T HE L AST L EAF OF H OPE after O. Henry “The Last Leaf” 1 He, who has health, has hope. And he, who And he, who has hope, has everything. Arab proverb Arab proverb

O. H ENRY (1862 – 1910) 2

A BOUT THE A UTHOR O. Henry ( ): O’Henry, pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, is an American writer of short stories, best known for his ironic plot twists and surprise endings. O. Henry attended school only until age l5, when he dropped out to work in his uncle’s drugstore. During his 20s he moved to Texas, where he worked for more than ten years as a clerk and a bank teller. O’Henry did not write professionally until he 3

reached his mid-30s, when he sold several pieces to the Detroit Free Press and the Houston Daily Post. In 1894 he founded a short- lived weekly humor magazine, The Rolling Stone. Charged with embezzling funds from the bank in Texas where he had worked from 1891 to 1894, O. Henry fled to Honduras rather than stay to stand trial. When he learned that his wife was dying, he returned to Texas in 1897; and after her death he turned himself to the authorities and served three years in prison, 4

A BOUT THE AUTHOR where he began to write short stories and used the pseudonym O. Henry. Drawing on his life experience, O. Henry published over 500 short stories in dozens of widely read periodicals, which made him recognised as one of the most popular writers in America. O. Henry's most famous stories, such as “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Furnished Room,” and "The Ransom of Red Chief," make simple yet effective use of paradoxical coincidences to produce ironic endings. For example, in “The 5

A BOUT THE AUTHOR Gift of the Magi”, a husband sells his watch to buy his wife a Christmas present of a pair of hair combs; but, she cuts and sells her long hair to buy him a Christmas present of a new chain for his watch. His style of storytelling became a model not only for short fiction, but also for American motion pictures and television programs. Writing at the rate of more than one story per week, O. Henry published ten collections of stories during a career that barely spanned a decade. Three more collections, Sixes And Sevens (1911), Rolling Stones (1912) and Waifs 6

A BOUT THE AUTHOR And Strays (1917), were published after his death. O’Henry's last years were shadowed by alcoholism, ill health, and financial problems. He died virtually penniless on June 5, 1910, in New York. In 19l9 the O’Henry Memorial Awards for the best American short stories published each year were founded by the Society of Arts and Sciences. The Complete Works of O. Henry was published in l953. 7

F ACTS ON W ILLIAM S YDNEY P ORTER He was born September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood. An acclaimed master of short stories and tales. Starting in 1895 he wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post. In early 1898 Porter was found guilty of embezzlement charges and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison. Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity. 8

F ACTS ON W ILLIAM S YDNEY P ORTER O. Henry wrote with realistic detail based on his first-hand experiences both in Texas and in New York City. In 1907, he published many of his Texas stories in The Heart of the West. He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer. Porter died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless. 9

“T HE L AST L EAF ” Who are the main characters? Prove that the girls were poor. What happened to Johnsy? What did doctor tell Sue about Johnny's illness? NONSENSE What did Sue call NONSENSE? What was Behrman? Why did he die? 10

G ENERAL U NDERSTANDING OF THE T EXT Q: What was, at first, Johnsy determined to do if the last ivy leaf should fall? She made up her mind to die when the last leaf fell. Q: What did she decide to do when she saw the last leaf still cling to the vine after two night’s rain and wind ? She decided not to give up her life. 11

Q: How was it that the cold fierce wind did not blow away the last leaf ? Behrman, a kind neighbour, who was aware of Johnsy’s state of mind, risked death to paint the last leaf, and saved her with his masterpiece. Q: Why did she call the painted leaf Behrman’s masterpiece ? Because it was so perfect that the girls both mistook it for the real thing. 12

G ENERAL U NDERSTANDING OF THE T EXT The story revolves around the last ivy leaf. “The last leaf” is the most important of all the clues which help organize the story into one. Besides “the last leaf”, there are other clues that thread together the events in the story: A. The doctor’s three visits. From the doctor we learn the gravity of Johnsy’s and Mr. Behrman’s illness (“she has a one chance in ten”, then an “even chance”, and then “she’s out of danger”. For Mr. Behrman’s illness, see Para. 26) 13

G ENERAL U NDERSTANDING OF THE T EXT B. The Soup. Johnsy refused to take any soup offered to her when she had decided to die with the fall of the last ivy leaf. But when she was encouraged by the last ivy leaf that would not give in to the weather and her will to live returned, she asked for some soup. C. The Bay of Naples. Before Johnsy fell ill, she had wanted to paint the Bay of Naples (L16). When she inspired by the last undying ivy leaf she again hoped to paint the Bay of Naples (L105). 14

G ENERAL U NDERSTANDING OF THE T EXT D. Mr. Behrman’s Masterpiece. (Paras ; Para. 39) Mr. Behrman was a failure in art and for forty years he had always been about to paint a masterpiece. He had always talked of his coming masterpiece. He believed that some day he would paint a masterpiece. And being a kind man, Old Behrman finally he painted his masterpiece on the wall and saved the life of Johnsy at the expense of his own. 15

O RGANIZATION OF T EXT Scene 1: (Paras. 1-2: Sue & Johnsy) Sue’s roommate Johnsy caught pneumonia. Scene 2: (Paras. 3-8: Doctor & Sue) The doctor told Sue that Johnsy needed a strong will to live on. Scene 3: (Paras. 9-17:Johnsy & Sue) Johnsy decided that she would die when the last ivy leaf fall. 16

O RGANIZATION OF T EXT Scene 4: (Paras : Behrman & Sue) Sue told Behrman about Johnsy’s fancy. Scene 5: (Paras : Sue & Johnsy) As Johnsy was encouraged by the last leaf that wouldn't give in to the weather, her will to live returned to her. 17

O RGANIZATION OF T EXT Scene 6: (Paras : Doctor & Sue) The doctor told sue that Johnsy would recover, but Behrman caught pneumonia himself and his case was hopeless. Scene 7: (Paras : Sue & Johnsy) Sue told Johnsy that Behrman had performed a kind deed without any thought of self. 18

W HAT EPISODE THIS PHOTO DEAL WITH ? 19

W HAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT “S ACRIFICE ” IN E NGLISH ? A sacrifice is the act of giving up something, or not having something or doing something yourself, to help somebody else. We saw how Mr Behrman gave his life to help Johnsy in The Last Leaf. He made the greatest sacrifice anybody could make.

T HE KEY- WORD OF THE STORY HOPE 22 Find examples in the text. Who said the main words in this story?

C OMPARE TWO GIRLS 23 SueJohnsy

Complete the word-web: 24 Priorities of young people Make rating of your priorities

T HE L AST L EAF OF H OPE after O. Henry “The Last Leaf” 25 He, who has health, has hope. And he, who has hope, And he, who has hope, has everything. Arab proverb Arab proverb

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He, who has health, has hope. And he, who has hope, And he, who has hope, has everything. Arab proverb Arab proverb 37