What Is John Henry's Relationship With The New Technology

In lines 32-35 from the poem “The Ballad of John Henry,” it becomes evident that John Henry’s relationship with the new technology being utilized for the construction of railroads was an opinion of disapproval or disapprobation of modern steam drills and the methods that sought to replace human labor; upholding the belief that though he is but a human, he will not allow himself to be beaten by new technology claiming to be more efficacious at his job. To explain, throughout the poem, it is delineated that John Henry, a strong, tall, and audacious man, was not only fit for, but enjoyed and was passionate about hammering and metalwork, working on the C and O train railroad until his final days. Growing up with and becoming accustomed to …show more content…
In fact, as referenced in “The Ballad of John Henry,” “John Henry said to his captain,/‘Captain, you go to town,/Bring me back a twelve-pound hammer, please,/And I’ll beat that steam drill down, Lord, Lord,/I’ll beat that steam drill down.’” In this quotation, it is evident that John Henry’s belief and conviction of using one’s own assiduous labor and skill for their work was carried into his relationship with new technology, and his vehemence against the steam drill illustrates that he is disapproving of methods invented to replace human work and labor, holding that he could “beat the steam drill down.” Not only does John Henry renounce the use of such technologies, he also holds with the conviction that human labor and skill was much more valuable and worthy than what any machine could do - placing this value on his own skill and talent, saying he would rather die than be beaten by the steam …show more content…
The line “he figured he was mighty high and fine,” illustrates John’s disapproval and competition against new technology and the steam drill, while also depicting that John had the determination and persistence to do his best to beat the steam drill - which he, in fact, achieved at the end, though he unfortunately died trying. This also points to the extent to which John valued human labor and skill, and the phrase “I’d die with a hammer in my hand” in lines 32-35 of the poem connects to and illustrates that this stanza reflects John’s attitude towards new technology, and that he would do whatever he could to defeat the technology enabled to defeat him. Thus, these lines, in connection with a multitude of other lines throughout the poem, reflect and shed light on John Henry’s relationship with new technology by showing his attitude and perception of these machines, while proving the lengths to which he would go to prove that even though he is only human, he has what it takes to outperform the steam