Black Beauty
Read the following extract carefully:
"One day he and another gentleman took our cab; they stopped at a shop in R—— Street, and while his friend went in he stood at the door. A little ahead of us on the other side of the street a cart with two very fine horses was standing before some wine vaults; the carter was not with them, and I cannot tell how long they had been standing, but they seemed to think they had waited long enough, and began to move off. Before they had gone many paces the carter came running out and caught them. He seemed furious at their having moved, and with whip and rein punished them brutally, even beating them about the head. Our gentleman saw it all, and stepping quickly across the street, said in a decided voice:
“If you don't stop that directly, I'll have you arrested for leaving your horses, and for brutal conduct.”
The man, who had clearly been drinking, poured forth some abusive language, but he left off knocking the horses about, and taking the reins, got into his cart; meantime our friend had quietly taken a note-book from his pocket, and looking at the name and address painted on the cart, he wrote something down.
“What do you want with that?” growled the carter, as he cracked his whip and was moving on. A nod and a grim smile was the only answer he got.
On returning to the cab our friend was joined by his companion, who said laughingly, “I should have thought, Wright, you had enough business of your own to look after, without troubling yourself about other people's horses and servants.”
Our friend stood still for a moment, and throwing his head a little back, “Do you know why this world is as bad as it is?”
“No,” said the other.
“Then I'll tell you. It is because people think only about their own business, and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, nor bring the wrongdoer to light. I never see a wicked thing like this without doing what I can, and many a master has thanked me for letting him know how his horses have been used.”
“I wish there were more gentlemen like you, sir,” said Jerry, “for they are wanted badly enough in this city.”
After this we continued our journey, and as they got out of the cab our friend was saying, “My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.”"
Write a response answering the following questions:
- What is Mr. Wright's central 'doctrine' or belief, as explained in this passage?
- How does his interaction with the carter demonstrate this belief in action?
Support your answer with direct references and quotations from the text.
💡 Writing Tips
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To answer this, first identify the exact sentence or phrase where Mr. Wright clearly states his core belief. Once you have his 'doctrine,' look for specific actions or dialogue he uses with the carter that directly reflect this belief. Explain the link between his words and his actions carefully, showing how his behavior is an example of his stated principles.
📝 Sample Answer
Mr. Wright's central 'doctrine' or belief is that if people "see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt." This means he firmly believes that inaction in the face of injustice makes one equally culpable. He immediately demonstrates this belief by actively intervening when he witnesses the carter's cruelty. Rather than minding his own business, he "stepping quickly across the street" to confront the carter directly, threatening him with arrest. He further acts on his doctrine by "quietly tak[ing] a note-book from his pocket" to record the carter's details, intending to "bring the wrongdoer to light" and ensure accountability, which is exactly what he advocates for in his discussion with his companion.
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