Essay sample on The Legend Of John Henry's Story

John Henry was born in Virginia as a black slave in the early 1840s. He worked for the C&O railroad and was a “Steel Driver” or also known as hammer man. He would drill holes into rocks for the railroad's new line; working from sunrise to sunset until he couldn’t work no more. Then the steam- powered machine came and it was possibly faster than man. But John Henry worked so hard to beat it, it was everything he had ever wanted to accomplish and he did it all in just a matter of time. He proved that any man or even a black man could do better than a machine. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after, leaving behind his family and his wife, and son.They were all so proud of him; but that’s not the end of his story, his name still lives on today. 

 This particular story was very remarkable because he was a servant leader, and a hard-working negro. He was proving that a black man could work endlessly as a slave for the railroad. He led individuals into knowing they are stronger than they think, and can do anything if they put their mind to it. The author was shedding light on our character and lives by showing that there were very few stories like his. How John Henry put all the work he had in horrible working conditions; he was worthy of compassion and respect for everything he did.  This particular text applies to my life because I often struggle to understand how the people before us shaped our lives and our environment so much. Most of everything we have and use was worked hard on indefinitely before our time. This text makes me appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that even just from stories I have read or heard such as this one that there was so much effort put in and it persuades me to work harder towards my goals because I will succeed just like John Henry did. 

Some questions in the text that have made me realize more about myself would be How did John Henry spend all day in the sun using a 14 pound hammer putting holes in rock helping to build the railroad? John Henry never got tired or wanted to rest, he always wanted to keep going and as a college student I have to rest most of the time or I can not keep up the pace so this story is a reminder of how we have to remember who we are and where we come from, and how our bodies are temples. My work ethic could never compare to his, but there’s always room to work harder and better.  Another question is why didn’t they treat John Henry better if he was making history? Personally when you  work hard on something, you want to feel accomplished and respected after because you put in effort and time to complete it. John 

Universal interest of this text is a feel for suspense, and an experience that may be hard to understand if you can not relate. But the author made it very life-like and makes you understand other people’s perspectives. It is also focused on race in a sense because the whites kept giving the orders; and the blacks would be doing the work as slaves. John Henry was doubted when he wanted to go up against the steam powered machine. “Man Against Machine”.He drilled holes in rock, and blasted through the Big Bend Tunnel faster than the steam - powered machine. He was faster than any machine put in front of him. 

An experience in my life that has helped me to better connect with the story is that as a child, I lost my father and he wasn’t very old. It has made me become more independent and to work hard for the things I want in my life. Role Model’s are people who you look up to and people that lead by example. John Henry was a role model in so many ways, some of the characteristics he showed were bravery, commitment, dedication, and he stood up for what was right. He was a hero, and John W. Henry is my role model.