Caleigh Stanier

Paragraph Writing Assessment - John Henry

In the poem John Henry by John Greenleaf Whittier, the character John Henry is a
loyal man. For example, he shows loyalty to his father by becoming a steel driver and sacrificing
himself for his trade. John Henry said, Before Id let that steam drill beat me down Id hammer
my fool self to death. (pg. 296). This quote shows John Henrys loyalty to his father because
his father told him to be a steel driver as a boy, so he became one. Also, by saying he would
hammer himself to death instead of being beaten by a steam drill shows that steel driving
means a lot to him, just like it did to his father. Another example of when John Henry shows
loyalty is when he wants his own son to become a steel driver. Right before he dies he tells his
son, Son you must be a steel driving man, (pg. 297). He wants his son to work as a steel
driver, just like himself and his father, which proves that he is loyal to the tradition of steel driving
in his family. The fact that he says this to his son right before he dies shows that it was his last
and most important wish. Therefore, from the day he was born until the day he died, John Henry
proved to be a loyal man in this poem.