THEMES

HOPE

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. 

FRIENDSHIP and SACRIFICE

“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.

OPTIMISM/PESSIMISM

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.