Black Beauty

Ginger is an important secondary character who functions as a foil to Black Beauty. Ginger is a chestnut colored mare, and like Beauty, she is well-bred and striking in appearance. Unlike Beauty, however, Ginger is quick-tempered, volatile, and aggressive. When she revolts against the tight bearing-rein at Earlshall, Black Beauty describes how “she was a match for them, and went on plunging, rearing, and kicking in a most desperate manner” (81). Ginger can also be curt with other horses, as well as aggressive with humans; when she first meets Beauty, she snidely tells him, “it is a very strange thing for a colt like you, to come and turn a lady out of her own house” (14). Ginger’s aggressive and embittered behavior is attributable to how she was abused and mistreated when she was young; as she explains to Beauty, “I never had any one, horse or man, that was kind to me, or that I cared to please” (22).

Ginger is a complex character whose flaws result from her previous mistreatment, and who is shown to be capable of positive change. During her time at Birtwick Park, “she grew much more gentle and cheerful” (28), and Squire Gordon comments that “you are a good bit happier than when you came to us” (29). Ginger’s ability to change in positive ways when she is treated kindly and respectfully reflects the theme of the Inherent Goodness of Animals. However, Ginger’s overall character development is more negative; she begins to act out again when she is mistreated at Earlshall, and she falls into the hands of many bad owners. When Black Beauty runs into Ginger in London many years later, her spirit has been crushed, and she has fallen into despair. She tells Beauty that “men are strongest, and if they are cruel and have no feeling, there is nothing that we can do, but just bear it, bear it on and on to the end” (154). Even though Ginger starts off as an assertive and independent character, she becomes resigned and submissive. Her tragic death shows the helplessness and vulnerability of horses who are at the mercy of human beings.

John Manly is a man who works as a groom and coachman at Birtwick Park. He has worked there since he was a young boy, and is very devoted to the Gordon family, who helped him and his sister after they were orphaned as young children. John is well-respected by Squire Gordon, and is paid good wages. John has great love and respect for animals, and comments one day that “he thought people did not value their animals half enough” (44). John values fairness and hard work, telling James Howard that “work and I are very good friends; I never was afraid of work yet” (59). However, he is also very compassionate and generous, and always tries to be kind, telling James that “there’s nothing like doing a kindness when ‘tis put in your way” (60).

John’s character remains stable and consistent throughout the novel; in fact, he takes pride in remaining morally consistent. John has a very strong sense of integrity and kindness; he tells James that “if [religion] does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham” (48). John becomes angry whenever he witnesses cruelty and ignorance, telling Tom Green that “don’t you know that [ignorance] is the worst thing in the world, next to wickedness?” (68). However, John is self-aware and capable of reflecting on his actions and admitting when he was wrong. Even when John is worried that Beauty might die due to Joe Green’s ignorance, he concedes that “if you think I am hard on the boy, I will try to give him a good word” (68). John parts with Beauty and Ginger after they move to Earlshall, and the separation marks one of Black Beauty’s early griefs.