Name: Black Beauty
Author: Anna Sewell
ISBN: 9780194621106

Black Beauty

Anna Sewell

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Author Description

Ideal for intermediate and more confident learners of English looking to improve or practise their English. The book is filled with useful vocabulary that is carefully graded and easy to understand, it also comes with audio, so that you can listen to the story at the same time as reading.When Black Beauty is trained to carry a rider on his back, or to pull a carriage behind him, he finds it hard at first. But he is lucky - his first home is a good one, where his owners are kind people, who would never be cruel to a horse.But in the nineteenth century many people were cruel to their horses, whipping them and beating them, and using them like machines until they dropped dead. Black Beauty soon finds out, and as he describes his life, he has many terrible stories to tell.

Menrva's Summary

THE PULSE

Black Beauty, a horse born into a life of service, struggles to maintain his dignity and spirit while navigating the varying degrees of kindness and cruelty found in nineteenth-century human society. The narrative follows the horse's perspective as he moves from a gentle, loving home to the harsh realities of working-class London, where he is subjected to the whims of indifferent masters. He must adapt to rigorous physical labor and the constant threat of mistreatment, all while observing the complex social hierarchies of the humans who own him. The story is presented as an autobiographical account, providing a unique vantage point on the Victorian era's treatment of animals.

INSIDE THE PAGES

First-person narrative perspective from the viewpoint of a horse
Episodic structure detailing various stages of the protagonist's life
Strong moral focus on animal welfare and empathy
Vivid depiction of Victorian-era transportation and labor conditions
Clear, accessible prose designed for language learners
Contrast between benevolent and abusive human characters
Themes of endurance, loyalty, and the impact of human behavior on animals
Integration of audio components to support reading comprehension

THE COLLECTIVE ECHO

Readers frequently highlight the emotional resonance of the narrative, noting how the horse's perspective effectively humanizes the plight of working animals. Discussion often centers on the book's historical significance as a catalyst for changing animal welfare laws in the nineteenth century. Critics appreciate the simplicity of the prose, which remains accessible to readers of various skill levels while maintaining a poignant tone. The balance between the protagonist's personal growth and the broader social commentary on human cruelty is consistently praised as the work's primary strength.

Page Count:
0

Publication Date:
2016-01-06

Publisher:
Oxford University Press España, S.A.

ISBN-10:
0194621103

ISBN-13:
9780194621106

classic

Words Language & Grammar

Educational

Historical

Animal

Reference

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