “peculiarities" suggests that he plans to do what he can to accommodate the horses’ preferences, which offers hope that the horses will be happy here. Further, the bright and pleasant stables suggest that at least the horse management aspect of Earlshall Park will be competent and enjoyable.
Themes
John says Ginger and Black Beauty are the best pair in the country. Black Beauty is easygoing, but Ginger has been abused and would likely become snappy and upset again if she were treated poorly. She’s spirited, and will fight back if she thinks she must. York promises to do his best with the horses. John adds that Black Beauty has never used the bearing rein, and he knows the bearing rein and a gag bit spoiled Ginger before she came to Squire Gordon. York says horses here must wear the bearing rein, though he personally thinks they’re unnecessary. Mrs. W insists on her horses looking stylish with a bearing rein, though York says he’ll always oppose using gag bits. John says goodbye to the horses and then he leaves.
John doesn’t have much power here: he can’t save Black Beauty and Ginger from the bearing rein. And York insists he doesn’t have much power either: he can’t stop Mrs. W from insisting on the bearing rein, even if he does think they’re a bad idea. There’s some hope for the horses’ wellbeing, though, when York speaks out against gag bits. Gag bits use leverage to apply extra pressure on the top of a horse’s head and in their mouth—it makes them pick their head up and can be really harsh in the wrong hands.
Themes
The next day, Lord W comes to inspect Ginger and Black Beauty. He’s pleased; Squire Gordon said they’re wonderful animals. Since they don’t match, though, they’ll only pull the carriage in the country. York shares what John said about the horses’ tempers, and Lord W instructs York to start slowly with the bearing rein. In the afternoon, York harnesses Ginger and Black Beauty and brings them around to the front of the grand house. Soon, Mrs. W comes down the steps. She seems displeased, but gets in the carriage. The bearing rein is a nuisance, but Ginger and Black Beauty bear it.
Already, it’s clear that Lord and Mrs. W are very different from the Gordons: they care immensely that their horses match, and it’s essential they follow the fashion of the day and use the bearing rein. On this first day of work, it doesn’t seem so bad—Black Beauty offers little comment on the bearing rein except to say that it's annoying. Mrs. W’s overt displeasure, though, implies that this is just the beginning—and that things will only get worse.
Themes
The next afternoon, Mrs. W imperiously tells York to tighten the bearing rein on Black Beauty and Ginger. York explains that they must tighten it slowly for safety, but he agrees to tighten it up a bit. Every hole makes a difference, though—and that day, Black Beauty and Ginger have to pull the carriage up a hill. It's much harder without being able to put their heads down. When they’re done, Black Beauty’s back and legs feel strained. Ginger says she’ll behave if this is as bad as it gets—but she won’t bear much more. Every day, York shortens the bearing rein. Black Beauty begins dreading the outings and Ginger grows quiet and restless. The worst, though, is yet to come.
York tries to appeal to Mrs. W by insisting that the horses might behave unsafely if they’re suddenly constricted by the bearing rein. So the fact that neither he nor Mrs. W seem to care about this suggests that they don’t much value safety, and they don’t see the horses as individuals who are going to have to get used to a more restrictive way of moving. And Black Beauty’s first-person narration shows readers exactly how terrible being restricted like this is. It hurts him, and Ginger’s temper is worsening. Ginger’s warning also suggests that if her owners aren’t going to be kind and understanding of what she’s going through, she sees no reason to play along. Put another way, they’re losing her loyalty.
Themes
Get the entire Black Beauty LitChart as a printable PDF.
