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.