The Last Leaf

By O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)

William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer famous for his wit, wordplay, and surprise endings. Born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina, he worked various jobs, including as a bank clerk and a journalist, before gaining fame as a writer. His most notable works include “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Ransom of Red Chief,” showcasing his talent for capturing the complexities of everyday life with humor and irony.

“The Last Leaf” is a short story about hope, sacrifice, and the power of art. It follows a young artist named Johnsy, who is gravely ill and believes she will die when the last leaf falls from a vine outside her window. Her neighbor, an old artist named Behrman, secretly paints a leaf on the wall to give her hope, ultimately saving her life but his own in the process.

Mcqs from the text

1. Where did Sue and Johnsy live?

(a) Greenwich (b) Naples (c) Manhattan (d) None of these

2. Where did Sue and Johnsy meet for the first time?

(a) at a party (b) in a nightclub club (c) at a restaurant (d) in a mall

3. From where do Sue and Johnsy come?

(a) New York &California (b) Seatle & Maine (c) Maine & California (d) Seatle & Texas

4. Who was the cold stranger?

(a) Pneumonia (b) Behrman (c) Sue and Johnsy’s old friend (d) Typhoid

5. Johnsy came from

(a) Maine (b) New York (c) California (d) Seatle

6. Sue came from

(a) Maine (b) New York (c) Seatle (d) California

7. What did Johnsy want to paint?

(a) Paris (b) River Thames (c) Danube River (d) Bay of Naples

8. What was the age of Behrman?

(a) 40 (b) 50 (c) past 60 (d) past 70

9. For how many years had Behrman been painting?

(a) 40 years (b) 30 years (c) 20 years (d) 60 years

10. What according to Sue was the reason for Johnsy’s strange idea?

(a) her imagination (b) her sickness (c) the doctor’s advice (d) None of these

11. What was Johnsy doing when Sue and Behrman went up?

(a) Counting leaves (b) Sleeping (c) Coughing (d) Reading

12. What is the most lonely thing in the world?

(a) a soul preparing for its far journey (b) a person living in the big city (c) a friendless person (d) None of these

13. Who was the other sick person that the doctor must see?

(a) a homeless painter (b) Behrman (c) the watchman of the building (d) an old woman

14. For how long did Behrman suffer from pneumonia?

(a) one month (b) one week (c) two months (d) two days

15. O. Henry was born in

(a) California (b) North Carolina (c) Maine (d) Seatle

Key

1. Greenwich 2. At
a restaurant 3. Maine and California 4. Pneumonia 5. California 6. Maine 7. Bay
of Naples 8. Past 60 9. 40 years 10. Her sickness 11. Sleeping 12. A soul preparing
for its far journey 13. Behrman 14. Two days 15. North Carolina

Questions and Answers

Q: What is the main theme of the story?

Ans. The main theme of the story is hope and sacrifice. The author highlights the importance of hope and willpower. Johnsy is provided with new hope when she sees that the leaf that is supposed to decide her fate is not falling. The story also emphasizes the spirit of sacrifice for fellow human beings. All his life Behrman had tried to create his masterpiece but could not. When he got the right inspiration, he was able to create his great masterpiece. He sacrificed his own life to create this masterpiece in order to save the life of Johnsy.

Q: How did Sue and Johnsy become friends?

Ans. Sue and Johnsy met at a restaurant on Eighth Street. When they discovered that they liked the same kind of art, the same kind of food, and the same kind of clothes, they became friends and decided to live and work together.

Q: “She has a chance if she wants to live. If people don’t want to live, I can’t do much for them.” What do these words of the doctor about Johnsy mean?

The words of the doctor about Johnsy mean that she only has a chance if she wants to live. If she does not have any hope or willpower to live and survive the disease, the medicine will not work. The medicine will be effective only if she has the desire to get better.

Q: Why did Johnsy keep asking Sue to open the curtains?

Ans. Johnsy wanted to see the leaves of the tree against the opposite wall. In her sickness, she had developed this strange notion that she would only live till the leaves on the tree fell. With the falling leaves, her health had also been deteriorating. Therefore, she kept asking Sue to open the curtains so that she could see how many leaves had been left on the tree.

Q: How was Johnsy’s life saved?

Ans. Sue shared with Behrman Johnsy’s strange obsession with the falling leaves of the tree and her idea that she would die with the falling of the last leaf from the tree. Behrman who all his life could not paint something worthwhile finally decided to paint his masterpiece. He painted the leaf of the tree on the opposite wall with such mastery that both Johnsy and Sue could not differentiate it from the real. This leaf saved Johnsy’s life as she saw that it was wrong to want to die and she decided to eat and get better.

Q: What made Johnsy’s views change about life? How do you know it?

Ans. The last leaf changed Johnsy’s views about life. She thought that she would die when the last leaf fell from the tree. But despite the wind, rain, and snow the last leaf hung on. It surely motivated and changed her views. She must have thought that if the last leaf could hang on to the tree despite all the difficulties, she must also not lose heart. She decided to eat her meals and the desire to live is reawaken in her.

Q: What is the moral lesson of the story?

Ans. This story teaches us that we should never lose hope in life quickly. It also teaches us the meaning of true friendship and sacrifice. Behrman sacrificed his own life so his friend wouldn’t lose hope and recover from her illness. He goes out of his way to keep Johnsy’s hope alive.

Q: Suggest an alternate ending for the story.

Ans. In the actual story, Behrman dies of pneumonia. An alternate ending could be that he fights against the disease and is able to defeat it. The story of his brave act and his painting masterpiece spreads across the art fraternity and he becomes the talk of the town. People come from far and near to see his masterpiece and he becomes very famous and rich.