SaraRemaley

John Henry

In a class discussion, a question was brought up whether it was more important that John Henry won or was it more that he died? I believe that it was way more important that he won the race against man vs. machine. It shows heroism amongst human achievement and drive. The story is not about a man dying or the sadness that it brought about, it was about courage and determination that he put forth to even put himself to the test. Obviously he was admired by the men that worked with him, otherwise he wouldn't have become an American legend, the story wouldn't have been passed on. In the Construction Crew Version of the ballad, the crew that he worked with claimed him to be "the best in th'lan'". Clearly they idolized him otherwise they would have not put so much faith into him to win. In the end, they mourned the death of John Henry, but they do not look at him as failing because he died. When I was finished reading the story, I did not think of John Henry being dead, but as him being immortalized as a hero.