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Short summary of the chapter: The Last Leaf
The story is set in a place called Greenwich Village in New York. Two young women, Sue and Johnsy, were artists. They lived together in a small flat. One day, Johnsy fell seriously ill with pneumonia. She became very weak and sad.
Johnsy started looking out of the window at an ivy creeper growing on the wall of the building next door. She believed that she would die when the last leaf of the creeper fell. Sue became very worried about her friend. She tried to make her laugh and feel better but failed.
Sue talked to Behrman, an old painter who lived downstairs. He had not painted anything great in his life and always said he would make a masterpiece one day. Sue told him about Johnsy’s condition and her strange idea about the falling leaves.
That night, a storm came, and it rained heavily. The next morning, when Johnsy looked out, she saw that one last leaf was still on the creeper. She waited for it to fall, but it never did. Slowly, she started getting better and wanted to live. She thought, “If the last leaf did not give up, I shouldn’t either.”
Later, Sue told Johnsy the truth. The real last leaf had fallen during the storm, but Behrman had painted a leaf on the wall to give her hope. He had gone out in the rain to paint it and later fell sick. He caught pneumonia and died two days later.
His painted leaf was his masterpiece, and it saved Johnsy’s life.
This story shows the power of hope, friendship, and sacrifice. Behrman gave his life to help someone else live.
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Detailed summary of the chapter: The Last Leaf
1. Two Friends in Greenwich Village: The story takes place in Greenwich Village, New York. Two young women, Sue and Johnsy (short for Joanna), lived together in a small room on the top floor of an old building. Both of them were artists and good friends. One day, Johnsy fell very ill. The doctor said she had pneumonia, which was a serious illness, especially during cold winters.
2. Johnsy Loses Hope: As she lay in bed, Johnsy became very weak, quiet, and sad. She kept looking out of the window at an ivy creeper growing on the wall of a nearby house. The leaves of the plant were falling one by one. She started believing that when the last leaf fell, she would die. No one could explain why she thought this way, but she had lost all hope.
3. Sue Tries to Help: Sue loved her friend and was very worried. She tried to make her smile, read stories, and talk to her, but nothing worked. Finally, she went to talk to Behrman, an old painter who lived on the ground floor. He was about 60 years old, always spoke roughly, and had never created a great painting, even though he always said he would.
4. A Secret Plan to Save Johnsy: Sue told Behrman about Johnsy’s strange belief about the last leaf. That night, it stormed and rained heavily, and the wind was very strong. In the morning, Johnsy looked out and was surprised to see one last leaf still on the creeper. It didn’t fall, even during the wind and rain. She kept watching it for two more days, but the leaf stayed.
5. Hope Returns: Johnsy slowly began to feel better. She realised she was being foolish to link her life to a leaf. She told Sue, “That last leaf has taught me that I want to live.” The doctor said that with care and food, she would soon recover.
6. The Truth Behind the Last Leaf: Later, Sue told Johnsy the truth. The last real leaf had fallen during the storm. The leaf that didn’t fall was painted on the wall by Behrman. He had gone out in the cold, risked his life, and painted a real-looking leaf to give Johnsy hope. As a result, he caught pneumonia and died two days later. But his painting — that single leaf — became his true masterpiece, and it saved Johnsy’s life.
7. Message of the Story: The story teaches us the power of hope, friendship, and sacrifice. It shows how a person’s kind act can bring life and strength to someone else. Behrman gave his life to give Johnsy the will to live. That was his greatest work of art — the last leaf.
Pointwise summary of the chapter: The Last Leaf
1. Sue and Johnsy, two young artists, lived together in Greenwich Village, New York.
2. Johnsy fell sick with pneumonia during a cold winter and became very weak and sad.
3. She looked at an ivy creeper from her window and believed she would die when the last leaf fell.
4. Sue tried to cheer her up but nothing worked, so she went to talk to Behrman, an old painter.
5. Behrman was 60 years old, rough in nature, and had never painted his masterpiece.
6. That night, there was a storm, and the last real leaf fell from the ivy plant.
7. But the next morning, Johnsy saw one leaf still there, which gave her hope to live.
8. Slowly, she started recovering and decided to fight her illness.
9. Sue later told her that Behrman had painted that leaf on the wall to give her hope.
10. Behrman died of pneumonia, but his painted leaf saved Johnsy’s life and became his true masterpiece.