Why is John Henry a folk hero exactly?

[Dark Jaguar]

I mean, I remember him being up there with Paul Bunyan and such as a kid, but does he really deserve that? His big claim to fame seems to be denying the progress of technology, "heroically" pounding in more train stakes than some steam engine (though I will note this, he's dead, and they've surely invented even faster means of doing that, negating his victory entirely). Plus, the "lesson" seems to be "technology is bad". I never really did get why he's such a big deal.

I'll say it. John Henry was a damned fool.

[Weltall]

Some people believe that denying technological process is a heroic thing to do, I suppose.

[Dark Jaguar]

I mean I suppose there's something to be said for those who's jobs are lost due to the progress of technology, but as a society we've come to accept that. Seriously, when the alternative is to enfoce technological stagnation, what were we to do? I remember as a kid people talking about "computers putting people out of work", all well and good except that if you banned computers, you'd all the time know that your job is a joke, a lie. It's true, they did put people out of work, but considering just how efficient we've become, and in the case of hospitals how much faster record access has saved lives, it's a worthwhile tradeoff. The standard excuse I suppose is that every job taken away is replaced by new ones, for, say, repairing those computers. That's somewhat true, but I know it's foolish to claim there's always a perfect 1 to 1 mapping between old jobs and new. However, a good system would be more widely available education, so that if you lose a grunt job, you can train for something else at least. It's not perfect, but stagnating society is a much worse alternative, and much more selfish.

[Great Rumbler]

He was the first man in history to stand up to a robot and win. I think that counts for something.

[lazyfatbum]

A tennis player beating a samurai. That would be note worthy.

[Dark Jaguar]

He's a folk hero GR, not someone who actually lived.

[Great Rumbler]

He's a folk hero GR, not someone who actually lived.

That's what THEY want you to think.

[Dark Jaguar]

Those theys are always wanting stuff from me. Personally I never considered myself worth the effort of making a shadowy organization to control.

[Darunia]

He's something of a tragic figure obviously. He's a folk hero amongst olde tyme rural america which is, as opposed to the more industrious suburban environment, comparatively more ill-at-ease with technological advancements, and more prone to old-fashioned ways. John Henry is this, epitomized.

[Dark Jaguar]

Remodelled not as a hero but as a tragic greek protagonist, yeah he works that way I suppose. Unfortunatly that's not the way most people see him. He's always stuck in there with the likes of Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill.

You know, when I think about it, I figure a century from now kids will be reading about all the tall tales of our modern folk hero, Chuck Norris, laughing at how silly they were. I mean when you read about Paul Bunyon creating the Nevada Desert because he chopped down all the trees there, well I wonder if they didn't just tell these things to each other as that era's version of Chuck Norris jokes.

[Darunia]

Honestly, where do you all see so much folk hero phenomenon about John Henry? I think I saw a Disney cartoon from the fifties about him, but that's about all. I wouldn't say that that alone qualifies him as being a larger-than-life folk hero... unless I'm missing something more. Honestly, I seldom hear the name, and only think of the old cartoon.

[Great Rumbler]

There was some live-action movie about 10 or 15 years ago that had him in it, along with several other folk heroes. But I can't even remember the name anymore and I doubt anyone else can either.

[Darunia]

While I do not for a moment dismiss him as a folk hero (but rather I argue that he is one for the reasons I wrote above,) one could perhaps write off his stardom as PC. He is black; thus he is the token folk hero. Or not--just throwing that out there, that you may mull thereupon.

[Dark Jaguar]

Imagine in the distant future when some history teacher, desperate to get their student's attention, brings up, in as dry a fasion as possible, how "back around the turn of the millenium, people often would describe how daring or courageous someone is by saying they have "large" or "great" testicles.

And then the kids would laugh and joke about how maybe us 2000-ites weren't so stuffy and boring after all, we had our potty humor just like they did, but they'd do it in a stuffy pretend-2000 accent they assume we all speak with.

[Weltall]

While I do not for a moment dismiss him as a folk hero (but rather I argue that he is one for the reasons I wrote above,) one could perhaps write off his stardom as PC. He is black; thus he is the token folk hero. Or not--just throwing that out there, that you may mull thereupon.

I think we can safely assume this isn't the case, because John Henry's fame began (and was arguably greater) back in the days when being black was definitely not en vogue.

[Darunia]

Imagine in the distant future when some history teacher, desperate to get their student's attention, brings up, in as dry a fasion as possible, how "back around the turn of the millenium, people often would describe how daring or courageous someone is by saying they have "large" or "great" testicles.

You honestly think that'll go out of fashion one day?


I think we can safely assume this isn't the case, because John Henry's fame began (and was arguably greater) back in the days when being black was definitely not en vogue.

The legends began back then to be sure, but it is only recently that it's been a movie. Also, we're talking about its contemporary popularity. How can you be so sure that his fame was arguably greater then?

[lazyfatbum]

Reading the story I thought it was cute until I got to the end and I was sad for days. I dont think it has anything to do with being a negro, I think it's a story that says a man is capable of anything and everything, but at his own cost.

I'm willing to bet the John Henry's story probably was very real and happened many, many times as railroad workers had to compete with machines and work harder and faster.