The Last Leaf by O Henry: A Short Analysis of Short Story

One of the best story I read in school was The Last Leaf by O Henry.

It is not, well, technically a review but a description of what I see in the story.

Three characters

There are three major characters in the story.

Two Girls. Johnsy  and Sue. They are both from the  different place, but found out that they are similar to each other.

They had met at the table d’hôte of an Eighth Street “Delmonico’s,” and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so congenial that the joint studio resulted.

Johnsy has pneumonia. But she does not want to live anymore. That is the thing that makes the matter worse.

Your little lady has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well.

When Sue asked her what is bugging her, she tells her about the leaves.

Sue is sure that when all leaves from the vine hanging on the window would fall, she will die.

She was holding on to the leaves.

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?

There is an old grumpy painter, always angry. At the last stage of life, and still not satisfied with his life. He wants to paint a masterpiece of his life.

Johnsy wants to save the Sue.

But the story is much more than that

It is about having a bad time and suffering it and then surviving it and then overcoming it.

A nicely written story.

It is not only about pneumonia but the whole story is a metaphor.

For the situation when we go down and everything turns out blue and we see no way out and then a help come from the unexpected window and bright your life with yellow light.

The lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey.

We should not lose hope at any moment. Bad time come and may be at that time it will look impossible to stand, but we always have something to hold on.

That something can be anything which gives you a hand at that time.

That story girl holds on to a leaf….. and some people holds on to books, or movies, or the internet, or scars, or knives, but even then, even when they are pushing everyone away, they need friends.

There are people smoking, doing drugs, and doing shitty things.

What if they are doing it because they are the last leaf. May be that are the thing that is holding them from moving on.

Anything that is constant could be a Last Leaf.

Or a person who is ready to listen.

Become a Painter

Sad people need painter in their life. Their life is black n white, and they need colours.

In the book, a grumpy writer brings the colour to the depress person life.

Anyone can be a painter.

It is a hard task, and need a lot of efforts, as the people often becomes a burden, but it is angelic task you are actually doing.

Not only we need a painter, but life also gives us a situation where we could become a painter in another person’s life.

We should take that chance as you don’t have any idea how much you change lives of people around you by doing littlest of efforts.

We could also be that friend who supports at every moment and let other people realized that their life is much more worth than they are evaluating.

We could be that leaf.

If someone is holding on you, do not betray. It needs the courage to incline your whole self onto someone else.

If someone is hiding behind you, then you do not fall in any case.

The Last Leaf is a good story.

Book Summary

The Last Leaf

I read it in my school. Must read story for everyone. Whole story is metaphor btw.

Author: O Henry

Editor's Rating:
3