Animalia, Vol 4, Issue 1 March 31, 2019 1 Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Fauna-criticism and Black Beauty By Nathan Poirier, Rebecca Carden, Hilary McIlroy and Courtney Moran ABSTRACT This paper employs fauna-criticism, as outlined below, as a unique perspective from which to (re)examine some of the major literary features of Black Beauty. From this perspective, we speculate on how the presentation of themes helps or hinders Sewell’s intended messages. In particular, this paper addresses Sewell’s use of anthropomorphism, animal advocacy, and the role of animals in human society. Though many of the specific concerns regarding the treatment of horses that are addressed in the novel are not as relevant in today's world, such as genuine ‘horsepower’ which has been replaced by technology, the novel is rich in deeper messages and values that are far-reaching and possess continued relevance. For instance, Sewell repeatedly “acknowledges the special moral wisdom of women, childre n, and animals throughout the text” (Guest x), all of which have been historically devalued and underrepresented, and continue to be today. The book has many timeless and critical themes including the responsibility of citizens to speak out and demand just ice. In a time of women’s movements such as two national Women’s Marches in Washington, D.C, #MeToo, and the Larry Nassar and Hollywood sexual assault scandals, lessons can still be drawn from old works like Black Beauty, lessons of solidarity, speaking out and taking a stand against unequal and exploitative power relations. Therefore, it is important to continually revisit classic works of literature through different lenses, such as fauna criticism, in order to provide different interpretations and perspectives on the continued cultural relevance of a work. s a fictional story, Black Beauty has been considered a work of imaginative literature, a classification incorporating such genres as fantasy, myths, legends, fairy tales, science fiction, and speculative stories. Beierl argues that the power of imaginative literature as it relates to strengthening the human-animal bond and heightening empathy lies in its use of sympathetic imagination, which is defined as “the extent to which we can think ourselves into the being of another” (213). Through the emotional identification with the A