Stylistic analysis
The story ander analysis is written by O'Henry and is titled as "The Last Leaf". William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and clever twist endings. O. Henry's most representative collection was probably The Four Million. The title and the stories answered the snobbish claim of socialite Ward McAllister that only 400 people in New York "were really worth noticing" by detailing events in the lives of everyday Manhattanites. He wrote in a dry, humorous style and, as in "The Gift of the Magi," frequently used coincidences and surprise endings to underline ironies.
The events in the analysed short story are taking place in a new house in Grinwich Village in New York City. Two friends met each other in summer, but the main evens took place in winter. From the story we get to know about two young friend, who are artists and live together in that apartament. Later on the events would happen in the bedroom of Johnsy, who would fell ill, and would lay in her bed.
From the story we find out information that there are two artists: Sue and Johnsy, they have met each other in one of the restaurants in Greenwich Village. From that time they started to live in one apartment in a new house. On the ground floor they have a neighbour, Old Behrman, a sixty year old man. He wanted to pasint a masterpiece, but never yet done it. It was cold december when a big horror came to their house. Johnsy felt ill. It was pneumonia, a very hard desease. She was always lieing in her bed and watching through the window, where she saw vine with a few leaves on it. She thought that when the last leaf fall - she would die the same day. One night there was a terrible storm. The rain fell heavily and the wind was very strong. In the morning Johnsy asked Sue to open the window to look at the tree and the leaf, and it was still there. It gives her a great hope and huge believe to recover. We found that their neighbour was ill too and died in some days. The author explains us that that night Old Behrman sacrifices his own life and paints the leaf on the wall in order to save the life of a young artist. And such a big deal became his masterpiece, the picture that he couldn't paint during all his life, but at last he did it.
From the point of view of presentation, the srory is the 3rd person narration, with elements of a dialogue.
The major themes of the story are: hope, friendship and sacrifice, optimism and pessimism.
Hope is one of the major themes in ‘The Last Leaf’. For example, if a person is seriously ill still he is dreaming for his recovery because of hope. He does not think about the end, the death. The significance of the leaf is life and nurture. Leaf is the hope of life for tree or plant. When Johnsy looked through the window she saw the last leaf on the tree and she understood that she also could stand all difficulties.The system of this universe is running at the idea of hope. We dream for future life due to hope.
“The last leaf” shows the theme of friendship and sacrifice. Friendship is such a relationship that is completed with the ties of sacrifice, sincerity, love, loyalties etc. Sue is friend of Johnsy and she progresses this relation through sacrifices.
Said Sue, “Will you promise me to keep your eyes close, and not looked out the window until I am done working?”. She devoted all her time and health for her friend and believe that Johnsy would recover.
Life is based on two opposite things: day and night, black and white, good and bad, hope and frustration etc. ‘The Last Leaf’ is very symbolic story which conveys the theme of Pessimism and Optimism. Pessimism deals with the darken aspects of life. As optimism is totally against to pessimism, it deals with the positive ways of life. It also can be said that optimism and pessimism are the two sides of a single coin. Johnsy always leads her life as a pessimist. Sue consoles Johnsy and she consults a painter to paint the fancy of Johnsy in an optimist way.
The author's message is to show that our hope and believe can have great and huge power. We don't need to give up, even when the situation is seemed to be undertaken. Everything in the world happen in the right way and on purpose, sometimes, of course, it beyound us. But nevertheless, life is great and wonderful.
The story is made up of the following parts:
Exposition:
Greenwich village is an old town where people enthralled by paintings and art came. At the topmost floor of an squeaky three-story building lived Sue and Johnsy. They met at a restaurant where they found out that they share the same interests when it comes to art and food.
Development of events:
Six months after Sue and Johnsy started with their joint studio, Johnsy was sick with pneumonia, like others in their town.Johnsy said that if the last leaf on the Ivy vine fell, she would pass away.
Climax:
In the morning Johnsy saw the vine and no leaf fell. She was shocked, and watched the leaf for a very one time. Finally, Johnsy realized that she had been a bad girl because of that thought. She finally ate food after not eating because she thought that she would pass away already.
Denouement:
While Sue was talking to Johnsy, they went on and talked about Behrman. He died at the hospital ago, despite being ill in a measly two days. Sue instructed her to look at the window, and ask her why she thinks that the last leaf never fell. It never fell because it was Behrman's masterpiece, and he painted it the night the last leaf fell.
As I have mentioned before, there are three main characters here: Sue, Johnsy and Old Behrman. They are all artists and lived in one house, but Sue and Johnsy shared one flat. They are both young and have plans for the future, but suddenly a desease changes them. We understand that Sue is Jonsy's best friend, because she helps her and suppors her in every moment of her life. She didn't left her when she was ill, but on the contrary, - did everything possible to help. She is very loving and caring.
Johnsy fall ill and easily gave up. She thought she was going to die when the last leaf fall down from the tree and she kept counting them.
Mr.Behrman was there old neighbour, who was a painter as well. He fell ill too, but he didn't gave up and being ill created his great masterpiece.
One of the minor characters is Doctor, who was always busy, but at the same time very kind and a real professional.
The author used a lot of lexical expressive means and stylylistic devices. They are used to help the reader to understand every word and every situation that the author wanted to show in a propriate way.
Personification as: “The streets run crazy and broken themselves into small strips called ‘places’.” is used to show the peculiar state of that streets and that place; “Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman.” Pneumonia is a serious kind of disease and may become the cause of death. We know, that Johnsy falls ill due to the prey of pneumonia. While Behrman dies of it.
Similie and metaphor as: “Johnsy was lying white and still as a fallen statue.” is used to compare Johnsy and to show her feeling and possition.
Comparison : “Young artists must pave their way to art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to literature.” It is a technique used by O’ Henry to explain things through contrast and comparison. It is based on the quality or quantity of something. Art and literature are very close to each other but the writer compares them on the level of their functions.
Symbolism and imagery : “His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold.” This story also does have the devices of symbolism and imagery. Leaf deals with life, nutrition and growth as well. The symbol of shoes and icy cold is also used in this story. Shoes are the symbol of oppression, tyranny and death as well. The writer uses this symbol to show the death of Mr. Behrman; “I have something to tell you, white mouse.”
Imagery is also very close to symbolism but it appeals to senses and feelings. There is a lot of color imagery in this story; “Johnsy was contentedly knitting a very blue and very useless woolen shoulder scarf.”, “Old Behrman, with his red eyes…” . The image of white mouse is used for Johnsy because she recovers her health now. The white color presents innocence and purity.
Polysyndeton: "She is very ill and weak," said Sue, "and the fever has left her mind morbid and full of strange fancies." is used to connect small sentances into one with a help of conjunction "and".
Detachment : "Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece - he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell", "Is a man worth - but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind.", "But Johnsy he smote; and she lay, scarcely moving, on her painted iron bedstead, looking through the small Dutch window-panes at the blank side of the next brick house", it separates each part of the sentance from another.
Inversion : "Behrman, his name is- some kind of an artist , I believe.", But Johnsy he smote; and she lay, scarcely moving, on her painted iron bedstead, looking through the small Dutch window-panes at the blank side of the next brick house." is used to involve the reader in the situation, to speak more commonly.
Rhetorical questions: "Didn't you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? ", "What would I do?" , "Who said I will not bose?", "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well?", "Paint? - bosh!" are used to show the emotional feelings of the speaker.
Climax: "Twelve," she said, and little later "eleven"; and then "ten," and "nine"; and then "eight" and "seven", almost together.", "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." are used in order to increase the importance within the sentence.
Ellipsis: "Behrman, his name is - some kind of an artist, I believe.", is used to indicate a pause in the flow of a sentence.
In conclusion, I'd like to say that this story is very instructive, cathing and thoughtprovoking. I like this short story, because it shows that a man shoulds give up, but believe.In other words what you believe, shapes your life.
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