Introduction
O.Henry was the author of “The last leaf.” It tells the tale of a young girl who has pneumonia. Her name is Johnsy. All of Johnsy’s medications had ceased working on her because she had lost the desire to live. According to the doctors, she can only be healed if she is willing to live. Behrman resided in the same building and was an experienced painter. He was aiming to fulfill a lifetime ambition to create a painting that appeared to be real. He made an effort to assist Johnsy after learning about her situation.
Summary
“The Last Leaf” is a short story by O. Henry about two young artists, Johnsy and Sue, living together in a Greenwich Village apartment. It is a tale of inspiration and sincere dedication. Johnsy is the story’s main protagonist. She is a young girl who has pneumonia and is suffering severely. She no longer has the desire to live, and thus, the medications stopped curing her. Sue was informed by the doctor that only her willingness to live could rescue her. Sue shared the same with Behrman, a painter who lived next door.
Johnsy once saw an ivy plant through the window as she was resting in bed. It was progressively losing all of its leaves. Johnsy saw the state of the tree and predicted that she would pass away the day the last leaf fell from the tree. The plant had nothing to do with her sickness still Johnsy decided to say that.
Because Sue was so concerned about Johnsy’s choice, she got in touch with Behrman and told him about Johnsy’s decision. Behram closed the window after seeing the plant from Johnsy’s room. That entire day it rained too much along with the storm, and she sensed that the ivy plant’s leaves would soon shed. She hesitantly peered out the window and noticed that the creeper just had one leaf left, which might come off at any moment. Behrman remained silent, though, and went back to his room. The old artist made a decision that evening to help Johnsy. While Johnsy was sleeping, he painted a leaf from an ivy plant and tied it to the creeper.
The leaf remained still attached to the ivy plant the following day when Johnsy looked out the window. She thought that despite the torrential rain and storm the leaf still clung to the creeper and this provided her the inspiration she needed to live. She felt that she should adopt the same outlook, keep trying to improve, and not give up on herself.
Behrman spent the entire night working on that painting before hanging it from a tree in the middle of a chilly, rainy night. Behram also had pneumonia, and unfortunately, he passed away after two days. He had made the ultimate sacrifice to save Johnsy’s life. She found hope for survival in the last leaf on the Ivy plant.
Johnsy learned that it was silly of her to decide her entire life on the last leaf of a plant. She realized that the last leaf in the creeper must have been there for a significant reason, and she understood that it was terrible for her to wish to die so soon. Johnsy quickly recovered from her ailment.
Sue told Johnsy of Behrman’s demise after she had fully recovered from pneumonia. He died of pneumonia and he had contracted the illness while staying outside in the chilly, rainy weather. She also informed Johnsy that he had painted the last leaf to offer Johnsy hope for surviving. Finally, Behrman had completed his masterwork, the last leaf that gave Johnsy hope for a longer life while he sacrificed his own life in the process.
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The Last Leaf Characters
Character Sketch of Sue
Sue is Johnsy’s best friend and roommate. She is a practical and caring person who tries to lift Johnsy’s spirits and help her recover from her illness. Sue is depicted as a compassionate and selfless character who is willing to sacrifice her own needs to help Johnsy.
Character Sketch of Johnsy
Johnsy is a young artist who is ill with pneumonia and has lost her will to live. Johnsy’s real name was Joanna. She is a dreamer and often spends time looking out the window at the ivy vine. She believes that when the last leaf falls from the vine, she will die. Her character is depicted as weak and fragile, with a tendency to give up easily. However, she is also shown to have a deep sensitivity and appreciation for art.
Character Sketch of Behrman
Behrman is an old painter who lives on the ground floor of Johnsy and Sue’s building. He is a bohemian character, and his life is centered around his art. Behrman is depicted as a gruff and eccentric character with a grumpy demeanor, but he also has a kind and compassionate side. He is determined to protect the young artists and is willing to take risks to do so.
Character Sketch of Doctor
The doctor is a minor character in the story who is called to attend to Johnsy. He is depicted as a professional and competent medical practitioner who is determined to help his patient recover. He is also shown to have a compassionate and caring side, as he understands Johnsy’s fear of death and tries to reassure her.
Conclusion
The protagonist of the tale is a young child who is hopelessly miserable. She made the absurd claim that she would pass away when the Ivy plant sheds all its leaves. A painted leaf that appeared to be real was hanging on the tree made by an old painter named Behrman. The child was, motivated to live when she saw the leaf clinging to the ivy plant despite the storm and rain. Thus, she recovered from the disease and lived a happy life.
TextBook Question
Q.1 What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to live?
Ans: Johnsy suffered from pneumonia. Her health cannot be cured by medicine alone, her willingness to survive is the main cure.
Q2. Do you believe that Johnsy’s experience of depression is typical of teenagers?
Ans: Yes, I believe that Johnsy’s sadness is rather typical for teenagers today. Teenagers today are constantly striving to improve their life. They have a life where there is constant pressure to excel in every way.
Q3. What is Behrmans dream? Does it come true?
Ans: Behrman’s ultimate goal was to create a masterpiece that looked very real. It eventually becomes true as he paints the last leaf on an ivy creeper and it appears to look like a real leaf.
Q4. What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?
Ans: The last leaf on the creeper was Behram’s masterpiece. Sue makes this claim because Behram changed the original leaf secretly in his picture, making it appear real and motivated Johnsy to live.
The Last Leaf Extra Questions
1. What message does the final leaf convey?
Ans: The story’s overarching theme is hope. The author wants to emphasize how crucial it is for a person to have hope and willpower. When Johnsy notices that the leaf that is meant to determine her fate is not falling, she is given new hope. This demonstrates how a person’s hope can be lit by even a tiny deed.
2. What is the offering on the Last leaf?
Ans: Behrman sacrifices his LIFE in “The Last Leaf” so that Johnsy can recover from pneumonia.
3.What did Sue and Johnsy argue about in The Last Leaf?
Ans: Sue and Johnsy argue over Johnsy’s habit of staring out the window at the vine as it sheds its leaves. Johnsy is waiting for the last leaf to fall so that she can pass away, despite Sue’s requests for her to look aside from the wall.