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Chapter 24
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 man in charge of the stables while York is away is named Reuben Smith. He’s a good man with some veterinary training, and he’s well liked—but he loves alcohol. He stays sober for weeks or months, and then has a “bout” and terrorizes his wife and everyone else. Max tells Black Beauty that Smith was fired once, years ago, when he couldn’t drive a group home because he was drunk, but he returned just before Ginger and Black Beauty came to Earlshall.
Introducing Smith like this makes it seem like leaving him in charge of the stables is an accident waiting to happen. It’s worth noting that Sewell was active in the British temperance movement, so she didn’t think drinking was a good idea—which further situates Smith as an antagonist and someone readers (and the horses) shouldn’t trust.
Themes
In early April, Smith is tasked with driving Blantyre to the train station and riding back on Black Beauty. At the station, Blantyre tells Smith to take care of Lady Anne and to not let silly young people ruin Black Beauty. Smith leaves Black Beauty at an inn and asks the ostler to have him ready at four, but at four, Smith doesn’t arrive—and the ostler notices that Black Beauty has a nail loose in his shoe. Smith appears at six and refuses to get the nail fixed. This is unlike him. Smith then disappears for hours. When he returns at nine, he’s in a bad temper and curses at the ostler and the landlord.
Black Beauty, as a horse, doesn’t see firsthand that Smith is drinking—but that seems to be what’s going on when he’s late several times and refuses to fix the loose nail. Seeing Smith in such a temper and seeing him express such little regard for Black Beauty’s wellbeing (a loose nail can lead to a shoe coming off, which can be dangerous and painful) suggests Blantyre was wrong to worry about “silly young people” ruining Black Beauty. It seems more likely that Smith’s drunken carelessness will lead to tragedy than anything else.
Themes
Smith gallops Black Beauty away from the inn, whipping him often. It’s very dark and the roads have been repaired recently, so the rough cobblestones loosen Black Beauty’s shoe. Normally, Smith would think about this and slow down, but he’s too drunk to notice. Smith pushes Black Beauty to gallop over a dangerous stretch of road, where the stones are even sharper. By now, Black Beauty has lost his shoe, and his hoof has split down to the quick. He stumbles and falls on his knees, flinging Smith over his head. Once Black Beauty manages to stand, he moves to the side of the road. Smith groans once.
Alcohol doesn’t just make Smith careless; it makes him cruel. Black Beauty has never been whipped like this, and there’s no indication that he’s not doing his best for his rider. Because of his loose and then missing shoe, though, Black Beauty’s best isn’t what it usually is—but he has no way to make Smith stop abusing him and tell him that he’s in excruciating pain due to his splitting hoof. Then, disaster strikes: Black Beauty is an animal, not a machine, and he finally gives out.
Themes
Literary Devices
For hours, Black Beauty stands, listening for anyone coming. But it’s not a busy road and nobody comes. It’s a lovely night, though, and it reminds Black Beauty of his nights spent lying beside Duchess.
Black Beauty escapes from his pain by remembering his happy early years with his mother. But there’s no real way to get around that he’s been cruelly abused—and that Smith’s abuse has injured Black Beauty and Smith himself.
Themes
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