John Henry: A True Hero

John Henry is a brave man who wasn’t just known for his physical strength, he was also known for the strength in his heart. Born as a slave, he knew exactly what it was like to be treated like a thing, not a person. Even through the hardships that he had experienced, he had never let them ruin who he was nor did it ever take away his happiness. According to Walt Disney, after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, John had exclaimed, “Never again!” This showed that John was happy to be freed from his chains, and that he still had the capability to feel happiness unlike many other who have let the darkness of being a slave seep into their heart. Furthermore, John had a wife who had melted the chains that kept him as a prisoner and turned …show more content…
Similarly, a hero knows how to turn everything bad that has happened to them into a lesson that they can use in the future. This is called a growth mindset, or in Johnny's case, a growing heart. As a matter of fact, Johnny's heart has grown so big and strong that he has the ability to protect people who have inflict harm upon him. This is a rare skill in many heroes, but it just shows how much compassion that John has inside that heart of his. This was demonstrated in the film “John Henry”, created by Walt Disney, where John had stopped his co-workers from pushing the Steam Drill upon its side, potentially injuring the man inside. They were all enraged at the prospect that they will be replaced by a machine and that their promised land would disappear in front of their eyes. Seeing that his co-worker’s solution to this problem was violence made Johny angry. He couldn’t stand to see this so he pushed the Steam Drill back over on its side so that the man inside was still safe, even though he knew that it could potentially cost him the opportunity to obtaining fifty-acres of land. John turned to his colleagues and announced, “I”ve got a better way. A challenge.” (Walt Disney) John’s choice to not cause harm to the man inside of the Steam Drill proved that he was not a man who made rash