Notes on the last leaf by o henry. The Last Leaf Themes 2022-10-20

Notes on the last leaf by o henry Rating: 4,6/10 979 reviews

"The Last Leaf" is a short story by O. Henry, first published in 1907. It tells the tale of two young artists, Johnsy and Sue, who live in a small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York. Johnsy is gravely ill with pneumonia, and as she lies in bed, she becomes convinced that she will die when the last leaf falls from the ivy plant outside her window.

Sue, who is caring for Johnsy, becomes worried about her friend's obsession with the leaf and tries to distract her with stories and other distractions. However, Johnsy remains fixated on the leaf, and as the days pass, it becomes clear that she is losing her will to live.

One day, as the last leaf is hanging precariously on the ivy, a old man named Behrman appears at the apartment. Behrman is a struggling artist who lives in the building, and he has come to visit Johnsy and Sue. When he sees the leaf, he is inspired to paint it, and he spends hours working on the small canvas.

As Behrman works, Johnsy's condition begins to improve, and she becomes more alert and engaged. When the painting is finished, Behrman brings it to Johnsy and shows it to her. Johnsy is delighted by the painting and asks Behrman to hang it on the wall next to her bed.

In the final scene of the story, Sue wakes up to find that the last leaf has fallen from the ivy plant. However, instead of being devastated, she is relieved to see that Johnsy is still alive and looking much better. It is revealed that Behrman, in a selfless act of love, painted a leaf on the wall next to Johnsy's bed, giving her the hope and strength she needed to fight her illness.

"The Last Leaf" is a poignant and touching story about the power of hope and the human capacity for selflessness and compassion. It highlights the deep bond between Johnsy and Sue, as well as the transformative power of art. O. Henry's writing is evocative and emotional, and he masterfully crafts a moving tale of friendship, love, and the human spirit.

The Last Leaf Summary & Notes

notes on the last leaf by o henry

His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold. Ans: The last leaf was clinging to its stem against the wall. Behrman agree to Sue's words in the beginning? The Last Leaf Theme Art is greater than life. . Didn't the doctor tell you? Ans: It is very common many teenagers give up when they are depressed or in pressure, life is full of ups and downs and its left to every individual to face it and uphold to come out of every problem. The Last Leaf Analysis An analysis is the in-depth examination and critical study of a literary piece. Then he spoke with Sue in another room.

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The Last Leaf Questions & Answers

notes on the last leaf by o henry

Later, in the last leaf summary, Sue tried to show affection towards Johnsy. In the afternoon, the doctor came to check Johnsy, and after checking her out, he told Sue in the hall that Johnsy had started recovering. However, she was not perked up. However, he has also come to visit Behrman downstairs, who has fallen seriously ill with pneumonia. For half an hour I haf peen trying to say dot I am ready to bose.

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The Last Leaf by O. Henry

notes on the last leaf by o henry

In the process, she underestimates the degree to which her existence is shared with the lives of the other people in her life: these people who have been affected by her existence, and who affect her own existence in turn. Moreover, Sue would become lonely without Johnsy. Sue attempts to talk Johnsy out of this obsession without success. He was once a very renowned artist and he wants to paint the last masterpiece of his life. The two friends have supported each other in good and bad times and the fear of losing Johnsy is making Sue feel very sad. Compassion, humanity and readiness for extreme sacrifice were the hallmarks of his nature. There are only five left now.

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The Last Leaf Analysis By O Henry • English Summary

notes on the last leaf by o henry

Pneumonia The story has another character which is in fact abstract. You may bring a me a little broth now, and some milk with a little port in it, and - no; bring me a hand-mirror first, and then pack some pillows about me, and I will sit up and watch you cook. And then she called to Sue, who was stirring her chicken broth over the gas stove. Sue told the condition of his friend to Behrman. In his room, Behrman had a ladder and painting materials, which reveals that he had stayed out all night, painting the image of a leaf onto the wall so that Johnsy would think the last leaf had survived the storm.

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The Last Leaf

notes on the last leaf by o henry

The next day, Johnsy asks Sue to roll up the blind so she can look out at the ivy vine and see if the last leaf has fallen. When it was light enough Johnsy, the merciless, commanded that the shade be raised. This has a Biblical connection with the Tree of Life. She sees Johnsy counting something. Johnsy had believed it to be a sign. Johnsy tells Sue that when the last leaf falls from the tree outside her window, she will die.

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The Last Leaf

notes on the last leaf by o henry

The story also uses both symbolism and irony in the concept and title of ''The Last Leaf''; the leaf is a symbol of life and death, and it is ironic because the leaf falls, but Johnsy does not die. The violent rage of Pneumonia attacks the fragile-bodied Johnsy, who gets spectre-thin and almost bed-ridden. It will fall to-day, and I shall die at the same time. And sure enough, O. The doctor had told Sue that Johnsy must not give up since that s the only way they could avoid the worst.

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The Last Leaf Summary and Analysis

notes on the last leaf by o henry

Now in his sixties, he has failed in his ambitions as a painter. What would she do if Johnsy was not around? It was the last one on the vine. Johnsy sleeps through the night while Sue works. He escaped to Honduras, but returned to the United States when he learned that Estes had died from tuberculosis. The doctor says that if Johnsy sets her mind to dying instead of recovering from her illness, he will subtract 50 percent from the curative power of his medicine.


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The Last Leaf by O'Henry

notes on the last leaf by o henry

Just below the wall, were discovered a lantern, a ladder and a palette. Old Behrman was angered at such an idea. He was a fierce, little, old man who protected the two young women in the studio apartment above him. Has she anything on her mind? The story has a serious and hopeless tone and it is narrated in third-person narrative. Sue and Johnsy live in the top apartment of the house. There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away.

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'The Last Leaf,' by O. Henry

notes on the last leaf by o henry

The next day, after checking Johnsy, the doctor announced that she was safe now. Ah, darling, it is Behrman's masterpiece — he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell. Henry depicts a vibrant creative community. The story is set in the midst of a pneumonia outbreak, and at the start of the story, Johnsy, a young painter, is afflicted with the illness. Moreover, she did not accept the soup offered to her. The result was that she could see life smiling back at her in the form of the last leaf. However, Behrman said no word and returned to his room.

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The Last Leaf by O. Henry Plot Summary

notes on the last leaf by o henry

The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. Ans: For 25 years Mr. Sue pulled the shade down to cover the window. She realizes that it is wrong to lose hope. She has taken to watching a vine outside her window, watching its leaves get blown off in the wind. In one corner was a blank canvas on an easel that had been waiting there for twenty-five years to receive the first line of the masterpiece.

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