"The Last Leaf" is a short story by O. Henry about the enduring power of hope and the human spirit. Set in Greenwich Village during a severe bout of pneumonia, the story follows the lives of two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, who are both gravely ill.
As the story begins, Sue and Johnsy are both bedridden and struggling to recover from their illness. Johnsy, in particular, is struggling to hold on to hope and life, convinced that she will die when the last leaf on the ivy vine outside her window falls to the ground.
One day, an old neighbor named Behrman arrives at the girls' apartment and offers to paint a leaf on the wall to replace the fallen one. Despite Sue's objections, Behrman persists and eventually creates a beautiful, lifelike leaf on the wall.
Over the next few days, Johnsy's health improves significantly, and she begins to regain her strength and vitality. When she asks Sue about the leaf, Sue tells her that it was the last one to fall and that Behrman painted it on the wall to give Johnsy hope.
Throughout the story, Behrman is depicted as a solitary and reclusive figure, who spends most of his days alone in his studio. Despite this, he is moved by Johnsy's plight and decides to do everything he can to help her recover. His actions demonstrate the power of selflessness and compassion in overcoming adversity.
In the end, "The Last Leaf" is a poignant and uplifting tale about the human capacity for hope and resilience. It reminds us that even in the darkest of times, the support and kindness of others can make all the difference.
The last leaf summary Free Essays
The next day, Johnsy asks Sue to open the window so that she can see the last leaf fall. A sacrifice that ended up costing him the loss of his own life. The Last Leaf Summary and Analysis In Greenwich Village, two girls, Johnsy and Sue, are emerging artists. Johnsy was very depressed. All through his writings the theme of love, deception, mistaken identity, the impacts of incident, the unchangeable idea of the destiny and the determination of apparently unsolvable challenges isolating two lovers is seen. Pneumonia, in his cruelty and unfairness, preys on the weak; Johnsy, as a small woman used to warm California weather, contracts the illness.
The Last Leaf Summary
Before introducing any characters, the narrator digresses to explain how the neighborhood is known for its winding, peculiar streets. They met in May, six months previously, and decided to share a studio apartment. However, the characters seen in the novel treasure every moment similar to how they treasure life. It is in one of these studios, at the top of a three-story brick building, that They moved into the studio in May. This is the perfect depiction of hopelessness.
The Last Leaf Summary & Analysis
His name was Behrman. In a further twist, it is not Johnsy who dies, but Behrman. Henry also brought out some symbolism in the story. The doctor confirmed that Johnsy was not willing to live. The narrator remarks that the labyrinthine, winding streets of the neighborhood make it an ideal home for artists, since debt collectors find the area difficult to navigate. They both have a caring person but Vicky is more likely to change for the better than Rodger is. Jon Bishop In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the course pled 520 Liberty Baptist Theological seminary By LEISHA EDWARS PITTSBURGH, PA SUNDAY, June 9, 2013 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 SUMMARY 3 EVALUATION AND CRITIQUE 6 PERSONAL APPLICATION 7 CONCLUSION 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 9 INTRODUCTION Donald S.
Last Leaf Short Summary Essays
The following day Sue told Johnsy that Mr Behrman had died as he had pneumonia. Haroun and Rashid board a mail bus driven by a parrot-looking man named Butt, who drives dangerously and Haroun is worried that… The Analects of Confucius is an anthology of quotes from Confucius, which describes his life and philosophy. READ: An Essay On Man Short Summary Johnsy is asleep, Sue lowers the window shade, and Behrman and Johnsy watch the rain and snow and wind threaten the final ivy leaves. Unfortunately, that word, and words like it dead, die, killed, etc. It was later discovered that Behrman went out in the stormy night to paint a leaf so that Johnsy would see the leaf still intact and recover. Though it may seem inconsequential that she is drawing an illustration for a story, her need for a model is what will prompt her to ask Behrman for help. The idea that the living are tied to those who die and untimely death is also present in both novels.
The Last Leaf Paragraphs 1
Dishes like Adobong manok, Kare-kare, Nilaga, Sinigang, Pinakbet. Sue mentions her unfulfilled ambition to paint the Bay of Naples, but the doctor dismisses this and asks if Johnsy is depressed over a man. She speedily rushed to the bed and heard Johnsy counting backward. The Last leaf summary portrays a time period in New York during an era witnessing a huge growth in population due to the immigration of Europeans into the USA. Behrman is also fond of Sue and Johnsy thought from the onset, he seems to be a cantankerous character. Finally, Johnsy was committed to dying as soon as the last leaf fell from the vine hence the title of the story. She sketches an elegant pair of horse-riding trousers, worn by an Idaho cowboy.
