ipl-logo

How Does Anna Sewell Identify The Nonhuman Animals

956 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay About Black Beauty

Nityesh Arumugam Prof. Shewry English 192 FE 4 May 2023 Nonhuman Humans Victorian England was a classist time period in which animal cruelty was not uncommon. As people sought wealth through animal labor, they failed to consider the wellbeing of those very animals. Anna Sewell grew up during this time period, unwillingly watching horses, that she grew to adore, getting frequently whipped and exhausted when they weren’t being neglected (Atlas). As a means to communicate this mistreatment, she wrote Black Beauty: a first person story told from the perspective of a horse, regarding the numerous masters he serves and the experiences he faces along his life. Throughout the story, Anna Sewell's Black Beauty uses anthropomorphism to create a character …show more content…

In doing so, she continues to personify the nonhuman characters in this novel while also dismantling the inequalities that humans and animals are believed to have. The incident with Samson displays Sewell’s challenge of the traditional views of people at the time. In the story, Ginger vents to Black Beauty regarding Samson’s inebriated mistreatment of her: “For a long time he stuck to the saddle and punished me cruelly with his whip and spurs, but my blood was thoroughly up, and I cared for nothing he could do if only I could get him off” (Sewell 22). Ginger’s resilience and revolt eventually leads to the literal downfall of Samson. In response, he leaves the situation, and Ginger manages to get treated with some degree of care and compassion by Samson’s master, Mr. Ryder. He confronts Samson, noting the cuts on Ginger’s body and has her work with a different breaker, Job, who provides better care and attention for her needs as she is trained. The cruelty that Samson displays as he breaks Ginger in demonstrates the disparity between humans and animals. Samson considers her, along with any other animal, an inferior, providing him with reason to treat her so cruelly. Sewell cleverly uses Ginger’s frustration –another anthropomorphic quality–towards the abuse as a means to dissolve said disparity and give her better care; humane treatment of the animals elicits more desirable reactions from them. This idea is used in order to challenge the existing theme of animal inferiority, as it pushes for a more humanized approach towards their care; therefore, contributing to the personification of the nonhuman characters in her

Show More
Related

The Book Of Negroes Aminata Historical Accuracy

1198 Words | 5 Pages

Historical fictions bring an individual’s life through historical events into reality. Hill’s use of detail in his writing makes the readers realize the horror of what the human race is capable of. For example, when Aminata describes her experience on the ship, she says, “Everywhere I turned, men were lying naked, chained to each other and to their sleeping boards, groaning and crying. Waste and blood streamed along the floorboards, covering my toes,” (73). This illustration perfectly describes the conditions the slaves lived in.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Learning To Read And Write Summary

651 Words | 3 Pages

In his narrative he talks about how he grew up in slavery being treated as a brute. He explains how his mistress at first had encouraged his reading and writing but eventually the slavery influence took over her heart and made it rock hard. The first day he came to the Hugh house he was treated as a human and was considered not a slave. When the moment of change came through her he was not allowed to read, and whenever he had a newspaper she would rip it out of his hands.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Sound Like Criminals Analysis

279 Words | 2 Pages

After reading the excerpt from Frederick Douglass, I learned the unethical, criminal nature of slavery and enslavers. I now understand the reason why Douglass wished to be an animal. In the narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass…, he recalled one of Sheridan’s speeches. He remembered reading text about immorality of slavery.

Read More

How Did Frederick Douglass Use Of Unfair Punishment

817 Words | 4 Pages

Henny, a slave girl subject to being crippled, was seen as a waste of money and waste of space, and her master would release his anger onto her, a victim to whom had no control in her ailment (Douglass, 1845/1995, p.33).Even though physical abuse was the most common method to rebuke slaves it was not the only way. Starvation, privation of sleep,

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Landon

1142 Words | 5 Pages

Landon acknowledged the extreme difficulty and highly charged emotions because of the European war. Not siding with the Nazis or the Fascists, Landon acknowledged the death and suffering of the many millions of Europeans. He concedes that the effects that their deaths and suffering will have an adverse effect on our liberties for years to come. However, he admonished the president for stating that we would not send an expeditionary force to Europe, as it appears that on that issue confusion reigned. Landon questioned the president in regards to the success of Great Britain as being a vital interest to America or if staying out of war is the dominant vital interest of America.

Read More

Literary Analysis Of Nightjohn

950 Words | 4 Pages

But sometimes he likes to take the whip and this time he whipped her until her back was all ripped and bleeding. We had to watch”(43-44). This represents pathos to create the subject of freedom by way of showing simply come cruel they may be treated. Mothers are used for breeding but, don't even get to keep their children in the end. It’s even worst to think that Sarny as a child doesn’t realize what she has lost and thinks it not only normal but okay from children to be taken away from their parent and passed on for someone to take come on till they themselves are old enough to work and to create the theme of freedom by showing how old hearted the ‘master’ is that it is clear he enjoys the pain he causes and that he makes the other slaves watch in a way of a silent threat or promise that this could and will happen to them if they too step out of line.

Read More

Abuse Of Power In Gary Paulsen's Nightjohn

841 Words | 4 Pages

Gary Paulsen conveys this theme through the use of Clel Waller. Clel Waller is a master of slaves. He has power, and he uses it to abuse his slaves. One of the slaves he abuses is Sarny. In the novel, Sarny states, “Waller he loves to carry the whip and carry the gun and so he rides in the wagon his own self”

Read More

Summary Of Frederick Douglass Dehumanization

888 Words | 4 Pages

The institution of slavery not only brutalizes its victims, but also dehumanizes the practitioners of it. Slavery had warped and twisted the very essence of every person it encountered, from the slaves being subjected to the cruelty and sadism of their masters, to the masters themselves losing their very humanity to such barbaric degrees, some of whom even being previously persons of reputable morality. The Classic slave Narratives provides numerous examples of this, many of which being within the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, and The History of Mary Prince. The Narrative of Frederick Douglass is filled with these examples of brutalization of both slave and master.

Read More

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein: Towards A Feminist Figure Of Humanity?

1075 Words | 5 Pages

It may skew her thinking and at times be subjective. The intended audience is someone who is studying literature and interested in how women are portrayed in novels in the 19th century. The organization of the article allows anyone to be capable of reading it.

Read More

Human Nature In The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

1105 Words | 5 Pages

In life, humans have many different traits that describes themself. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass shows life a slave in the nineteenth century. In the story, Douglass brings us back in time to show his experiences of the hypocrisy of human nature. Disputes with Douglass and his masters are seen throughout the story showing both the good and bad traits of human nature. American literature of the nineteenth century reveals that human nature embodies contrasting traits such as love and cruelty through the uses of literary devices.

Read More

Summary Of Homosexuality In Bram Stoker's Dracula

901 Words | 4 Pages

Craft examines the usual roles of the Victorian men and women, passive women especially, requiring them to “suffer and be still”. The men of this time were higher up on the important ladder of that era. Craft believes the men are the “doers” or active ones in

Read More

Consequences Of Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

813 Words | 4 Pages

Salvador Rocha History 202A Section 81 03 August 2015 Slavery’s Consequences While Frederick Douglass explains in detail about how he, along with many other slaves, were treated cruelly, I disagree with his statement that both slaves and masters were equally prone to the consequences of slavery. In Frederick Douglass’ book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass wrote of many difficult times as he grew older in a period of time where injustice dominated. Douglass concluded that those who were slave owners, and the slaves themselves, shared harmful consequences the consequences were not of equal value, which is why Richard Alleva’s statement of slaves suffering more than slave owners is more truthful. Through the beginning of Douglass’ experiences, it is apparent that the slaves

Read More

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Portrayal Of Victorian Women

774 Words | 4 Pages

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” critiques Victorian womanhood in several ways throughout the text. Victorian women were expected to be pure, dainty, and perfectly angelic. They were also expected to be perfect mothers, wives, and hostesses at all times. If a woman were to express too much emotion, she would be called hysterical. Hysteria was considered a medical condition which rendered a woman incapable of reason or generally thinking like an adult.

Read More

Connotation In The Horse Dealer's Daughter

1122 Words | 5 Pages

The setting in “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” continues to convey the theme that women have been oppressed by society. Mabel faces oppression in the small english town where the story takes place. She explains that being a women does not matter as much when a family has money, but when they are poor she has to walk down the streets with her eyes low and avoid eye contact as she buys the cheapest item in every store (Lawrence 458). This shows that when a woman is seen as being represented by someone with power, in this case it is her father, then they are given a little respect. However, when a women is looked at just as herself and not as a rich man’s daughter she is not seen a colleague to men but as an object that is to be pitied.

Read More

Atlantic Shrimp Is In Compliance With The Civil Rights Act Of 1964

1438 Words | 6 Pages

Equal Opportunity Employment and HRM How would information about Savannah’s labor market be important in considering whether or not Atlantic Shrimp is in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Discuss relevant data you find associated with Savannah’s demographics Economic landscapes and demographic trends have an impact on business practices and the state laws that govern them. The prevailing labor in Georgia will dictate how employers select their employees alongside other factors, such as the business stakeholders, the business policies, and the community in which the business operates within (Ashenfelter & Lee, 2017). According to research done by private welfare organization Urban Institute, Georgia faces serious challenges with

Read More

More about How Does Anna Sewell Identify The Nonhuman Animals

Related Topics

Open Document