John Henry Reading Comprehension
Mr. Steel
1. What
auspicious signs marked the birth of John Henry as a special event of a
more-than-human hero?
2. Find
and explain one instance of a simile.
3. Find
and explain an example of hyperbole.
4. Find
and explain an example of personification.
5. Find
and explain an example of a simile.
6. Find
and explain two examples of how John Henry demonstrates his heroism.
7. Find
and explain one example of hyperbole.
8.
Describe John Henry's hammers. What might John Henry's hammers symbolize?
9. What
do you suppose the boulder might symbolize?
10.
What does the inability of the men to destroy the boulder with dynamite
suggest?
11.
What do you suppose John Henry's laughter in this story suggests?
12.
Explain the significance of the simile: "The boulder shivered like the
morning when freedom came to the slaves."
13.
What might the ringing of John Henry's hammer suggest?
14.
What might be the symbolic significance of the rainbow draped across John
Henry's shoulders?
15.
What might rain symbolize?
16. How
does John Henry's feat with the boulder suggest heroism?
17. Why
might the rainbow draped around John Henry be like love?
18.
What might be the symbolic significance of John Henry facing-off against the
steam drill?
19.
What might the mountain symbolize?
20. Why
might John Henry be compared to "a wish"?
21.
What might it mean to say that John Henry's strength in his arms is like
"wisdom"? What is wisdom? What might be John Henry's wisdom?
22.
Explain the persistence of the rainbow image.
23. Why
is it important to the story that John Henry beats the steam drill?
24.
What is it about John Henry's death that points to his heroism?
25. Why
is it significant that even the moon and the sun wept for John Henry?
26.
What does it mean to say that "Dyin' ain't important. Everybody does that
. What matters is how well you do your living." Do you agree? Explain why
or why not.
27. Why
does everyone celebrate the death of John Henry?
28. Why
might the tale about John Henry's burial be significant?