Black Beauty · Chapter
A Thief explained
Black Beauty's new master, Mr.
What happens
Black Beauty's new master, Mr. Barry, is an unmarried businessman in Bath who knows little about horses. He hires a groom named Filcher, who initially seems competent but soon begins stealing Beauty's oats to feed his rabbits. Over two months, Beauty's health declines from lack of proper feed. A farmer friend notices Beauty's poor condition and advises Mr. Barry to investigate. The police eventually catch Filcher's son with stolen oats, and Filcher is sentenced to two months in prison.
Themes in this chapter
Animal Welfare and Cruelty
Beauty suffers from underfeeding due to the groom's theft, highlighting the vulnerability of animals to human dishonesty.
Social Class and Exploitation
The groom exploits his position of trust to steal from his employer, and the horse, as a 'dumb beast,' cannot advocate for itself.
Characters to notice
- Black Beauty
Narrator and horse suffering from underfeeding due to theft of his oats by the groom.
- Mr. Barry
New master, an unmarried businessman in Bath, ignorant of the theft but well-meaning.
- Filcher
Groom hired by Mr. Barry, steals Beauty's oats for his rabbits, sentenced to prison.
Key passages
“My new master was an unmarried man. He lived at Bath, and was much engaged in business.”
Black Beauty's new owner is a bachelor who lives in Bath and is very busy with his work.
Introduces Mr. Barry and his circumstances.
“I can't say who eats your corn, my dear fellow, but I am much mistaken if your horse gets it.”
The farmer suspects that someone else is consuming the horse's feed, not the horse itself.
The farmer's keen observation leads to uncovering the theft.
“Dumb beasts! Yes, we are; but if I could have spoken I could have told my master where his oats went to.”
Beauty reflects on his inability to speak, which prevents him from revealing the groom's theft.
Highlights the theme of animal voicelessness.