The Characters of the Story

The Characters of the Story

I think that this story is presented in the 3^rd person narration. The author told this story but didn't participate in it. 

1. "At the top of a squatty, three-story brick Sue and Johnsy had their studio. "Johnsy" was familiar for Joanna. One was from Maine; the other from California." 

The two most important characters of the short story.

Sue is a very kind girl and she loves her friend. She takes care about her. 

Joanna is sick and tired of pneumonia. That's why she has thoughts of dying. 

2.  Mr.Pneumonia. The killer disease which plays so important a role  is personified by O.Henry in this short story.

3."The busy doctor" who treats Joanna and "Old Behrman."

4. and lastly, "Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the ground floor beneath them."

THE PLOT OF THE STORY

To my mind the author used description of the place where actions take place because he wanted to introduce the reader with this streets cheap
apartments. 

"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."

EXPOSITION: 

The action begins when Sue and Johnsy shared a flat on the third store of the old house. The author describes that this girls have things in common. 

"At the top of a squatty, three-story brick Sue and Johnsy had their studio. "Johnsy" was familiar for Joanna. One was from Maine; the other from California. They had met at the table d'hte of an Eighth Street "Delmonico's," and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so congenial that the joint studio resulted."

But in the month of November Johnsy got a pneumonia.  

RISING EVENTS:

Johnsy was thought that she would die when the last ivy leaf fell. 

"Five what, dear? Tell your Sudie."

"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?"

Then Sue told this words to their neighbor Berhman their problem. 

CLIMAX: 

Johnsy learnt a lesson from the last leaf. She wanted to correct her mistake. She wanted to live.

"I've been a bad girl, Sudie," said Johnsy. "Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die. You may bring a me a little broth now, and some milk with a little port in it, and - no; bring me a hand-mirror first, and then pack some pillows about me, and I will sit up and watch you cook."

And hour later she said:

"Sudie, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Naples."

FALLING ACTIONS:

The doctor said to Sue that her fried would recover.But Mr. Berhman got a pneumonia and there was no hope for him. 

"Even chances," said the doctor, taking Sue's thin, shaking hand in his. "With good nursing you'll win." And now I must see another case I have downstairs. Behrman, his name is - some kind of an artist, I believe. Pneumonia, too. He is an old, weak man, and the attack is acute. There is no hope for him; but he goes to the hospital to-day to be made more comfortable."

RESOLUTION:

Sue said to Johnsy that Mr. Berhman sacrificed his life for the sake of her.

THE SETTING OF  THE STORY

When I read this story for the third time I understood that some events I have missed. So.. Johnsy and Sue are both artists that are living as roommates in NY. It seems to me that they are friends more than sisters.   Johnsy has pneumonia because of cold weather. She lies in the bed..and she thinks about her death.   She has been watching a vine of leaves steadily losing their leaves everyday.  She believes that when the last leaf falls off of the ivy vine she will die. 

She refuses to eat or do anything to help improve her health because she is fixated on dying when the last leaf falls.

Old Behrman, a painter, who resides downstairs and is past 60 years old, finds out about Johnsy's thoughts. But firstly he says that her thought are stupid.  Late one night he sneaks out and paints a leaf to match the last one on the wall so it looks like it is still attached.  Success has always slipped away from him.  He has always wanted to paint a masterpiece. 

Johnsy watches the leaf cling to the vine.  She is unaware that it is painted.  She gets better because she sees that the leaf is still there.  She recovers but Mr. Behrman dies.  He has painted his masterpiece that gave Johnsy life.

 Peculiarities of the setting:

As for me the author gives as a lot of extra information to confuse the reader. As for me, I haven't thought that Mr. Berhman can make good things because his description is not so positive in the text.

When I started to read the story for the firs time I can't understand 3 paragraphs. That's why I should read the beginning for the second time to understand. 

O. Henry (pseudonym for William Sydney Porter) was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

U.S. short-story writer. He wrote for newspapers and later worked as a bank teller in Texas, where he was convicted of embezzlement; he began writing stories in prison as O. Henry. He moved to New York, where his tales romanticizing the commonplace, particularly the life of ordinary New Yorkers, and often using coincidence and surprise endings, became highly popular.

 His collections include Cabbages and Kings (1904); The Four Million (1906), including The Gift of the Magi; The Trimmed Lamp (1907), including The Last Leaf; and Whirligigs(1910), including The Ransom of Red Chief.

Interesting to know!!!

 O. Henri's stories we can split out into 5 groups:

1. The south;
2. The west;
3. Central Amerindian;
4. Prison;
5. New York

Technics were something that O. Henry was good at using.

 He used many different techniques and different styles in his writing one the techniques his like using local color!

 He liked to use local speech patterns and rhythms of common folks and adds. He used this techniques only for one reason.

 He wanted that all people could understand him. 

When people try to describe O. Henry’s writing style, they always use the term “smile with tears,” which implies his twisted way of thoughts and endings about every story. These stories usually end in a humorous but also cruel kind of way. It’s absolutely useful to elevate the artistic thought in writing a thoughtful story. 

I  have read the story under the title "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry. 

This text is very sensitive.. and full of kindness and love. Honestly, I've thought that it would be boring and senseless. In this story depicted two things death and dying.  I suppose that it is the major theme of this story.

Also the author showed us the relations of two women. But it is too hard to say something about them and their relations. It seems to me that they are sisters or the best friends. In other words, they are very closed. 

The most important person in this story is Mr. Berhman. The first impression about this character was negative. The author told us that he had addiction to alcohol.. that he was rather old and he rather angry with all people even with himself. BUT!!! He made a real miracle. He saved life of this poor girl..

The end of the story is quite unpredictable. I haven't thought that the girl would stay alive and would change her thoughts about life. 

In the conclusion, I'd like to say that this story left sad but at the same time warm feelings. It teaches not to give up in difficult situations of life!

 I like it so much!!!