The Last Leaf ( Summary)
The streets of that area are quite unplanned and haphazard. The streets split into narrow roads (places) and are so curved that a stranger would find himself at the same spot after walking quite a bit. This area is mostly inhabited by artists who are struggling to make a career in fine art.
In the month of November, Johnsy falls ill. The doctor says it is pneumonia. Many people have fallen prey to this dreaded disease. After examining Johnsy, the doctor takes Sue into the hallway and says that Johnsy's chances of recovery is only 10%. Johnsy listens to this and becomes very sad. A kind of hopelessness sets in. She starts believing that she would die soon. The doctor asks Sue Johnsy is thinking seriously about something. Sue says that Johnsy wants to paint the Bay of Naples. The doctor asks Sue again if Johnsy is in love and she thinks about a man. Sue reacts sharply in a shrill and bold voice that they consider it not worth thinking about a man. The doctor then says that he would do everything that the modern medicine has the power to heal the sick, but if the patient starts thinking about death, then the chances of recovery goes down by 50 percent. He means that pessimism and hopelessness hinder the process of recovery from the illness.
Sue becomes very sad and weeps. She sheds tears so much that tissue papers become pulp. Then she sets up her drawing board and starts sketching a picture for a writer. While she is drawing, she hears Johnsy uttering something in a low voice. She goes to the bedside and sees that Johnsy is looking through the window and counting numbers in descending order ; twelve, eleven, ten.... Sue notices that Johnsy is looking at the ivy vine creeping on the brick wall of a nearby house. The Autumn is making the green leaves turn yellow and fall down. Johnsy has been counting the leaves that are falling from the vine. After sometime, Johnsy utters "Six, they are falling fast now" The most unfortunate and dangerous thing is that Johnsy thinks that as leaves of the vine go on falling, she would become weaker and weaker and die when the last leaf falls down.
Sue is much worried about this strange thought. She tries to convince Johnsy that the doctor has told her recently that the chances of recovery is ten percent which is as good as any normal person riding on the streets of New York ( anytime an accident can kill a person) or walking by a building. She requests Johnsy to take some soup and let her do some work so that she can earn something to buy wine for her dear friend and some chops of pork for herself. But Johnsy still thinks there is no use of taking any food as she is going to die soon. Sue insists Johnsy to close her eyes and sleep but she says she would like to watch the leaves fall. Then Sue says she would not leave Johnsy alone. She would continue her work in the same room. Only that now she would bring Mr. Behrman there to sit and pose for her picture 'The hermit miner'
Mr. Behrman is an old man and an artist who lives in the ground floor in the same building. He is a drunkard. He is a great failure as an artist. But still he says he would come out with a masterpiece one day. The white canvas which is supposed to become a master piece, spread on the drawing board is still blank. He has not drawn a single line on it for the last twenty five years. He earns a little by posing as model to young artists who can not afford professional models. He considers himself a watch dog for the protection of Sue and Johnsy.
Sue tells him about Johnsy's wild imagination. Behrman wonders how a person can connect falling of ivy leaves to his /her death. He shouts on Sue that she should not have allowed Johnsy to imagine all these things. Sue convinces Behrman that the fever and weakness has made Johnsy think like that. He hopes that one day he will paint his masterpiece and earn a lot of money and they all would live together in a big and better house.
They go near Johnsy's bed and draw the curtain and look at the ivy vine. Fear grips both of them because the last leaf in the ivy vine is struggling to hold on against rain and snow. Then, the old man sits and Sue continues drawing the hermit miner. The old man goes after sometime and Sue works for a long time.
After an hour's sleep, Sue wakes up in the morning. Johnsy is looking at the curtain. She is waiting for Sue to wake up. Now, she tells Sue to pull the curtain so that she can see the ivy vine. They notice that the last leaf is still holding itself firm. Johnsy says she expected the leaf to fall down because there was rain and strong wind during the previous night. She wonders about the last leaf but thinks that it would fall down before night and she would breathe her last.
Johnsy continues looking at the leaf oftenly during the day. It is seen even at twilight. The wind and the rain continue to blast.
Next morning when they look at the ivy vine, the leaf is still holding itself strong. This brings a welcome change in Johnsy's attitude. She confesses that she has been a bad girl. She further says that something has made the leaf hold only to show her how wicked she is to think of her death. It is sin to wish to die. Now, the strong leaf has inspired Johnsy to live. She asks Sue to get her some soup and milk with port. She requests for a hand mirror. She wishes to sit up. These all indicate a positive attitude.
The doctor arrives and examines Johnsy. While going back, he tells Sue that Johnsy is out of danger. She needs good care and nourishment. He then informs Sue that Mr. Behrman is attacked by pneumonia and it is acute. As he is old and weak, there is no chance of recovery for him. He is taken to the hospital only to make him a bit comfortable.
Next day Sue comes to know that the old man died in the hospital. She tells Johnsy that it was only two days he suffered from pneumonia. The janitor found Behrman's shoes and clothes wet, the lantern in lit condition and the ladder dragged from its place. Now they have the answer for their doubt why the last leaf did not flutter despite rain and wind. It was painted by Behrman on that night when he noticed the last leaf of the ivy fall down. He wanted to save Johnsy by making her believe that the leaf is still alive in the ivy vine. He had gone at night with his paint, brush, lantern. He dragged the ladder and painted the leaf on the wall. The painting was so nice that Sue and Johnsy took it to be a real leaf.
This painting can be considered as the masterpiece that Behrman wished to paint because it is worth millions of dollars as it saved a life. But, he paid a heavy price for it. He sacrificed his life to save a young woman.
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