The
Last Leaf
By
O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)
What
is the main theme of the story?
The
main theme of the story is hope and sacrifice. The author highlights the importance
of hope and will power. Johnsy is provided with new hope when she sees that the
leaf that is supposed to decide her fate is not falling. The story also emphasizes
the spirit of sacrifice for fellow human beings. All his life Behrman had tried
to create his masterpiece but could not. When he got the right inspiration, he
was able to create his great masterpiece. He sacrificed his own life to create
this masterpiece in order to save the life of Johnsy.
How
did Sue and Johnsy become friends?
Sue
and Johnsy met at a restaurant on Eighth Street. When they discovered that they
liked the same kind of art, the same kind of food and the same kind of clothes,
they became friends and decided to live and work together.
“She
has a chance if she wants to live. If people don’t want to live, I can’t do
much for them.” What do these words of the doctor about Johnsy mean?
The
words of the doctor about Johnsy mean that she only has a chance if she herself
wants to live. If she does not have any hope or will power to live and survive
the disease, the medicine will not work. The medicine will be effective only if
she has the desire to get better.
Why
did Johnsy keep asking Sue to open the curtains?
Johnsy
wanted to see the leaves of the tree against the opposite wall. In her
sickness, she had developed this strange notion that she would only live till the
leaves on the tree fall down. With the falling leaves, her health had also been
deteriorating. Therefore, she kept asking Sue to open the curtains so that she
could see how many leaves had left on the tree.
How
was Johnsy’s live saved?
Sue
shared with Behrman Johnsy’s strange obsession with the falling leaves of the
tree and her idea that she would die with the falling of last leaf from the
tree. Behrman who all his life could not paint something worthwhile finally decided
to paint his masterpiece. He painted the leaf of the tree on the opposite wall with
such mastery that both Johnsy and Sue could not differentiate it from the real.
This leaf saved Johnsy’s life as she saw that it was wrong to want to die and
she decided to eat and get better.
What
made Johnsy’s views change about life? How do you know it?
The
last leaf changed Johnsy’s views about life. She thought that she would die when
the last leaf would fall from the tree. But despite the wind, rain and snow the
last leaf hanged on. It surely motivated and changed her views. She must have
thought that if the last leaf could hang on to the tree despite all the difficulties,
she must also not lose heart. She decided to eat her meals and the desire to
live is reawaken in her.
What
is the moral lesson of the story?
This story teaches
us that we should never lose hope in life
quickly. It also teaches us the meaning of true friendship and
sacrifice. Behrman sacrificed his own life so his friend wouldn't lose hope and
recover from her illness. He goes out of his way to keep Johnsy's hope alive.
Suggest
an alternate ending for the story.
In
the actual story, Behrman dies of pneumonia. An alternate ending could be that
he fights against the disease and is able to defeat it. The story of his brave
act and his painting masterpiece spreads across the art fraternity and he
becomes talk of the town. People come from far and near to see his masterpiece
and he becomes very famous and rich.
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