The Last Leaf (Henry): Difference between revisions

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The Last Leaf

1907

Summary of the Short Story
from the Collection «The Trimmed Lamp»

Microsummary: A young woman, ill with pneumonia, believed she would die when the last leaf fell from a nearby ivy vine; an old artist painted a leaf on the wall, saving her life but sacrificing his own.

In a small district west of Washington Square, two young artists named Sue and Johnsy shared a studio. They became friends after discovering their shared interests in art and fashion. However, in November, Johnsy fell ill with pneumonia, a disease that was ravaging the city. The doctor informed Sue that Johnsy's chances of survival were slim, as she had lost her will to live.

👩🏻‍🎨

Sue — young artist; caring, supportive friend.

👩🏻‍🦰

Johnsy (Joanna) — young artist; ill with pneumonia; fragile, pessimistic.

As Johnsy lay in bed, she became fixated on an ivy vine outside her window, counting the leaves as they fell. She believed that when the last leaf fell, she would die.

When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?

Sue tried to distract her friend and even enlisted the help of their neighbor, an old painter named Behrman, who had never achieved success in his career.

🧓🏻‍♂️

Behrman — elderly, failed artist; gruff, protective, self-sacrificing.

One stormy night, the last leaf remained on the vine, defying the wind and rain. The next morning, Johnsy saw the leaf and realized that she had been foolish to think her life was tied to the vine. She regained her will to live and began to recover.

I've been a bad girl, Sudie. Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die.

The doctor confirmed that Johnsy was out of danger and only needed proper nutrition and care to fully recover.

However, they soon learned that Behrman had died of pneumonia after being found in his room, soaked and cold. It was discovered that he had painted the last leaf on the wall outside Johnsy's window, creating a realistic and enduring image that gave her the hope she needed to survive. In the end, Behrman's final act of kindness became his long-awaited masterpiece.

Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece — he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Summary
 | Title = The Last Leaf
-| Cycle = [[The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories (Henry)|The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories]]
 | Author = O. Henry
-| Genre = short story
+| Cycle = [[The_Trimmed_Lamp_(short_story_collection,_Henry)|The Trimmed Lamp]]
+| Literary form = short story
 | Year of publication = 1907
-| Microsummary =
+| Microsummary = A young woman, ill with pneumonia, believed she would die when the last leaf fell from a nearby ivy vine; an old artist painted a leaf on the wall, saving her life but sacrificing his own.
-| Wikidata = Q6149225
 }}
 {{Start of text}}
-There were two young women, Sue and Johnsy, who lived in an apartment in Greenwich Village, New York. Sue was a strong and practical woman who took care of Johnsy, who was an artist and very sick with pneumonia. Johnsy believed that she would die when the last leaf on the ivy plant outside her window fell.
+In a small district west of Washington Square, two young artists named Sue and Johnsy shared a studio. They became friends after discovering their shared interests in art and fashion. However, in November, Johnsy fell ill with pneumonia, a disease that was ravaging the city. The doctor informed Sue that Johnsy's chances of survival were slim, as she had lost her will to live.
-Sue did everything she could to make Johnsy feel better, but Johnsy remained convinced that she would die. One day, a old man named Behrman who lived in the same building as Sue and Johnsy, saw Johnsy looking at the ivy and asked her what she was thinking about. When Johnsy told him that she believed she would die when the last leaf fell, Behrman was moved to tears.
+{{Character
+| Name = Sue
+| Description = young artist; caring, supportive friend
+| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🎨
+}}
+{{Character
+| Name = Johnsy (Joanna)
+| Description = young artist; ill with pneumonia; fragile, pessimistic
+| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🦰
+}}
+As Johnsy lay in bed, she became fixated on an ivy vine outside her window, counting the leaves as they fell. She believed that when the last leaf fell, she would die.
+{{Quote
+| Text = When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?
+| Context = Johnsy says this to Sue while looking at the remaining leaves on the ivy vine. She believes that her life is connected to the leaves and that she will die when the last one falls.
+}}
+Sue tried to distract her friend and even enlisted the help of their neighbor, an old painter named Behrman, who had never achieved success in his career.
+{{Character
+| Name = Behrman
+| Description = elderly, failed artist; gruff, protective, self-sacrificing
+| Emoji = 🧓🏻‍♂️
+}}
+One stormy night, the last leaf remained on the vine, defying the wind and rain. The next morning, Johnsy saw the leaf and realized that she had been foolish to think her life was tied to the vine. She regained her will to live and began to recover.
-Behrman was an artist who had not sold a painting in 20 years and was struggling to make ends meet. He decided to paint a leaf on the wall in the exact spot where the real leaf would fall, hoping that Johnsy would not see it and believe that the last leaf had fallen.
+{{Quote
+| Text = I've been a bad girl, Sudie. Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die.
+| Context = Johnsy says this to Sue after realizing that the last leaf has not fallen, despite the harsh weather. She sees it as a sign that she should fight for her life and not give up.
+}}
-One night, a strong wind blew and the last leaf fell. When Sue saw it, she was worried that Johnsy would give up hope and die. But when Johnsy saw the leaf on the ground, she was overjoyed and her health began to improve.
+The doctor confirmed that Johnsy was out of danger and only needed proper nutrition and care to fully recover.
-Sue went to Behrman's room to thank him for what he had done, but she found him lying on the floor, sick with pneumonia. Sue realized that Behrman had painted the leaf on the wall in the freezing cold, and she rushed to get help. Behrman was taken to the hospital, but he died a few days later.
+However, they soon learned that Behrman had died of pneumonia after being found in his room, soaked and cold. It was discovered that he had painted the last leaf on the wall outside Johnsy's window, creating a realistic and enduring image that gave her the hope she needed to survive. In the end, Behrman's final act of kindness became his long-awaited masterpiece.
-Sue was very sad about Behrman's death, but she was also grateful for what he had done for Johnsy. Johnsy recovered from her illness and was able to go back to her art. The two women were very grateful to Behrman for helping them, and they placed a wreath on his grave to honor him.
+{{Quote
+| Text = Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece — he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell.
+| Context = Sue reveals to Johnsy that the last leaf on the wall was actually painted by Behrman, who sacrificed his own life to give Johnsy the will to live. This realization changes Johnsy's perspective on life.
+}}
 {{End of text}}