A complete analysis of 'The last leaf' a story by O.Henry

‘The Last Leaf’, a marvelous story by O. Henry, depicts the treasury of life and the inevitability of faith to tackle the hindrances we battle through our life. The value of the life is the cynosure of the story where all things go back and revolve around it. The sequence of events is smoothly carved in with the supporting details. The story starts with a whimsical setting called the ‘places’ and the description of the present situation of Johnsy, the main character. The melodramatic and picturesque setting of the story connects to the negative status of Johnsy facing life and death subject matter. The setting also helps to describe the resources at hand to ‘combat’ the pneumonia mentioned later in the story because they are in a small district where they find themselves unable to treat it effectively with traditional methods.        

The story begins as Johnsy, a young girl victimized by pneumonia, lies in bed waiting for the last leaf of an ivy vine on the brick wall she spies through her window, to fall. She watches each leaf fall. She is very pessimistic about her health and says that with the fall of the last leaf, she will die. Mr. Behrman, an old man considers himself as a frustrated but magnificent painter who is just waiting for the right opportunity to create his first masterpiece. He daubs the last leaf on the wall after the real one falls. At the end, he is able to finish his masterpiece, a real one not because it is fabulous but it serves as a tree of hope for Johnsy to fight against what many believe as an unbeatable illness. Then he catches pneumonia and dies.

‘The Last Leaf’ is the true depiction of O. Henry’s writing traits: skillful plot and twist ending. As the story moves on, the reader cannot expect such a heroic act from Mr. Behrman who sacrifices his life and makes a special appearance in the end to show the sacrificial masterpiece. The leaf becomes his masterpiece because he paints it with the passion to save a life, the courage and determination to make an art not to prove himself but to help others prove that life is something to enjoy and fight for.

The action of Mr. Behrman appears to be chivalric in nature, thus, forming the major theme of the story: theme of the sincere friendship and the selfless sacrifice. He risks his life for Johnsy. He sacrifices his life so that she may not die of pessimism and disbelief.  Sue, friend of Johnsy, becomes the representation of sincere friendship. She always stays home and does whatever she can to keep very good care of Johnsy.

Imagery employed in “The Last Leaf” whether it is sight imagery or sound imagery go hand in go with the theme of death and dying. It helps to set the mood, and tone of the story that assists in imposing the author’s theme and motive upon the reader. An example of sight imagery is how Johnsy seems to feel about the ivy vine outside her window, she feels as though the leaves on the vine are her clock to death.   The sound and touch imagery is revealed when Johnsy and Sue both describe the howling wind outside as “beating rain and fierce gusts of wind that had endured through the livelong night, there yet stood out against the brick wall one ivy leaf.” The images such as ‘a bare, dreary yard’ and ‘a persistent, cold rain’ enhance the effect of something unwelcoming in the situation.

O. Henry in his artistic and unique style of writing brings home the idea how a person, no matter, how hopeless he/she is, can become a symbol of hope and courage to others. Hence, ‘The Last Leaf’, the story of passion, hope and personal sacrifice, inculcates the spirit of selfless sacrifice and optimism in its readers.

Themes:

Death:

Last leaf is a short story that entails the treasury of life and the existence of faith and hope. It need to the importance of living and how we deal with the hindrances we battle through our life story. It is a moving story across the traps that come across us in the most significant parts of our lives, the value of life is the centerpiece of story, where all the things go back and revolve…Apart of this story gives us a hint that God is the only one who knows that whether we ride on with life and chances or trail on and be drawn against the judgment, the melodramatic and picturesque setting of the story connects to the negative status of main character facing life and death subject matter.

The title of this story conveys the theme of death. Last means very close to death or closely to be end. The life or growth of the tree or plant may be guessed through its branches and the condition of leaves. There were almost a hundred leaves clinging with the stem but they were falling due to autumn season. Autumn is the mortal season for leaves. At the same time Johnsy fell ill due to Pneumonia. Pneumonia is the symbol of death for human being and old Behrman dies of it.

 “When the last one falls I must go, too.”

            “Mr. Behrman died of Pneumonia today in the hospital.”

Pessimism and Optimism:

The system of this universe is based on two opposite things i.e. 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.

           “When the last one falls I must go, too.” –P

           “She was looking out the window and counting-counting backward.” –P

            “It is a sin to want to die.” –O

Johnsy the main character seems to be a very pessimistic person. She has lost the entire positive attitude in life due to her disease and she is waiting for her death.

“Your little lady has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well.”

That is the first step of Johnsy that she has made up her mind that she will die when the last leaf falls. That signifies the mental and psychological condition of her and is describing the theme of pessimistic.

“She was looking out of window and counting -counting backwards”

The psychological disturbances shown by O’ Henry in these lines as she is tired of waiting that when the last leaf falls, she will be near to death.

“When the last one falls I must go, too.”

Here in these lines Henry has showed extreme pessimism.

“It is the last one, said Johnsy “I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind. It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time.”

These words uttered by Johnsy again show her desperate and chaotic state of mind. She has supposed the things which have no logic and waiting for her death, or waiting for the last leaf to fall.

Self-Sacrifice:

Mr. Behrman risks his life for Johnsy. He has sacrificed his own life, to give life to Johnsy the painting he made at the wall, shows his self sacrificing, kind and noble nature.

He himself catches the pneumonia and dies, but he didn’t let Johnsy die.

With the character of Mr. Buhrmann, O’ Henry is showing the sacrificing nature of a man and it gives us a message that self sacrificing is a great deed and one has to be kind and gentle towards others.

“Mr. Buhrmann died of pneumonia today in hospital.”

Hope:

Theme of hope is very nicely presented in this story. Doctor is a very optimistic person and he tries to make Johnsy realize that is she has made her mind that she will die when the last leaf falls that could be harmful for her. He told her that he can only provide her medicine and that is effective as 50 cent, the next situation is in her hand.

“I subtract 50 percent from the curative power of medicines.”

If you will get her to ask one question about the new writer styles in cloak sleeves I will promise you one-in-five chance for her, instead of”

So O’ Henry conveys message one never let go for hope and optimist approach in life. It is our state of mind which can bring worse or better for us in our lives

“Sudie, someday I hope to paint the bay of Naples”

These lines show Johnsy’s desires and aspirations. It gives the picture of hope and this hope in life gives us the spirit of living in this world.

Hope is also one of the major themes in ‘The Last Leaf’. The system of this universe is running at the idea of hope. We dream for future life due to hope. For example, if an old man is seriously ill still he is dreaming for his recovery because of hope. He does not think about the black or fatal bird. The significance of the leaf is life and nurture. Leaf is the hope of life for tree or plant. When Johnsy sees the painted leaf against the wall through the window then she says,

“Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me a how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die.”

 The Doctor said to Sue, “She’s out of danger. You’ve won.”

Love and Friendship:

In last leaf O’ Henry describes friendship and bondage between two friends. They care and love each other, and Sue supports Johnsy morally when she falls ill. She proves to be great support for Johnsy and she tries her level best to bring back Johnsy towards life and in the world of optimism.

“Dear, Dear!” said she, learning her won face down to the pillow” think of me, if you won’t think of yourself. What would I do?”

These lines show the effective relationship between two friends. Mr. Behrman also shows great deal of love for these girls. Although he is bit careless person but he really cared for Johnsy and his love is shown by his painting for the sake of Johnsy’s life.

“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 look out the window until I am done working?”

The Last Leaf Summary

‘The last leaf’ consists of four human characters; JOHNSY, SUE, DOCTOR and BEHRMAN, and a non-living character Mr. Pneumonia. Johnsy and Sue are roommates. Johnsy falls ill and she bounds herself with such a fancy that she will die with the falling of last ivy leaf. But Sue, the very optimist, consults the painter, Behrman, to paint an ivy leaf against the wall. Behrman paints such a leaf which is clinging to its stem against the wall. At last, Johnsy recovers her health. But Behrman dies of pneumonia in the hospital.

Figures of Speech

Personification

A variety of Figurative or metaphorical language in which things or ideas are treated as if they were human beings, with human attributes and feelings is called Personification. In the very first line of this story “the Last Leaf”, streets are personified by the writer but there streets symbolize human passions and relationships.

“The streets run crazy and broken themselves into small strips called ‘places’.”

 Pneumonia is a serious kind of disease and may become the cause of death. Johnsy falls ill due to the prey of pneumonia. While Behrman dies of it.

 “Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman.”

Simile/Metaphor

 These deal with the relatedness of one thing to other with direct or indirect reference. Simile is the relatedness by ‘as’ or ‘like’. But metaphor is direct relation of one thing to the other on the behalf of some quality. For example,

                       “Johnsy was lying white and still as a fallen statue.”

“Behrman had a Michael Angelo’s Moses beard curling down from the head of a satyr along the body of an imp.”

Comparison

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. He pleads,

“Young artists must pave their way to art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to literature.”

 Symbolism/Imagery

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.

            “His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold.”

 Imagery is also very close to symbolism but it appeals to senses and feelings. There is a lot of color imagery in this story.

            “I have something to tell you, white mouse.”

 The image of white mouse is used for Johnsy because she recovers her health now. The white color presents innocence and purity.

 “Johnsy was contentedly knitting a very blue and very useless woolen shoulder scarf.”

             “Old Behrman, with his red eyes…”

Figures of speech in The Gift of the Magi by O henry

IRONY

 Irony is a kind of device which is used in literature to increase the value of the work. Irony consists of saying one thing while you mean another. There are several kinds of Irony in the literature. But this story deals with the situational Irony. When their gifts become useless for themselves, it creates the situational Irony. Because gifts are presented by the wisest these gifts are useful and beneficial for the receivers.

 “I could not have lived through Christmas without giving you a present”

“Being wise, their gifts no doubt wise ones… two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other”

HUMOR

 In writing or speaking ‘HUMOUR’ can mean ‘MOOD’ or ‘CHARACTER’ but the word also denotes ‘that which causes laughter.’ In the very beginning of this story, the way how THE DILLINGHAMS were spending their lives was pathetic and humorous as well.

“There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it…”

SYMBOLISM/IMAGERY

 A symbol is something which represents something else (often an idea or quality) analogy or association. The Dillingham were so poor that they were living in miserable condition. Their misery is symbolized through this sentence.

 “… and looked out dully at a grey cat walking a grey fence in a grey backyard”

 Color imagery also exists in this short story.

 “She turned white for just a moment.”

 COMPARISON

 O’ Henry uses a colorful comparison in a mastery way to attract his readers. He describes the beauty of his heroine in a splendid comparison. Comparison is a device which shoes the value of something than other on the basis of quality.

 “Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds”

 “Being wise, their gifts no doubt wise ones… two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other”

 SIMILE

 A figure of speech usually used in prose and verse. Similes always contain the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. Here the writer uses simile of cascade for the beauty of Della’s hair.

“Della’s beautiful hair fell like a cascade of brown water.”

After cutting her hair off Della was looking like a schoolboy.

“That made her looks like a truant schoolboy.”

ALLUSION

Allusion is a historical or Biblical reference. The main motive of the usage of allusion is to relate the present events and characters with the previous incidents and persons and to enhance the attraction knowledge of the readers.

“Had the question of Sheba lived in the flat across the Airshaft?”

“Had King Solomon been the Janitor?”

 “The Magi – who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger.”

The Doll’s House, A master piece by K. Mansfield

“The Doll's House” is a short story by Katherine Mansfield, written in the year 1922. The story reveals the extent to which class consciousness has wreaked havoc in the social set up, so much so that the other children are discouraged from talking to the children from the lowest of the social classes. The story traces the problem of class consciousness through the character of Kezia, and her journey from innocence to the symbolic world of experience.

This is a great story and apart from the old story of rich and poor you can find another interesting theme of rebel child in the story. In the story school is used as a small society representing the bigger one in real life where different kinds of people interact and live together with all their differences. However, there are always people who do not fit in their own society, "Kezia", because they do not think the same way as the people who are living there. The story attempts to tell us how different people react toward life, symbolized by the house itself. People look differently at life according to their expectations and intentions, major group of them are just trying to gain power and money in order other people around and show off, "Isabel". There is another group of people whom try to pave their way in life using the first group by keeping themselves close to them and flatter them as much as possible, "Lena Logan". The minor group can be those ones who believe in goodness of everything in and that gives them hope to continue living against all bad things that are out there in cruel world "Else". Katherine Mansfield writer tried to use show these things through children's eyes, maybe because children world is simpler than grownups world. Also, we can see that always older generation has effect on the younger generation and their way of thinking toward different subjects.

The characteristics of the story are;

·         Most of the things are explained in details like a report which gives readers opportunity to make a good and vivid image of events and characters in their minds.

·         The past tense usage also gives reader the sense that someone is telling a story. "She was a tiny wishbone of a child, with cropped hair and enormous solemn eyes" 

·         The text implies that the narrator is being very sympathetic about Else's situation and relate to this character more than the other ones.

·         The story ends by silence because it is in silence where one can sit and find the truth and save a happiness even if it only last just for a second.

Major Theme

Mansfield brings out the bitter truth that the discrimination between the wealthy ‘haves’ and the underprivileged ‘have nots’ was based solely on wealth and class.  The fact that “the line had to be drawn somewhere” speaks volumes to the social hierarchy prevalent in society. At the end of the story, Aunt Beryl shouts at Kezia, ‘How dare you ask the little Kelveys into the courtyard?’ in her furious voice, adding, ‘Run away, children, run away at once. And don’t come back again!’ “Burning with shame, shrinking together, the Kelvey sisters huddled through the big courtyard and squeezed through the white gate.”

Conclusion:

Through the portrayal of the predicament of the Kelveys, Mansfield brings out the class consciousness that was faithfully handed down by one generation to another, from parents to children and vice versa. Moreover, through the deft portrayal of the character of Kezia, Mansfield tries to challenge the existing social class consciousness which was wreaking havoc on the social fabric. All the above mentioned things make the story a masterpiece of Katherine Mansfield.

Anti Vivisection Elements in A dog's Tale

The Anti-vivisection movement was an ethical and political protestation which emerged in Europe, Britain and the United States in the nineteenth century against Vivisection. It was basically concerned with protecting animals from harmful experimentation that were held at that time. Vivisection is an experiment done on the living being, for the medical and research purposes. The experiment does not contains precision, there is always fear of errors. The scientists who did vivisection believed it as a token of welfare to the mankind. On the other hand, the supporters of the animal rights welfare lamented and stood against the hideous experiments that were being carried out. The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) kept on striving for the protection of animals by providing public awareness, educating, and by giving ideas about changing research methodologies. Mark Twain, was a major supporter of the American Anti- Vivisection society. He stood firmly against the cruelty done to animals and in support to it he wrote stories like “A Dog’s Tale”.

Mark Twain’s Story “A Dog’s Tale” is a tale that is told by a dog. The tale reveals the faithful nature of animals or pets like dogs and the unfaithful and irrational nature of human beings who do not care for anyone other than themselves. They just think selfishly about their material success and fame. The master of the dog in the story similar like the scientists who performed vivisection believed it as a kind of welfare they are serving to humanity in the name of inhumane acts of cruelty on animals. The master while talking about the vivisection with his colleagues for experimenting optics and whether a certain injury to the brain would introduce blindness or not, said “it’s far above instinct; it’s REASON, and many a man, privileged to be saved and go with you and me to a better world by right of its possession, has less of it that this quadruped that’s foreordained to perish”.

Mark Twain being the staunch supporter of antivivisection drew a painful picture of the aftereffects of the vivisection experimented by the master on his pets puppy. “One day those men came again, and said, now for the test, and they took the puppy to the laboratory, and I limped three-leggedly along, too, feeling proud, for any attention shown to the puppy was a pleasure to me, of course. They discussed and experimented, and then suddenly the puppy shrieked, and they set him on the floor, and he went staggering around, with his head all bloody…”Mark Twain lamented the vivisection in this story by narrating the story through a dog’s perspective making it more painful to read it and make the world overlook their decision of carrying out vivisection. The story clearly expresses the nobility of the dogs and the cruel nature of humans, as in the story the master after successfully experimenting on the puppy, clapped his hands and shouted:

"There, I've won—confess it! He's as blind as a bat!"

And they all said:

"It's so—you've proved your theory, and suffering humanity owes you a great debt from henceforth," and they crowded around him, and wrung his hand cordially and thankfully, and praised him.Twain represents the ironical comment on humanity and especially the supporters of vivisection that how much blinded they were by their material fame and appraisal that no one among them was able to realise the suffering they were causing to the humanity in the name of humanities well-being. Moving on in the story, we see that how painfully the puppy gets blind and finally dies after being experimented. The obedience of dog to his master and mother is pretty evident throughout the story.

The dog on one hand through his life never forget the lessons taught by her mother and on the other the humans like the master of the dog, forgot the lessons of humanity taught him in Church. Mark Twain throughout the story with the assistance of satire and irony disapproves and shows his resentment towards the vivisection that was prevalent in his society.

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Scientific Elements in H.G Well's Work. (The Diamond Maker)

H.G Wells is known as the father of science fiction. He wrote many science fiction stories in his career by including many scientific processes in his stories. One of his science fiction stories is “The Diamond Maker” which is entirely based on the scientific process of making diamonds. Science fiction is a genre encompassing imaginative works that take place in this world or that of the author’s creation where anything is possible. The only rules are those set forth by the author. This field leads in exploring social perspectives, predictions of the future, and engage in adventures unbound into the richness of the human mind.

Diamonds are nature’s hardest substance, valued for their brilliance, lustre, and durability, but are rare and expensive to mine. Manmade diamonds provide a cheaper, more readily available solution. Science-fiction writer H. G. Wells described the concept of synthetic diamonds in his short story "The Diamond Maker," published in 1911.The story “The Diamond Maker”, a businessman meets a diamond maker, who is in a very shabby and deplorable condition. The diamond maker is an amateur chemist who performs chemical experiments in his small apartment during fifteen years of increasing poverty, during which he nearly starves to death and who visibly resembles the medieval “mad alchemist”. When he eventually succeeds in making diamonds, he gets into some trouble with the police, to the consequence that he is unable to sell the diamonds and thus benefit from his creation. The story introduces medieval alchemist as the miserable seeker but modify the plot in that they concede some experimental success in the making of diamond, gold and other jewels. These things had always been vital for striving for material goods, against which writers had been using their skills at any time and for literary means, including the alchemist figures.

The businessman suspected the diamond maker as fraudulent, that clearly depicts the influence of science and when the diamond maker shows him the brown stone same as the size of the narrator’s thumb, he is pretty much aware of the field of mineralogy“a year or so ago, I had occupied my leisure in taking a London science degree, so that I have a smattering of physics and mineralogy. The thing was not unlike an uncut diamond of the darker sort, though far too large, being almost as big as the top of my thumb. I took it, and saw it had the form of a regular octahedron, with the curved faces peculiar to the most precious of minerals. I took out my penknife and tried to scratch it--vainly. Leaning forward towards the gas-lamp, I tried the thing on my watch-glass, and scored a white line across that with the greatest ease.”

We see that the narrator is pretty much aware of the different types on minerals and their specificities “The thing might, after all, be merely a lump of that almost equally hard substance, corundum, with an accidental resemblance in shape to the diamond.”

H.G Well in this story “”The Diamond Maker” alludes to Moissan, a French Chemist, who discovered the rare mineral Moissanite (SIC), “I had heard something of Moissan, but I knew his artificial diamonds were very small”. Moissan heated charcoal (a form of carbon) and iron in a furnace until the iron melted; and then rapidly cooled, the iron would generate high pressure and transform the charcoal into diamonds. Others tried to repeat this experiment in later years, and very small diamonds were created; commercially successful production of synthetic diamonds was not achieved until the 1950s.

H.G Wells explained the method of making man-made diamond in this story "Diamonds are to be made by throwing carbon out of combination in a suitable flux and under a suitable pressure; the carbon crystallises out, not as black-lead or charcoal-powder, but as small diamonds. The Diamond maker further explains that, “You know time is an important element in crystallisation. If you hurry the process the crystals are small--it is only by prolonged standing that they grow to any size. I resolved to let this apparatus cool for two years, letting the temperature go down slowly during the time” and the diamond maker further explains the way of making diamonds and how he was ultimately successful “I let the fire out. I took my cylinder and unscrewed it while it was still so hot that it punished my hands, and I scraped out the crumbling lava-like mass with a chisel, and hammered it into a powder upon an iron plate. And I found three big diamonds and five small ones”.

Therefore, the above mentioned scientific instances from the story “The Diamond Maker” prove that H.G Wells was a science fiction shot story writer.

Elements of short story

The Five Elements of a Short Story

1.Plot2.Character3.Setting4.Atmosphere5.Style

Characteristics of Each Element:

1.Plot

The arrangement of incidents or events in a story.

1.Exposition The reader is often told where and when the story occurs; introduces the character (s).

2.Crisis:  A conflict is usually established between characters.

3. Rising Action- The conflict between characters develops and becomes more pronounced.

4. Climax - The moment of greatest suspense.

5. Falling Action - The action leads to the resolution or final outcome.

6. Resolution - The writer wraps up and ties up any loose ends in hopes that the reader will leave the story satisfied.

2.Character:

The plot can only exist with character(s). The main character is placed in a situation that contains a problem he must overcome: therefore, conflict exists. Most stories also have minor characters that either help or hinder the main character's attempt to solve his problem. When examining character, we must always look at his motivation. What makes him behave this way?

a) Flat Character- a character who doesn't go through a change. These characters are usually one dimensional.

b) Round (Dynamic) Characters a character affected by the events of the story. These characters are usually fully developed in terms of personality.They are described in more detail and their personalities emerge more fully. Round characters usually become enlightened, learn, grow, or deteriorate by the end of the story.

c) Stereotyped Characters a character who is so well known that little has to be said about him/her. These characters are immediately recognizable because of the role he/she plays. Examples the strong silent gunfighter, the nerd, the beautiful international spy, the mad scientist, etc.

Protagonist :The main character of the story.

Antagonist: This character opposes the protagonist. Often, he/she is an opponent to the main character and is sometimes right and justified in his/her actions.

We can learn about a character by,

a) what he says

b) what he thinks

c) what he does

d) what is said about him by other characters and the narrator

e) an author's direct statement

3.Setting: The physical background of the story where and when the story takes place.

4. Atmosphere: This element has a closer connection to the setting because the setting often determines the atmosphere. The atmosphere is the mood or tone of the story. Physical surroundings affect a character and determine his mood. Atmosphere is usually established at the beginning of the story. It takes in characters, clothing, furniture, natural surroundings, light, darkness, shadows, weather.

5. Style: The ways the author expresses himself and conveys his ideas and central purpose. Style is very personal no two writing styles are alike.