THE LAST LEAF, O Henry
WORD MEANINGS
Pg. 27
1. stranger - unknown
2. victims - wounded, ill ones
3. smote - called
4. scarcely - hardly, barely
5. accomplish - achieve, complete
6. carriages - vehicle pulled by horse
7. curative - recovering, ailment, becoming alright
8. ripple - wrinkle, slight movement
9. staggered - slight movement
10. congenial - agreeable
11. stalked - hunted
12. smiting - striking someone forcefully
Pg. 28
13. dreary - gloomy, dull
14. bare - empty
15. crumbling - breaking into small pieces
16. ache - pain, agony
17. magnificent - wonderful
18. scorn - contempt, a feeling of someone is silly yet tolerate
19. beneath - below
20. hermit - monk, holy person
21. derision - scorn, ridicule
22. endured - lasted
23. serrated - jagged
Pg. 29
24. fragile - easily broken
25. confounded - cursed, confused
26. morbid - weak, unhealthy
27. peered - looked through
28. persistent - steady, continuous
29. wearily - with total tiredness
30. fierce - dangerous
31. stirring - exciting, interesting
32. sin - bad act
33. broth - soup
Pg. 30
34. acute - severe, critical, terrible
35. janitor - doorkeeper, caretaker
B. Choose the right options to answer these questions.
1. Who was the cold stranger who stalked about the colony in
November?
a. Mr. Behrman
b. pneumonia
c. plague
d. the watchman
Ans. (b) pneumonia
2. What is the one thing that Johnsy really wants to paint?
a. an ivy leaf
b. a masterpiece
c. a pen-and-ink drawing of the Queen
d. the Bay of Naples
Ans. (d) the Bay of Naples
C. Read these sentences from the text and answer the questions that follow.
1. "But when my patient begins to count the carriages in her
funeral procession, I subtract fifty per cent from the curative power of
medicine."
a. Who is the speaker?
The doctor is the speaker here.
b. Who is the patient?
Johnsy is the patient.
c. Is that literally what the patient was doing?
No, the patient was not doing as mentioned. It is figurative to
express she was imagining her death nearing.
2. Johnsy lay, scarcely making a ripple under the bedclothes, with
her face towards the window.
a. What is meant by 'scarcely making a ripple under the
bedclothes'?
It means she was completely still and not making any movement as
if she was sleeping.
b. Why was she looking out of the window?
She was looking out of the window to count the number of ivy
leaves falling from the vine as the time moved ahead.
3. "I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go
sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves."
a. Who says this?
Johnsy says this.
b. What does the speaker mean by, 'go sailing down, down'?
It means just like the old leaves disconnecting themselves from
the vine; she imagines to die and go away from this world.
c. Why are the leaves 'tired'?
The leaves were clinging to the vine for several days and were
tired eventually.
D. Think and Answer.
1. Why did Behrman act as a model for the artists in the
neighbourhood?
The old painter, Behrman was earning a little by serving as
a model to the young artists in the colony.
2. The author introduces Behrman as 'a fierce little old
man'. How is this character trait illustrated in the story?
The old man, in his past sixty was a failure artist and
survived with a little earning he made. But he was rough and tough; his
dream to paint a masterpiece was always active. He also stood as a protector of
the two your artists in the studio above. Such was his will power.
3. Why is the story called The Last Leaf? Can you think of another
title for the story?
In this story Johnsy believes she would die when the last leaf
remaining in the vine withers. This is so ridiculous, therefore the old and
failed painter, Behrman paints a last leaf that would never fall. So the last
leaf remains as a hope and strength to regain a life.
[STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WRITE A TITLE ON THEIR OWN]
E. Discuss in detail.
1. Johnsy recovered her health as soon as she regained her hope
for life and began to eat. Discuss.
"I have been a bad girl... It is a sin to want to
die." was the statement from Johnsy. She learns that the willingness to
live is the first necessity to survive. So she regrets for being so negative
about her life and connecting her fate to the last leaf of the vine. Once she
realises this she shows the sign of improvement.
2. Is there a lesson for us in the way Behrman risked his life to
save Johnsy's?
Old Behrman, who always dreamed about painting a masterpiece and
he believed one day he would fulfill this dream before he goes away. But
he forgot about his own dream when it came to save the life of Johnsy. So he
risked his life and painted a leaf on the wall and that eventually led him to
death. Such was his sacrifice. Behrman teaches us the true meaning of
sacrifice.
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