Animal realism
There are entire communities around the world that devote a great amount of their time and efforts to the rights of animals. One way to express the morals involved in the fair treatment of animals is through literature. Fairytales, fables, fantasy and other literary genres associated with children often feature animals as their primary characters.This use of animal characters in children's literature has become a popular voice used in the expression of the fair treatment of animals. The 1877 publication of Anna Sewell's classic Black Beauty is one of the earliest examples of children's literature still in circulation today that reflects the author's beliefs that animals have rights. In Caroline Thompson's film version of Anna Sewell's Black Beauty and the novel Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders, the authors make use of the animal realism genre to create a sympathetic voice for the animal characters portrayed. It is the use of these autobiographical voices that effectively draws the child reader into an empathetic relationship with the animal in an attempt to educate on the topic of mistreatment of animals.When reflecting on childhood memories, many of us can easily recall a particular story in which the impact has lasted th
Through the establishment of plot and character development, the reader/viewer of Beautiful Joe and Black Beauty has no other choice but to feel complete compassion and sympathy towards the depicted acts of violence. The music turns more dramatic and the horses' fury and discomfort is portrayed as Beauty and Ginger are made to have their bearing reins tightened repeatedly. Through the portrayal of Beauty with a memory, intelligence and allowing direct access to the animal's consciousness, the viewer is drawn into personal relations with the character. As Kathleen R Johnson fortifies Burke and Copenhaver's standpoint in her article regarding children's realistic animal stories, she mentions that the lasting impact on the youth reader evokes "formations of the texts that function as a textual code from which the reader constructs meaning about themselves and other animals". Montague of the help in which animals have provided in the upbringing of her children, teaching them a sense of unselfishness, discipline and responsibility (27). An illustration that best expresses Saunders intentions of drawing the child reader into a personal relationship with Joe can be seen in the following excerpt:I have heard her say that if all the boys and girls in the world were to rise up and say that there should be no more cruelty to animals, they could put a stop to it. First published in 1877 and 1894 respectively, Black Beauty and Beautiful Joe brought the increasing popularity of humanitarian ideals regarding the treatment of animals to the forefront of children's literature. John's lesson in which he mentions that "kind treatment makes good horses Joe, bad treatment ruins them" is reflected in the scenes of the film where Beauty is loyal and hard working for his loving caretakers. Perhaps it will help a little if I tell a story. The peak of Beauty's abuse is portrayed in the scene where his thought-to-be-loyal caretaker Reuben has a drunken spell in which he pushes Beauty to gallop through the forest despite the loss of one of his shoes. Beauty is seen as a hero in the bridge scene where he saves his master from being dragged away into a raging river. Like any writer who hopes to change how people think and feel, Anna Sewell and Marshall Saunders chose a subject close to their hearts and wrote earnestly about it. A young child can easily relate to Beauty's sense of adventure and curiosity in the world around him as depicted in the field with his mother who "so much of the time, would just stand there". It is because of this lasting impact that children's literature has become a successful vehicle in teaching morals and responsibilities.
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Acceptance Essays
