HOME READING REPORT NO.

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Name: Tricia Mae S.Decano Grade Level & Section: 10-3
Title of the Story: The Last Leaf

I. Author
William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by
his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. His stories are known for their
surprise endings.

II. Setting

Place: Greenwich Village that functions as an artists' colony

Time: Very close the time of publishing (1907), the beginning of the 20th century

III. Characters
Major Character: Sue, Johnsy and Mr. Behrman
Protagonist: Sue is the main character of the story and caring friend of Johnsy and
also a young artist.
Antagonist: Mr. Pneumonia is the antagonist of the story
Minor Characters: Doctor is a busy, older man with “shaggy grey eyebrows” who attends
to Johnsy and Behrman.

IV. Summary

“The Last Leaf” takes place in Greenwich Village, a bohemian neighborhood in New York City,
sometime in the early 20th century. The story centers on Sue and Johnsy, two young women artists
who share a studio at the top of a run-down apartment building. When winter comes, Johnsy
becomes grievously ill with a case of pneumonia. The doctor who visits them predicts that Johnsy
won’t have much chance of survival if she doesn’t find the will to live, since his medicines have little
effect on a patient who has decided that she’s going to die. When the doctor asks if Johnsy is
depressed about something in particular, Sue mentions Johnsy’s unfulfilled ambition to paint the Bay
of Naples, but the doctor is dismissive and asks if Johnsy is troubled over a man.
An increasingly fatalistic Johnsy becomes obsessed with the leaves falling from a vine outside her
window. After the last leaf falls, she tells Sue, she will die. Sue works on an illustration for a magazine
(which she plans to sell to buy more food for Johnsy) and tries unsuccessfully to convince Johnsy that
she has something to live for. Sue visits their downstairs neighbor, Behrman—an old, unsuccessful
artist who, after decades of failure still hopes to paint his “masterpiece.” When he hears about
Johnsy’s illness and her obsession with the leaves outside her window, he is initially contemptuous of
the idea that leaves could have anything to do with Johnsy’s health.

IV. Plot
Pneumonia, called Mr. Pneumonia, is sweeping through the Greenwich Village neighborhood where
two women artists, Johnsy and Sue, live in a studio. A doctor comes and tells Sue that Johnsy will
probably recover from the pneumonia if she believes she will. However, since she doesn't, he says her
chance of dying is ninety percent. Johnsy somehow believes that she will die when the last leaf falls
from the vine outside her window. When the neighbor below, Mr. Behrman, also an artist, hears of
this, he says he will paint his "masterpiece" and Johnsy will get well. Mr. Behrman has not had success
as an artist, but the leaf he paints on the vine for Johnsy to look at outside her window is so detailed
and realistic that she does think it is real. Because it never falls, she recovers. Ironically, however, Mr.
Behrman gets pneumonia by standing outside in bad weather painting the leaf that saves Johnsy. He
dies—but he has painted his masterpiece, the last leaf.

V. Moral of the Story

It is true that a real friend is one who helps you in need. In the story, Sue and Johnsy were good
friends and artists. When Johnsy fell seriously ill with pneumonia in November, Sue loved Johnsy and
looked after her like a mother in her state of illness. She helped Johnsy get out of her depression and
was happy at Johnsy's recovery. Berman was a poor artist who always believed that one day he would
create a masterpiece. When he got to knows that Johnsy believed that she would die when the last
leaf from the ivy creeper falls down. Berman felt that the last leaf would fall down in the storm. So, he
painted a leaf on the wall which looked extremely realistic. But, two days later he got pneumonia and
died. This sacrifice of his lead to Johnsy's survival.. Therefore, the story is the story of supreme
sacrifice. The determination and strong willpower that helps a patient review sooner. Johnsy felt
dejected and depressed due to the attack of pneumonia and had lost her will to live. Medicine was
ineffective. In person, a person with strong willpower and determination can do anything.

VI. Vocabulary Words

1. Pneumonia - an acute or chronic disease caused by viruses, bacteria, or physical and
chemical agents and characterized by inflammation of the lungs

2. Solicitously - anxiously or concernedly; in a kindly way.

3. Gnarled - bent, twisted with knot-like shapes.

4. Chivalric - courteous, knightly behavior.

5. Ravager – to bring heavy destruction on: devastate

VII. Favorite Part of the Story

 My most favorite part when Mr. Behrman painted the last leaf of the tree even there was a strong
storm that caused his death later, and that last leaf became his “masterpiece.”

VIII. Reaction/ Conclusion

One theme of this story is that you should never judge someone by what they appear to be, but by
their actions. Behrman acts fierce and aggressive, but his actions show how much he cares about
Johnsy. I learned to judge people, not by their looks, but by their actions, because ultimately, actions
are the things that make an impact. Passion, hope and personal sacrifice. O'Henry give people hope in
a quickly transforming world where big businesses and were taking over artsy New York.