Usually, we have contact with many world-famous novels, telling the essence of life. The stories of characters』 life move us give us a lot of enlightenment. However, Anna Sewell』s Black Beauty is a different one, as its main character is a black, handsome horse called Black Beauty. Sewell has spent 6 years on this book, while she was seriously sick. Unfortunately, she died soon after her only book in her whole life was published. As Sewell was crippled and unable to walk since a young age, she by nature had sympathy on the poor animals. Therefore, Black Beauty it is not a fairy tale, but a book which seriously talks the issue of the abuse of animals. And this story is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir by Black Beauty himself. In this way, it becomes easier for readers to understand the whole story better and more clearly. When I begin to read this book, I am absorbed in this book immediately, as if I were the horse, experiencing his life with difficulties and set-backs.
Black Beauty, who has changed his name for several times during different periods of lifetime, is a handsome horse with a life full of both happiness and suffering. He has been well trained, so he always tried to behave well. However, then he was sold from one owner to another, he began to realize how tragic his fate is. His life story has moved all the readers deeply. The author started this story by Black Beauty describing his memory about his happy childhood, when he was accompanied by his mother and taught to be a good horse. At the age of 2, Black Beauty witnessed an accident of hunting for a hare, which caused the rider falling from the horse, dead. Later that wounded horse was killed. And at the age of 4, Black Beauty was old enough to begin the use of saddle, bridle, carriage harness and shoes. Then he was sent to Birtwick Park and named of Black Beauty by Mrs. Gordon. Birtwick Park became his first pleasant home for three years, where he grew strong and met many friends with different characteristics and experiences. One of his friends was Ginger, who was ill-tempered because of a hard life with previous owners. And as a result, Ginger often got wild and bit others. Sir Oliver got a shortened tail because his previous owner thought it was fashionable. Also, there was a groom, little Joe Green. At first, he was too young to know how to properly how to take care of the hot and tired Black Beauty after an emergency, making Black Beauty seriously sick. Grieved, Joe began to do his best to learn hors care. However, soon, the Gorgons had to move because of Mrs. Gordon』s health, so they sold Black Beauty and Ginger to Earlshall Park.
In Earlshall Park, the use of bearing rein made Ginger and Black Beauty painful, so finally ill-tempered Ginger rebelled. Then she was used as a hunter, but Black Beauty was much praised because once he saved Lady Anne. However, his unfortunate life has not changed since then. Our poor Black Beauty got his knees ruined because Mr. Rubber Smith, who was drunk, took Black Beauty on a dangerous ride and at last killed himself after falling down. As a result, Black Beauty was sold as a job horse. Although, he was arranged by a smart customer to be sold to a gentleman afterwards, he still had a hard life, because the groom stole the oats in his food. Tired of the trouble of keeping a horse, the gentleman sold Black Beauty again,
This time, Black Beauty was lucky to have a kind-hearted new owner; a cab driver in London called Jerry. What』s more, Jerry』s families were all kind-hearted, which made Black Beauty happy to bear the hard work of pulling a cab every day. By chance, he met Ginger. She was mistreated as a cab horse; in such a great pain that she was longing for death. And soon, it came true. At the same time, Jerry became weaker and weaker, and finally he was ill in bed after waiting for two customers on a bitter cold night. After his recovery, Jerry was told not to work as s cab driver any more, so Black Beauty was sold again.
Black Beauty』s new owner, a corn dealer, was kind to him, but the dealer』s foreman, Jakes, often overworked the horse and used the bearing rein. Once advertised by a kind lady, Jakes was easier on Black Beauty. However, the dark stables nearly made Black Beauty blind. After sold to work as a cab horse again, Beauty was too old and too weak. Once he was exhausted because of the heavy load. Saved from being put down by a doctor, Beauty found a new owner, a farmer. With full effort, he rejuvenated Beauty and sold him to Miss Ellen and Miss Blomefield. To Beauty』s surprise, he met Joe Green there. Form then on, Black Beauty began a happy life at his last home.
After reading this book, one may admire Black Beauty』s strong will, persistence, and loyalty, or feel sympathetic on him and feel happy for him to get a happy ending. However, it needs our deeper thinking, a much deeper thinking. In fact, Sewell doesn』t only focus on showing Black Beauty』s great characteristics. By telling Black Beauty』s whole life story, she aimed at revealing the hard life of animals at that time and altering us the crime of those who abuse animals.
From Beauty』s suffering during his whole life time, we can see the tragic life of animals at that time. Some people ran after the so-called fashion blindly. In order to satisfy their own vanity，they ignored animals』 great pain. For example, Sir Oliver』s shortened tail. What the so-called fashion gave animals is great pain rather than a beautiful appearance. Some people knew nothing about how to keep animals, and were always making them work all day long. They abused the animals to make as much money as possible until they died. Therefore, on the day when the animals died, their holiday was on the way. For example, the poor Ginger that died for overwork. Though some people kept animals well, their main purpose was to have fun and to show off. They were more abominable. For example, in order to hunt for a hare, the rider killed himself at last and caused the wounded horse』s death. As Beauty said, it wasn』t worthwhile, wasn』t it? Those people who abuse d animals showed no sympathy or love on the poor animals at all. When they needed animals, they kept animals; when they didn』t need animals, they killed animals ruthlessly. To them, all animals were toys, from which they could make fun, or tools, from which they could make money. And the fate of animals at that time, like horses, was being sold from one owner to another, experiencing different kinds of suffering in the whole life. From the standpoint of animals, it must be terrible to be sold again and again.
Let』s see what the result is. Sir Oliver got great annoyance and discomfort because of its shortened tail. Ginger was ill-tempered and bit others often. What』s more, numerous animals died because of over work. What a tragedy！
In fact, the abuse of animals not only happened in the past, but also today, maybe right at this moment, a civilized age. Years ago, I got to know that a few girls cut down a cat』s feet, and then threw it on the street, leaving it bleeding to death. And the year before, it was reported that a student from QingHua University, gave black bears sulfate to drink, which gave black bears a great pain. As to the facts that some old or sick animals are abandoned, it has been very common. Although some organizations aiming at protecting animals have been set up, the abuse of animals can not be prevented. Maybe nowadays the abuse of animals was caused by life pressure, but life pressure can not be an excuse to abuse animals. Those people who live under life pressure should find other ways to solve the problem, but not avoid it by hurting animals.
However, if one can treat animals kindly, the result will be different. Kind people who love animals, such as Mrs. Gordon, Joe, Jerry, get animals』 love and respect in return. As they were friendly to horses, horses are friendly to them and would like to do as much work as they can for them, even sacrifice themselves when their owners were in danger.
I am sure, animals and human can become good friends. No animals will do harm to human, if human have not frightened them first. If you would like to try to have a close and friendly touch with animals, whether tigers or dogs, you will find that they are lovely. Its true that we are much cleverer than animals, but our intelligence should not act as the tool to dominant animals. In fact, we human and animals have the same feeling, because we are all created by one nature, and share one nature together. Therefore, human have no right to abuse them, or kill them. On the contrary, we should protect them, which is our real sacred and glorious obligation.
Do not put the 「bearing rein」 on the animals. It is cruel.
Do not always focus on our own happiness. It is selfish.
Try to open our eyes to animals that are suffering a hard life.
Try to understand The Black Beauty, and the author.
Try to give a hand in ending the abuse of animals.
At last, I want to conclude by a sentence from this book,「there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it dose not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a shame」