THE LAST LEAF

THE LAST LEAF by William Sydney Porter under his pen name O. Henry

This short story was given in my textbook. I have never taken interest in the prose given in my school textbook but this story was different. So, I read the original copy of this book (yes, they changed the lines in my school one).

This story is about two friends Sue and Johnsy who are painters. Johnsy is affected by pneumonia and is losing hope in her life. The ivy vine wind spread near the window starts dropping all its leaves due to the icy winter's touch. Johnsy has taken into head that when the last leaf falls she too will die.

“They’re falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It hurt my head to count them. But now it’s easy. There goes another one. There are only five now.”   “Five what, dear? Tell your Sue.”  “Leaves. On the tree. When the last one falls, I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”

Then there was Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the first floor of their house. He was past sixty and had had no success as a painter. He had always talked of painting a great picture, a masterpiece, but he had never yet started it.

“Look out the window, dear, at the last leaf on the wall. Didn't you wonder why it never moved when the wind was blowing? Oh, my dear, it is Behrman’s great masterpiece—he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell.”

The last leaf never falls. We learn that in reality, the vine lost all its leaves. What she thought she saw was a leaf, painted on the wall with perfect realism, by the old artist. The Berhaman dies of pneumonia contracted while being out in the rain, painting the last leaf.

"The Last Leaf" symbolises hope, sacrifice and friendship.  Although I'm sad Old Berhaman didn't get to see the magic of his masterpiece this story was beautiful and touching.

"Once you choose hope anything is possible"   Hope is indeed a weapon