The Last Leaf (Henry): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:19, 27 December 2022

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The Last Leaf

1907

Summary of the book
from the Collection «The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories»

Microsummary: Two friends, one very ill, believe the last leaf of an ivy vine will determine her fate. An old artist paints the leaf on the wall, then dies of pneumonia. The leaf stays, and the sick girl recovers.

Two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, have set up a studio in a small district west of Washington Square.

🧒🏼

Johnsy — a young female artist from California; suffering from pneumonia.

💁🏻‍♀️

Sue — Johnsy's friend from Maine and painting partner; strong, caring, and confident.

One day, Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and is bedridden. The doctor tells Sue that Johnsy has a one in ten chance of survival, but that her chances are better if she wants to live.

Johnsy believes that she will die when the last leaf of an ivy vine outside her window falls. She has been counting the leaves and there are only five left. Sue is worried about Johnsy's morbid thoughts and tries to distract her by asking her to promise not to look out the window until Sue is done with her drawing.

Sue goes to ask an old painter, Behrman, to pose as a hermit-miner for her drawing.

🧔🏻‍♂️

Mr. Behrman — an old artist living below Johnsy and Sue, fiercely loyal and protective of them.

Behrman scoffs at Johnsy's belief and agrees to pose. When Sue and Behrman return to the studio, Johnsy is asleep. Sue pulls the shade down to the window-sill and Behrman poses in the other room.

The next morning, Johnsy wakes up and orders Sue to pull the shade up. To their surprise, the last leaf of the ivy vine is still clinging to the wall. Johnsy believes that the leaf is staying to show her how wrong she was to want to die. She decides to live and orders Sue to bring her a mirror, pillows, and some broth.

The next day, the doctor tells Sue that Johnsy is out of danger. Later, Sue tells Johnsy that Behrman died of pneumonia in the hospital. She reveals that Behrman had gone out in the stormy night to paint the last ivy leaf on the wall, so that Johnsy would not give up hope.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
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-Sue and Johnsy were two young artists living in an old studio in Greenwich Village. Johnsy was very ill with pneumonia, and the doctor warned that her chances of survival were slim. Johnsy had given up hope and was certain that when the last leaf on the ivy vine outside her window fell, she too would die.
+Two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, have set up a studio in a small district west of Washington Square.
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@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
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-Sue enlisted the help of the old painter Behrman, who lived in the floor below them. Behrman was a failure in art and had been trying to paint his masterpiece for forty years. He was fiercely protective of the two young women and agreed to pose as the hermit-miner for Sue's drawing.
+One day, Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and is bedridden. The doctor tells Sue that Johnsy has a one in ten chance of survival, but that her chances are better if she wants to live.
+Johnsy believes that she will die when the last leaf of an ivy vine outside her window falls. She has been counting the leaves and there are only five left. Sue is worried about Johnsy's morbid thoughts and tries to distract her by asking her to promise not to look out the window until Sue is done with her drawing.
+Sue goes to ask an old painter, Behrman, to pose as a hermit-miner for her drawing.
 {{Character
@@ Line 35: / Line 39: @@
 }}
-That night a fierce storm blew, but the last leaf on the ivy vine still clung to its stem. Johnsy was determined to watch it fall, and Sue reluctantly raised the shade for her. The next morning, Johnsy was still alive, and the leaf was still there. She realized that her desire to die had been foolish and selfish and began to take an interest in life again.
+Behrman scoffs at Johnsy's belief and agrees to pose. When Sue and Behrman return to the studio, Johnsy is asleep. Sue pulls the shade down to the window-sill and Behrman poses in the other room.
+The next morning, Johnsy wakes up and orders Sue to pull the shade up. To their surprise, the last leaf of the ivy vine is still clinging to the wall. Johnsy believes that the leaf is staying to show her how wrong she was to want to die. She decides to live and orders Sue to bring her a mirror, pillows, and some broth.
-Sue revealed to Johnsy that Behrman had died of pneumonia the day before, and that he had gone out in the storm the night before to paint the last ivy leaf onto the wall. His masterpiece was a sign to Johnsy that life was worth living, and that she should not give up hope. With good care, Johnsy eventually recovered.
+The next day, the doctor tells Sue that Johnsy is out of danger. Later, Sue tells Johnsy that Behrman died of pneumonia in the hospital. She reveals that Behrman had gone out in the stormy night to paint the last ivy leaf on the wall, so that Johnsy would not give up hope.
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