"The Last Leaf" is a short story by O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter. The story was first published in 1907 and has since become a classic of American literature.
The story is set in Greenwich Village, New York, and follows the lives of two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, who live in a boarding house. Sue is a practical and realistic person, while Johnsy is a dreamy and artistic young woman.
One day, Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and becomes bedridden. As she lies in bed, she becomes fixated on the last leaf on a vine that grows outside her window. She becomes convinced that when the leaf falls, she will also die.
Sue tries to reassure Johnsy and tell her that the leaf is not an omen of her death, but Johnsy is convinced that she will not recover. However, one night, a mysterious old artist named Behrman comes to visit Johnsy and tells her a story about a leaf that he painted on a wall in Paris. The leaf was the last one to fall on a tree, and Behrman believed that as long as the leaf remained, he would not die.
Despite Sue's efforts to lift Johnsy's spirits, the leaf eventually falls, and Johnsy seems to lose hope. However, Behrman has secretly painted a leaf on the wall next to Johnsy's window, so when the real leaf falls, Johnsy believes that the leaf on the wall is the last leaf, and she regains hope and eventually recovers from her illness.
"The Last Leaf" is a poignant and heartwarming story that explores themes of hope, friendship, and the power of the imagination. It is a beautiful example of O. Henry's storytelling abilities and his ability to create memorable characters and touching stories.
Short Story Analysis: The Last Leaf by O. Henry
As Sue was sketching a pair of elegant horseshow riding trousers and a monocle on the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated. You may bring me a little soup now. Now, he drinks heavily and gets angry easily, but he is very protective towards Sue and Johnsy. There are only five left now. She arranged her board and began a pen-and-ink drawing to illustrate a magazine story. You can read and listen to other American Stories on our Web site, voaspecialenglish. The story tells people about hope and hopelessness.
The Last Leaf by O'Henry
Henry uses dialect frequently in his stories, and he is pretty good at it, although it does tend to make his stories sound old-fashioned. . They met in May while eating at a restaurant, found that they had similar tastes, and decided to share a studio. Ach, dot poor leetle Miss Yohnsy. It was the last one on the vine. Johnsy contracts pneumonia, and she is so sick that she lies on her bed and barely moves.
Short Story: ‘The Last Leaf’ by O. Henry
And then she called to Sue, who was preparing chicken soup. Similarly with the twist at the end of the story. He was sick only two days. And now I must see another case I have in your building. The next morning, though, when Johnsy again demands that Sue open the shade, the final leaf still clings to the vine. And then, with the coming of the night the north wind was again loosed, while the rain still beat against the windows and pattered down from the low Dutch eaves. Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep.
'The Last Leaf,' by O. Henry
His painting was to be a woman and baby representing Mary and Jesus in the manner of the great Renaissance painter Raphael. What was there to count? A persistent, cold rain was falling, mingled with snow. I've known that for three days. He was past sixty and had a Michael Angelo's Moses beard curling down from the head of a satyr along with the body of an imp. When they go upstairs so that Behrman can pose for Sue, Johnsy is asleep. An old, old ivy vine, gnarled and decayed at the roots, climbed half way up the brick wall. That leaves just four.
