Pneumonia spreads through Greenwich Village, infecting Jhonsy. As she watches the ivy vine outside her window lose its leaves one by one, Jhonsy becomes convinced each fallen leaf represents another day she has left to live. Her friend Sue tries to cheer her up by having the struggling artist Behrman pretend to paint a new leaf. In a storm, Behrman risks his life to create a fake last leaf in order to give Jhonsy hope, which works as she recovers her will to live. However, Behrman dies from pneumonia he caught during his selfless act.

1. "The Last Leaf"
Author O. Henry
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) short story
Published in The Trimmed Lamp
and Other Stories
Publication date 1907

3. Pneumonia attacked the Greenwich village
and Jhonsy (Joanna) was down with.

4. Johnsy watched the dead Ivy Vine on the
window and counted the leaves falling

6. Sue was disturbed

7. When Sue entered she counted from 12.

8. She associated the falling of leaves to
her death

9. Sue had to finish the ‘Asia Miner’

10. Behrman, a failure in Art, survived by
posing as a model. He posed for the Miner.

11. Behrman listened to Sue. He went out
in rain with lantern, ladder and paint
and painted the ‘Masterpiece’

12. Johnsy saw the ‘Last Leaf’ still clinging.

13. Behrman died of pneumonia. Sue
understood who saved her friend.

14. Thank you folks