The Last Leaf is a short story by O. Henry published in his 1907 collection The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories. The story first appeared on October 15, 1905, in the New York World.
The story begins by introducing us to two young women, Sue and Johnsy, who are roommates in Greenwich Village. Sue, the main character, hails from Maine and is an aspiring artist living with her friend and fellow artist, Johnsy.
It’s about two young artists named Sue and Johnsy who live in Greenwich Village during a time when many people are getting sick with pneumonia. Johnsy becomes very ill with pneumonia and believes that she will die when the last leaf falls from an ivy plant outside her window. As autumn turns into winter, the ivy plant starts to lose its leaves, and Johnsy’s health gets worse. She’s convinced that when the last leaf falls, she will die. However, one single leaf remains on the plant, defying the cold and wind. Miraculously, Johnsy starts to get better.
At the end of the story, we discover that an old artist named Behrman, who lived downstairs, spent all night painting a leaf on the wall to make it look like it hadn’t fallen. He did this to give Johnsy hope and the will to live. Sadly, Behrman himself caught pneumonia while painting in the cold and wet weather and died.
So, the story is about how the presence of that last leaf outside Johnsy’s window and Behrman’s sacrifice helped her recover from her illness. It also shows how art and friendship can have a powerful impact on people’s lives, even in difficult times.
The moral of “The Last Leaf” is that we should maintain hope in our lives even when things seem bleak because better days can follow tough times.
Key themes in “The Last Leaf” include hope, friendship, sacrifice, and the transformative power of art.
The turning point in the story, or the climax, occurs when Sue raises the window shade, revealing the last remaining ivy leaf.
At this moment, Johnsy sees the leaf still clinging to the vine despite the rain and wind, and she decides to fight for her life. This is the pivotal moment when the story takes a positive turn.
Behram’s masterpiece in the story is the painting of the last ivy leaf. Sue describes it as authentic as the real leaf that fell during the night. Johnsy believed the painting was real, and this belief helped her overcome her depression because she had linked her survival to the existence of that last ivy leaf.
characters in “The Last Leaf”:
Sue: Sue is a young artist who shares her home with her friend Johnsy. She cares deeply for Johnsy and worries about her health when Johnsy falls ill.
Johnsy: Johnsy is also a young artist and Sue’s close friend. She becomes very sick with pneumonia, a serious illness that affects the lungs. Johnsy believes she will die when the last leaf falls from an ivy plant she can see from her window.
Behrman: Behrman is an older artist who lives in the same building as Sue and Johnsy. He’s known for being a bit grumpy but has a good heart. In the story, he paints a leaf on the wall to make Johnsy believe it’s the last leaf on the ivy plant outside. This act of kindness is a significant part of the story. Tragically, Behrman himself falls ill with pneumonia and passes away.