The Last Leaf

Introduction

The Last Leaf is written by O. Henry. It is a story of a girl who is suffering from pneumonia. Her name is Johnsy. Johnsy has lost the will to live and for that, all the medicines had stopped working on her. The doctors have said that only the willingness to live can cure her. Behrman was living in the same building. He was an old painter who was looking for his lifelong dream to paint something that looked real. When he heard about Johnsy’s condition, he tried to help her.

Summary

The Last Leaf is a story of motivation and true dedication. The main character of this story is Johnsy. She is a girl who suffers from pneumonia. She is in so much pain that she has lost the will to live. And because of that, the medicines stopped working. The doctor told her friend, Sue, that only her willingness to live can save her. Sue told the same to Behrman, her neighbour who was a painter.

One day while Johnsy was lying on her bed, she noticed an ivy plant through the window that was gradually losing all its leaves. Seeing the condition of the plant, Johnsy said that she would die the day the last leaf would fall off the plant. The plant had nothing to do with her sickness still Johnsy decided to say that.

Sue was so afraid of Johnsy’s decision that she contacted Behrman and told him about her. Behrman saw the plant from Johnsy’s room and shut the window. That day, it rained heavily along with a storm and she felt the leaves of the ivy plant would shed off soon. She hesitantly looked out of the window and saw only one leaf on the creeper which might fall off the plant anytime. However, Behrman said no word and returned to his room. That night, the old artist decided to do something for Johnsy. He painted a similar leaf of an ivy plant and tied it on the creeper while Johnsy was asleep

The next day when Johnsy looked out of the window and found that the leaf was still clinging to the Ivy plant despite the heavy rain and storm. This gave her the motivation that she needed, she thought that if that one leaf is still clinging to the tree and not falling even though all the other leaves have fallen, she should follow the same attitude and not give up on herself and try to be better.

Behrman had worked all night on that painting and he had put that on a tree in the night, on a cold and rainy night. Behrman too suffered from pneumonia and sadly he died after two days. He had sacrificed himself for saving the life of Johnsy. The last leaf on the Ivy plant gave her hope to live.

Johnsy learned that she was silly to decide her life on the last leaf of a plant. She comprehended that there must be a substantial reason why the last leaf stayed in the creeper and it was wrong of her to want to die at such a young age. Soon, Johnsy recovered from her illness.

Later, when she recovered from pneumonia completely, her friend informed her about the death of Behrman. That he died from pneumonia. He had acquired the disease from being out in cold and wet weather and he had painted the last leaf to give Johnsy hope of survival. Finally, Behrman had successfully painted his masterpiece—the leaf that saved Johnsy’s life and gave her hope to live longer, while he sacrificed his own life in the process.

Conclusion

The story is about a young girl who is depressed and has no will to live. She made an absurd point that when all the leaves of an Ivy plant shed, she will die. The old painter painted a leaf which looked real and hung it on the tree. This gave her motivation to get better.

Q. What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her?

Johnsy suffers from pneumonia. Doctors have told her that she cannot be cured with medicines alone and only a willingness to live can cure her

Q. Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?

Ans. Yes, I think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is typical among teenagers these days. Teenagers today are in a constant run to make the most of their lives. They live a lifestyle that is loaded with the pressure to be the best in every aspect.

Q. Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?

Ans. Behrman’s dream was to paint a masterpiece. It eventually comes true when he paints the last leaf on an ivy creeper and that painted last leaf seems to be a real one.

Q. What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?

Ans. Behrman ’s masterpiece was the last leaf on the creeper. Sue says so because Behrman secretly changed the original leaf with his painting and it seems real and it gave motivation to Johnsy.

FAQs

Q. Johnsy was suffering from which disease?

Ans. Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia which made her lose the will to live

Q. How did Behrman die?

Ans. Behrman worked all night in a cold and rainy weather and got sick with pneumonia and died after two days.

Q. Why did the medicines stopped working on Johnsy?

Ans. Medicines stopped working on Johnsy because she had lost the will to live and wanted to die.