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Assignment no: 01

Submitted by: Aiman Tahir

Submitted to: Madam Momina

Subject: prose B

Roll no: 449

Date: 19th Sept 2017

BS English 6th B morning

National university of modern languages Islamabad H9

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The last leaf

The last leaf is a short story that entails the treasury of life and the existence of faith and
hope. It deals with the hindrances of life. The main theme explored by me in this story is of
selflessness and scarifies, other themes includes theme of hope, themes of death,
pessimism and the importance of art in human life. Selflessness and scarifies is illustrated by
Behrman and his efforts to help Johnsy fined a reason to live and something to hold on to.
He is so determined to do something to prevent her death that he braves a storm and
catches pneumonia and dies of that. The theme of hope is shown by sue. Sue does not lose
her hope even though the doctor has given Johnsy a single chance to recover. She is so
optimistic with her conversation with Johnsy. Else the theme comes out in several ways, the
theme is hinted in the title of the story, where the word last represents something close
to an end. The theme of pessimism is illustrated by Johnsy has lost the hope due to her
disease and she is waiting for her death.

Your little lady has made up her mind that she

She is not going to get well. Has she anything on

Her mind

This pessimism signifies her mental and psychological conditions.

She was looking out of window and counting-counting

Backwards.

As she does not die so its quite evident that the God who is the creator, the omnipotent,
only he knows the life and death because he is the master of all. One of the themes shown
in the story is importance of art in human life. The last leaf and that old Behrman painted on
the wall as his masterpiece. It takes great strength of character for the old man to go out
there in the freezing weather and stand continuously on the tall ladder. Its a true work of

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art because he put his feelings in to his work and communicates those feelings to the sick
girl named Johnsy.

Uses of symbolism are there in the story. The leaf is symbol of despair that turns in to a
symbol of hope. Johnsy thinks the ivy leaf stands for her life, slowly falling away when the
leaf remains, however, it become a symbol of hope for her. The falling leaves symbolize
despair, the last leaf-hope, Mr. Behrman a true friend and bay of Naples symbolizes dreams.
If we look at the characters then sue appears to be love and caring who always takes care of
Johnsy. While Johnsy always captured by the thought of dying due to pneumonia, sue
always provided mental strength to Johnsy. Sue is a symbol of optimism as well as two
virtues of life i-e friendship and sacrifies.

Johnsy is another main character in this story. Jhonsy has been suffering from
pneumonia and used to believe, like the last leaf of vine tree, her life is on the verge to fall.
Pessimism is depicted by Johnsy,s character even after rain, the last leaf was still there that
emerge new hope to Johnsy to fight against death. So hope comes out to be a powerful tool
to fight the difficulties. Mr. Behrman another main character and a frustrated artist wanted
to draw a masterpiece but alas! He never attempted to draw so he never got success. This
seemingly hard, ugly man was soft from inside. At the end of story, Mr. Behrman
represented a defeated character because he died of pneumonia. In conclusion I would like
to say that the last leaf is all about art joys and sorrows of artist importance of scarifies they
make for it. I think O Henry being artist must have felt his mission as a writer is to provide
amusement hope and cheers to the multitudes of struggling humanity.

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