The last leaf By O. Henry
O. Henry is one of the most famous American short story writers. O. Henry’s real name was William Sydney Porter and he was born in Greensboro, North Carolina on September 11, 1862. Porter first started to write short stories in prison and it’s believed that he has found his writer’s pseudonym there.
Summary of the text Two girls, one of whom develops tuberculosis, come to live in that hotel. They are very poor, don’t have enough food to support their living and, consequently, there almost no chances for the sick girl to recover. She is getting worse and worse from day to day. Through the window of her room she sees ivy that is losing its leaves one by one. She says that when the last leaf falls down on the ground she will die. One evening when the weather is particularly nasty, only one leaf is left on the ivy. It seems that the wind may take it every moment. The girl is waiting for her close death.
• On this point the plot of the story takes an unexpected turning. An unfortunate artist rents a room in the same hotel. The friend of the dying girl comes to him, tells the story and asks to paint a leaf of the ivy as true to life as he can. A sincere request of the girl touches the artist’s soul. He paints the leaf with real devotion and places it on the branch of the ivy already leafless. When the morning comes, the girl opens her eyes to see that the leaf is still there and realizes that she is alive. She is confident that if the leaf managed to stay on the ivy in such a devastating storm, she would live, too. At this moment the news comes that
Theme of the text • Theme of this story is that you should never jugde someone by what they appear to be, but by their actions. Behrman acts fierce and aggressive, but his actions show much he cares about Johnsy. I learned to judge people, not by their looks, but by their actions, because ultimately, actions are things that make an impact passion, hope and personal sacrifice. O'Henry give people hope in a quickly transforming world where big bussinesses and were taking over artsy new york
Idea of the text • O'henry in this story reflects on what actually is the role of the artist and art. Describing the history of this unfortunate sick and lost hope of a girl, he comes to the conclusion that talented people come into the world in order to help people easier and save them.
Type of the story • Type of the story is a psychological story is concerned with the emotional state of characters.
Method of characterization In the text under discussion the author uses direct method of characterisation. I think that it is the advantage of the story because the author does say directly that the girl is going to die when the last leaf fall.
Characters • The characters are round because they are really true to life. There is no fantastic events but only realistic ones.
Setting of the text • The text is scenic because the events set in a place called Greenwich Village in a joint studio, which is in New York.
Symbol of the text • The last leaf is the symbol of 'hope' that empowers a person for having the strength to fight death. Johnsy's believe that the last leaf would fall and she will die.
Title of the text • The author named the story “The last leaf” because the main character of this story count the leaves on the ivy vine. The last leaf gave Johny a hope to live further.
• The introduction of the story begins when the author describes Washington’s streets and he introduces the two main characters. E. g. In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy and broken themselves into small strips called 'places. ' These 'places' make strange angles and curves. One Street crosses itself a time or two. An artist once discovered a valuable possibility in this street.
• Rising Action begins when the doctor said that she had one chance in ten. And that chance was for her to want to live.
• The climax in the story the last leaf is when Mr. Behrman painted the last leaf so that Johnsay would be more hopeful and can survive from her illness. Because Johnsay believe that if the last leaf fall, she must go too.
• Falling action is when Johny saw the last leaf was still there and she understood that she must live.
• The resolution in the story is when the doctor said that even chances and she will win with good nursing. And also when Johnsy found out that the last leaf was Behrman’s masterpiece.
stylistic devices • metapha. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the colony, touching one here and there with his icy fingers. Over on the east side this ravager strode boldly, smiting his victims by scores, but his feet trod slowly through the maze of the narrow and moss-grown “places. ” – These sentences show us that the life is a labyrinth which is dark, full of accidents, and which is so hard to find out. • A mite of a little woman with blood thinned by California zephyrs • the red-fisted, short-breathed old duffer • old, old ivy vine, gnarled and decayed at the roots – the author compare Behrman with this old ivy as he also old man.
• Irony my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession. - these are doctor’s words about his patient. • Young artists must pave their way to Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to Literature. - the author’s opinion to the Sue and Behrman’s creative work. • Sue was sketching a pair of elegant horseshow riding trousers and a monocle on the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy. • For several years he had painted nothing except now and then a daub in the line of commerce or advertising.
• Periphrasis: e. g. Sue found Behrman smelling strongly of juniper berries
• Euphemism: • e. g. Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman. • For the rest he was a fierce little old man, who scoffed terribly at softness in any one, and who regarded himself as especial mastiff-in-waiting to protect the two young artists in the studio above.
• Simile: • e. g. lying white and still as a fallen statue • go sailing down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves. ” • light and fragile as a leaf herself
Thank you for your attention!!! ^_*
