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Chapter 34
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
Jerry is the best man Black Beauty has ever known. He’s as just and moral as John Manly, and he regularly makes up little songs. One he sings often is about him, Polly, Harry, and Dolly helping each other—which they do every morning as they all prepare the cab and horses for a day of work. Nothing makes Jerry angrier than late people who want a cab horse to go fast because they were idle. Once, two young men tell Jerry to hurry and get them to the station in time for the one o’clock train for a shilling extra. Jerry refuses. However, Jerry isn’t opposed to hurrying if it’s for a good reason.
Describing how Jerry is able to rally his family to help bolsters Black Beauty’s assessment of Jerry as a good man. He’s not only good to his horses; he’s also kind and loving to his wife and children. While he’s working, he also prioritizes his horse’s wellbeing over money—something Black Beauty seems to find extremely noble. But this also highlights Jerry’s privilege, as he seemingly doesn’t feel the need to push his horses hard for a bit extra.
Themes
Once, a young man slips on an orange peel near Jerry, and Jerry is the first to run and help the man into a nearby shop. A few minutes later, the young man asks Jerry to take him to the station quickly, for an extra fare—his fall made him late, but he can’t miss the train. Jerry agrees and tells Black Beauty that they can move fast. It’s the middle of the day, and the streets are full of all sorts of vehicles going at all speeds in all directions. Navigating the traffic is a difficult art, but Black Beauty trusts Jerry, so they cut through and reach the station with eight minutes to spare. The young man tries to pay Jerry an extra half-crown, but Jerry refuses it.
The young men in the previous passage were just lollygagging, so Jerry didn’t think it was worth it to try to help them. This man, on the other hand, is held up through no fault of his own and is both apologetic and generous, so Jerry has no issue hurrying. In a way, he’s embodying what John Manly said about wanting to always help someone if he can. It’s also worth noting that hurrying every so often probably isn’t going to do much harm to Black Beauty or Captain.
Themes
Back at the cab stand, the other drivers mock Jerry for compromising his principles for an extra fare. Jerry shares that he turned down an extra half-crown; he was just happy to see the man get to the station in time. One driver quips that Jerry will never be rich, but Jerry says the New Testament says lots of “curious things” about rich men, so he doesn’t want to be one. Governor Grant says Jerry would deserve his wealth if he was rich, but the other driver will die poor no matter what since he spends so much money on whips. The driver insists his horse won’t go without a whip, and he’s been unlucky. Governor Gray says Lady Luck prefers men with common sense and good hearts.
There are several wealthy people identified in the New Testament, some of whom use their money to support Jesus and Christianity—and others who are greedy and are punished for their greed. Moreover, the New Testament suggests that wealth can be a moral liability if someone only thinks of themselves and refuses to be generous. The implication here is that Jerry deserves his extra money, as he did something virtuous and Christian by helping the deserving young man get to the station on time. The other driver in this exchange, though, isn’t virtuous: he’s cruel to his horse, and so Governor Grant insists he doesn’t deserve any extra money he might bring in.
Themes
