Seabiscuit Character Analysis

Alluring the Audience as a Result of Appearance, Ardor and Attitude
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Whether it’s David, the tortoise, Seabiscuit or anyone else who is able to beat the odds, the longshot always becomes a hero. Seabiscuit is considered one of America’s favorite underdogs as he goes from being “a duck waddl[ing],” rejected racehorse, to “draw[ing] more newspaper coverage in 1938 than, . . any other newsmaker,” captivating the world with his story (Hillenbrand 34, 285). In the non-fiction story Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit’s physical appearance, passion, and personality set him apart from other racehorses, causing readers to fall in love with his story.
Hillenbrand utilizes Seabiscuit’s physical traits

Smith states that Seabiscuit has “More natural inclination to run than any horse I have ever seen,” which gives him the power to win races and makes watching him run interesting (107). Demonstrating that it’s the people that make games fun; if football players scored touchdowns without showing any emotion the games wouldn’t be exciting. Even through his injuries Seabiscuit never loses his ebullience; “He was frantic to run. His whole body gathered up behind the bit, . . . begging Pollard to turn him loose,” directly demonstrating his desire to gallop with so much emotion and tension making it almost impossible for readers not to be intrigued (297). The use of words like “frantic” and “begging” exhibit Seabiscuit’s wild and desperate passion to run, which adds suspense and intrigues the readers. Unlike other horses, Seabiscuit wasn’t completely forced to run as he stopped if he didn’t feel like running and received a whipping as a time marking, rather than an incessant beating. As ___________ said, “you could kill him before he’d quit,” exhibiting his drive and need to race (257). Conclusion

Smith states “It wasn’t that he couldn’t. It was that he wouldn’t,” which displays Seabiscuit’s stubbornness in a relatable way, compelling people to compare themselves or others to Seabiscuit and feel like a part of his family (39). This is again seen during his races as he takes “sadistic pleasure in harassing and humiliating his rivals, slowing down to mock them as he passed, snorting in their faces,” indirectly conveying that character, no matter what kind is better than no character. Even though Seabiscuit is often rude and haughty, this doesn’t stop peoples’ delight because his attitude is entertaining, and contains more emotion than other horses display. At the same time, Hillenbrand writes “They all had their father’s amiable personality,” showing readers that while snobbish at times, Seabiscuit’s heart is larger than his attitude. This makes Seabiscuit appear better than his opponents and easier to connect with, explaining why he is still one of America’s favorite