The Last Leaf

Type: Prose
Genre: Fiction
Author: O. Henry
Main Characters: Joanna "Johnsy"- the girl who is sick with pneumonia and said that she will die once the last leaf on the ivy vine near her window falls
Sue - Joanna's roommate and also co-painter
Old Behrman - Sue and Joanna's neighbor who lives in the ground floor beneath them; also a painter but earns his living through modeling

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Summary

In the old Greenwich village at Washington, artists live together in apartments. It was November and cold when pneumonia hit the place. Among those who fell victim to the illness is Joanna, a young painter from Maine. Her room mate, Sue, a painter from California, took good care of her and brought her a doctor. However, Joanna pronounced that once the last leaf on the ivy vine outside near her window falls, she too will die. Sue became upset because it seems that Joanna has given up on her life. She doesn't even want to eat anymore. When their neighbor Old Behrman, who was posing as a model for Sue, heard about this, he thought it's insane. Until, Joanna said that it seems the leaf will fall the next morning. But it didn't happen.

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Another one of O. Henry's masterpieces, "The Last Leaf" is a brilliant story written with a clever twist. Imagine, how could a leaf survive the cold November wind. But then, it did in a very witty way.

This story me when some people depend their life's decision on signs. Like Joanna, they seem to be afraid of the future and just give up. Then depend on something and let everything be. A "que sera sera" (whatever will be, will be) attitude.

But, what happened to Joanna and the leaf teaches us life's value. That sometimes we take things for granted and only notice them when it's already too late... When one has already took a huge sacrifice. Thus, we should be appreciative. Be grateful on what we have. Always count the blessings that surround us and look at the sunny side of things.

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