Black Beauty

Black Beauty

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade historical classic
• Originally Published: 1877
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1020L; grades 5-9
• Structure/Length: 4 parts; 49 chapters; approx. 245 pages; approx. 5 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Told in the point of view of Black Beauty from the time he is a young colt, the story reveals the horse’s spirit and courage as he passes through a variety of owners—some who mistreat him—and yearns for a peaceful home.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Animal cruelty; abuse toward horses

Anna Sewell, Author

• Bio: 1820-1878; born in Norfolk, England; concerned for the humane treatment of horses from a young age; helped to edit her mother’s bestsellers for children; wrote Black Beauty as an invalid in the last months of her life

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Inherent Goodness of Animals
• Importance of Intervening to Prevent Cruelty
• Destructiveness of Alcohol Abuse
• Anti-Industrialism and Anti-Capitalism

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will

• Gain an understanding of the cultural and historical contexts that impact Sewell’s advocacy for more humane treatment of horses in Victorian England
• Study short paired texts to make connections via the text’s themes of the Inherent Goodness of Animals and the Destructiveness of Alcohol Abuse
• Plan and create a mock job application that conveys Black Beauty’s experiences and character traits based on novel details
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the damaging effects of ignorance, the importance of intervening in the face of cruelty, and other topics