Jarret Lewis

The chapters in Horse set in the mid-19th century revolve around Jarret Lewis. Born in the late 1830s, Jarret is enslaved for much of his life. His mother dies when he is a young child; his father, Harry Lewis, buys his own freedom and continues to look after Jarret. From a young age, Jarret feels a deep connection to horses. He notes that “his first language had been the subtle gestures and sounds of horses” (13). As a slave, Jarret often remains reticent and guarded around others, particularly around white people. He understands that his “words could be snares” (38). Despite his relative introversion, Jarret is passionate, empathetic, and deeply moral. He feels a “space in his soul for the suffering of people” and resolves “to take account of their lives, the heavy burdens they carried” (181).

The 19th-century timeline in Horse begins in 1850, when Jarret is 13 years old...