John Henry And Summary: A National Folk Hero

Hero: a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. The definition of what a hero is has changed over the course of time. However the same concept has always been applied. Folk Stories tend to have a hero as the main character. John Henry for instance became a national folk hero. A hero is someone who is compassionate to others and helps improve their society by making an impact on something they believe in. John Henry is a folk hero traditionally thought of by having these characteristics. John Henry was a national hero. This is said because John stood for what he believed in by using his amazing strength. “Before I’d let this steam drill beat me down, I’d hammer my fool self to death”{pg.383}. This passage illustrates John Henry standing up for what he believes in. This is a valuable asset for a hero. John Henry had an impact on everyone when he lived.This can be proven because “All the women in the Wes, When they heard of John Henry’s death, Stood in the rain, flagged the eas’-boun’ train,Goin’ where John Henry fell dead{384}.This is because John henry lived during slavery and he had changed the image of how the caucasian southerners look a African Americans. …show more content…
However how about everyday heroes. These are the heroes in our very lives that do extraordinary thing to help out a fellow being in need. These people do not care about fame and glory but to help us. They do not have superpowers but help others through the sheer power of will. An example of these heroes would be “Craig Dodson who started nonprofit cycling program for at-risk youth living in Richmond, Virginia, public housing. But he is much more than a coach to them”(CNN).People such as Craig are no more than ordinary human beings but doing something that is extraordinary

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