| Name | The Last Leaf Summary |
| Type | Summary |
| Class | 9 |
| Board | CBSE Board |
| Author | O. Henry |
Introduction
In “The Last Leaf,” an impoverished young woman named Johnsy suffers from pneumonia and is in critical condition. She believes that when the ivy vine on the wall outside her window loses all of its leaves, she will leave this world. She is fooled by her artistic neighbour Behrman, who paints a leaf on the wall. Johnsy makes a full recovery, although (in a classic O.
Class 9 CBSE English – “The Last Leaf Summary”
O. Henry wrote a short story called The Last Leaf. The story opens with teenage artists Johnsy and Sue sharing a small flat with one another. Johnsy once experienced a severe illness in the month of November. She had pneumonia, according to the medical professional’s diagnosis. Sue, a close friend of hers, was really concerned and made an effort to cheer her up. Johnsy, though, had given up on living. She had somehow decided that she would never get well and would pass away quickly. As Johnsy’s condition worsened, the doctor urged Sue to free him of any anxiety so that her medications would work properly.
Sue made an effort to make Johnsy feel better, but she showed no interest in the surroundings. Sue attempted several times, but she never responded. Johnsy once spotted an ivy plant through the window as she was resting in bed that was progressively losing all of its leaves. Johnsy predicted that she would pass away the day the last leaf fell from the tree after noticing its bare state. Johnsy was too depressed to think of her own rehabilitation, even if the ivy plant had nothing to do with her illness.
Sue persuaded Johnsy that she would soon get well and that she shouldn’t base her fight for survival on the last ivy leaf. Johnsy continued to count the plant’s surviving leaves each day as the days went on. Sue approached Behrman, an elderly artist who lived downstairs, and told about her good friend Johnsy’s mental health since she was unable to face the anguish of her buddy. She explained to him how her friend had depended on the final ivy leaf for survival.
Behrman soon arrived to see Johnsy, but she was asleep. Sue opened the window coverings in her room, and they then moved to the adjacent room to sit. She had a feeling that the ivy plant’s leaves would soon fall off because of the heavy rain and storm that day. She cautiously peered out the window and noticed that the creeper just had one leaf, which might come off at any time. Behrman remained silent, though, and went back to his room. The elderly artist made a decision that evening to help Johnsy. While Johnsy was sleeping, he painted a leaf from an ivy plant that was similar and tied it to the creeper. But because of the exposure to the bitter cold and heavy rain outside, he became sick while doing so. After two days, illness took his life.
After a violent storm the night before, Johnsy noticed one last leaf still hanging to the ivy plant when he peeked out of the window the following morning. She now had hope for a future. She realised it was a mistake to depend on a plant’s last leaf for her survival. She realised that the last leaf in the creeper must have been there for a reason, and that it was immoral of her to desire to pass away so soon in life. Johnsy quickly overcame her illness.
Sue later told Johnsy that Behrman had passed away from pneumonia after she had fully recovered from her illness. He had caught the illness while spending time outside in the chilly and rainy conditions, and he had painted the final leaf to give Johnsy a chance of survival. Finally, Behrman had completed his masterpiece, the leaf that had saved Johnsy’s life and given her hope of a longer life while he had given up his own.
About the author
O. Henry’s short story The Last Leaf was first published in his anthology The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories in 1907. In “The Last Leaf,” an impoverished young woman named Johnsy suffers from pneumonia and is in critical condition. She believes that when the ivy vine on the wall outside her window loses all of its leaves, she will leave this world.
Conclusion – “The Last Leaf”
Students are taught not to give up hope on anything too lightly in the chapter The Last Leaf. They must be courageous in the face of adversity and prompt in offering assistance to those who ask for it.