"The Last Leaf" is a short story by O. Henry that delivers both emotion and food for thought despite its simple plot. Through the story of a young aspiring artist, her sick friend, and an elderly neighbor, it conveys the preciousness of life and the meaning of hope. With themes of love, courage, and the resilience of the human spirit, this work has been cherished across generations.
Intro
As I delved into this well-known yet profoundly moving short story once again, I couldn't help but wonder how my perception of it might have changed since childhood. Written by O. Henry in 1907, "The Last Leaf" has been adapted and parodied across various media, its title alone evoking a sense of melancholy that lingers in many people's memories. Upon revisiting it, I found there was much to contemplate.
Characters
In this short story, with its relatively uncomplicated plot, the cast of characters is not extensive. First, there's Sue, a budding artist who nurses her sick friend and instills courage in him. Her sick friend, Johnsy, suffers from pneumonia and becomes despondent, losing courage in life. Behrman, an elderly painter who lives in the neighborhood, may seem gruff on the outside, but he harbors a warm heart within. These three are the main characters.
Plot summary
The aspiring artist Sue lives as a boarder with her friend Johnsy, another young aspiring artist from California. However, Johnsy soon falls ill with pneumonia and becomes consumed by negative thoughts of her imminent death due to her fragile nature. Despite Sue's continuous efforts to nurse her friend and provide positive energy, Johnsy's pessimism persists. Even the doctor who comes to visit Sue, commenting that Johnsy's lack of will to live exacerbates the already difficult-to-treat disease.
As the days pass, Johnsy's condition worsens, and her spirits become increasingly feeble. She grows despondent, equating herself with the falling ivy leaves outside the window, believing that when the last leaf falls, she too will die. Concerned, Sue confides in their neighbor, an elderly painter named Behrman, who becomes emotional, shedding tears and encouraging Sue to take good care of Johnsy, whose weakened state is due to her illness.
That night, a fierce storm rages outside. Johnsy, as usual, gazes at the ivy vine outside their neighbor's window, but despite all the other leaves falling, one lone leaf stubbornly refuses to drop. Seeing this, Johnsy, who had identified herself with the last remaining leaf and believed that when it fell, so too would her life, is inspired by its resilience to find new determination for life. Subsequently, Johnsy makes a full recovery.
However, the doctor who delivers the news of Johnsy's recovery also brings another piece of information. It turns out their neighbor, Behrman, has died from pneumonia. Behrman was found soaked in rainwater, surrounded by a palette, brushes, and paints. Sue tells Johnsy that Behrman stayed up all night in the storm to paint a mural of ivy leaves on the wall, which inspired Johnsy to recover. Opening the curtains, Sue reveals the mural to Johnsy, declaring it a masterpiece, as Behrman had once boasted that he would one day create a masterpiece himself.
Review
Reading about Johnsy's thoughts while observing the last leaf, I felt they were somewhat foolish yet understandable. People tend to see what they want to see. In Johnsy's waning hope, the last ivy leaf outside her window became the focus of her attention. As winter approached, the leaves naturally fell one by one, and Johnsy empathized with them.
"Now I want to drop everything and fall down, down, like those frail leaves,"
she thought.
Even when witnessing the same phenomenon, individuals can have different feelings and thoughts arising. Some may believe that when spring comes, the leaves will bloom again, while others, like Johnsy, may think they will soon fall and die. This often stems from each person subconsciously drawing conclusions based on their circumstances. To Johnsy, the falling leaves might have felt like a reflection of her own situation. However, if she had been filled with positive energy, she might have hoped that after overcoming this hurdle, she could regain hope when thinking about the next spring.
I also reflected on the difference in how Sue and Behrman handled Johnsy, who was lying ill. The title, "The Last Leaf," symbolizes Behrman's attempt to infuse Johnsy, who was suffering from pneumonia, with the will to live through the painting on the wall. Despite her young age, Johnsy had lost her zeal for life, and the doctor lamented her lack of willpower, emphasizing its importance in a patient's recovery. Johnsy, consumed by negative thoughts, believed that when all the ivy leaves fell, she would die.
Upon hearing Sue's story, Behrman expresses, "Where in the world did that damned fool of a human come up with the idea that he's going to die if a few leaves fall off that cursed vine outside!" Sue's attempts to divert Johnsy's attention elsewhere prove futile. In contrast, Behrman takes a more direct approach, declaring the idea absurd yet deciding to take matters into his own hands by drawing the leaves himself, convinced that Johnsy's fate lies in the leaves. Instead of persuading or encouraging Johnsy, he chooses to understand her emotions and fulfill her needs. While the doctor and Sue fail to improve Johnsy's condition, Behrman ultimately saves her.
The scene where Sue calls Behrman's mural a masterpiece is also striking. One might even consider Behrman as the real protagonist. Living a life as an obscure artist, Behrman, without leaving behind any significant work, draws a picture to save Johnsy and then departs from the world. While he may be judged as a failed artist, his drawing of the leaf, which could be considered his final work, ultimately earns the title of a masterpiece from Sue. His words about someday creating a masterpiece come true. Of course, artistic evaluations are subjective, and what may be a masterpiece to one person may not evoke the same admiration in another. However, considering that Behrman's work moved the hearts of Sue and Johnsy, it may well deserve to be called a masterpiece.
Final thoughts
Reading the novel as an adult brought a different kind of emotion compared to the awe I felt as a child. While it was previously remembered for the incredible painting that gave hope to a young girl, now I find myself empathizing with the obscure painter Behrman and considering the perspective of Sue, the friend.