The Last Leaf (English Presentation)

8/9/2019 The Last Leaf (English Presentation)

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THE LAST LEAF

By: O. Henry

Group MembersKancharla Harsha, Keshav Baheti, Meghmala Mukheree, !eelesh Shukla,!itin "es#ani, $ra%eep Ahir#ar, $ragalbhi "oshi, $ranav Bu%ihal, $ranal Ti#ari, &achit Go'al


2/27

()ne street crosses itsel* a time or t#o

• +isit the same place again a sense o* %-. vu• The streets are interconnecte%/

(So to 0uaint ol% Green#ich +illage the artpeople soon came pro#ling, hunting *or north#in%o#s an% eighteenth centur' gables an%1utch attics an% lo# rents/2

• Art people ha% certain speci3cations the'

a%here% to , because the' got inspiration *rom it/• The 3nancial con%ition o* the art people #as not

goo%/


3/27

(At the top o* a s0uatt', three brick4 stor' Suean% "ohns' ha% their stu%io2

• Sue an% "ohns' #orke% together/

• Their economic con%ition #as not goo%/

()ver on the east si%e this ravager stro%ebol%l', smiting his victims b' scores , but his *eettro% slo#l' through the ma6e o* narro# an%moss gro#n (places22

• A m'sterious person, possibl' a mur%erer hasentere% the cit'/

• The person has entere% surreptitiousl' *rom theleast pre*erre% path#a's/


4/27

( Mr/ $neumonia #as not #hat 'ou #oul% call achivalric ol% gentleman/2

• 1i% not con*orm to the stereot'pes/

• 1i% not have eti0uettes #ith regar% to #omen

)ne morning, the bus' %octor invite% Sue intothe hall#a' #ith a shagg', gra' e'ebro#/

• The %octor ha% something to tell Sue #hichcoul% not be sai% in *ront o* "ohns'/

• The %octor #as so bus' that he %i%n7t have thetime to look a*ter his appearance/

• The %octor #as also ol% an% ma'be stresse%%ue to increase in number o* pneumonic

patients/


5/27

An% that chance is *or her to #ant to live/

• "ohns' ha% a slim chance o* survival/

• She %i% not #ant to live/

• She %i% not have an' reasons to live *or/

Has she an'thing on her min% #orth thinkingt#ice4 a man *or instance8

• The %octor %oesn7t think painting is a #orth'pro*ession or is #orth living *or/

• Sho#s a bit o* his misog'nistic traits/

• The %octor thinks that #omen onl' a *e#things to think over, #hich is pre%ominantl'about men, marriage, househol% an% chil%ren/


6/27

9* 'ou get her to ask one 0uestion about thene# #inter st'les in cloak sleeves, 9 #ill

promise 'ou one4in43ve chances *or her,instea% o* one4in4ten/

• The %octor re*ers to that i* "ohns' isremotel' intereste% in something #orl%l',

there is a better chance o* survival *or her/• The %octor again makes a general statement

about the likes an% %islikes o* #omen

• The %octor presumes that "ohns' isintereste% in *ashion, #ithout even properl'kno#ing her/


7/27

9 #ill promise 'ou a one4in43ve chance *or herinstea% o* one4in4ten/

• The %octor is be talking about the betterprobabilit' o* survival o* "ohns'/

• The %octor might be asking *or some task to be%one or some precaution that has to be taken sothat the chances are raise% *rom :;< to =;oung artists must pave their #a' to Art b'%ra#ing pictures *or maga6ine stories that 'oungauthors #rite to pave their #a' to literature/

• 9t sho#s ho# artists tr' to get establishe%/

• 9t ma' be a sort o* a%vice *or someone #ho#ants to be a success*ul artist/


8/27

As sue #as sketching a pair o* eleganthorsesho# ri%ing trousers an% a monocle o*

the 3gure o* the hero, an 9%aho co#bo', shehear% a lo# soun%, several times repeate%/

• The lo# soun% might be %isturbing Sue a lot/

• The stor' is about 9%aho co# bo's/

"ohns'7s e'es #ere open #i%e/ She #aslooking out the #in%o# an% counting4countingback#ar%s/

• She #as %oing a sort o* count%o#n/

• She is eagerl' #aiting *or something #hichthe en% o* the count%o#n #ill bring/


9/27

T#elve, she sai%, an% little later (eleven2 an%then (ten2, an% (nine2 an% then (eight2 an%(seven2, almost together/

• She is %oing a count%o#n/

• She is talking about some task #hich has to

be %one as soon as the count%o#n gets over/

Sue looke% solicitousl' out o* the #in%o#4

• Sue is eagerl' looking out *or somebo%'7s

arrival/• She might have *oun% something interesting

to look upon/


10/27

There are onl' 3ve le*t no#/4

• The count%o#n in almost over/• There #ere more than 3ve obects

be*ore/

1on7t be a goose'4• She is telling "ohns' not to be *oolish/

• Sue ma'be belittling "ohns'/


11/27

?>ou nee%n@t get an' more #ine,? sai% "ohns',keeping her e'es 3e% out the #in%o#/ ?There goesanother/ !o, 9 %on@t #ant an' broth/ That leaves ust*our/ 9 #ant to see the last one *all be*ore it gets%ark/ Then 9@ll go, too/?

• She #as shocke% b' the *all o* another lea*/

• "ohns' is #aiting to %ie as soon as the last lea* *alls/

?"ohns', %ear,? sai% Sue, ben%ing over her, ?#ill 'oupromise me to keep 'our e'es close%, an% not lookout the #in%o# until 9 am %one #orking8 9 must

han% those %ra#ings in b' to4morro#/ 9 nee% thelight, or 9 #oul% %ra# the sha%e %o#n/?

• Sue #ants to concentrate on her painting/

• She has to complete it b' evening other#ise she

#oul% not be able to #ork in %ark night/


12/27

?oul%n@t 'ou %ra# in the other room8? aske%

"ohns', col%l'/• "ohns' #ants that Sue concentrate onl' onher %ra#ing, not on the *alling leaves/

• "ohns' %oesn7t #ant to anno' her/

?9@% rather be here b' 'ou,? sai% Sue/ ?Besi%e,9 %on@t #ant 'ou to keep looking at those sill'iv' leaves/?

• Sue %oesn7t #ant to leave the room/• Sue #ants to %ivert "ohns'7s min% *rom the

thoughts to %eath to something morepleasant/


13/27

?Tell me as soon as 'ou have 3nishe%,? sai% "ohns',closing her e'es, an% l'ing #hite an% still as *allen statue,?because 9 #ant to see the last one *all/ 9@m tire% o*#aiting/ 9@m tire% o* thinking/ 9 #ant to turn loose m' hol%on ever'thing, an% go sailing %o#n, %o#n, ust like one o*those poor, tire% leaves/?

• "ohns' is in great pain/

• "ohns' #ants to %ie as she cannot hol% her illness *urther/

?Tr' to sleep,? sai% Sue/ ?9 must call Behrman up to be m'mo%el *or the ol% hermit miner/ 9@ll not be gone a minute/1on@t tr' to move @til 9 come back/?

• She #ants "ohns' to take rest as she #as ill/• Sue #ants to %ivert "ohns'7s min% to an'thing else, other

than the thought o* *alling iv' leaves/

• She #ants to call Behrman as she #ants him to help her/


14/27


15/27


16/27

?She is ver' ill an% #eak,? sai% Sue,?an% the *ever has le*t her min% morbi%

an% *ull o* strange *ancies/ +er' #ell, Mr/Behrman, i* 'ou %o not care to pose *orme, 'ou nee%n@t/ But 9 think 'ou are a

horri% ol% 4 ol% ibbertigibbet/?• Accor%ing to Sue, "ohns' is imagining

rubbish thing %ue to her *ever, #hich#ill subsi%e once she gets better/

• Accor%ing to Sue, Mr/ Behrman is a ru%eperson an% %oesn7t have an' emotions/


17/27

(>ou are ust like a #omanD2 'elle%

Behrman/• Behrman is teasing Sue/

• He might be insulting Sue/

Some%a' 9 vill baint a masterpiece,

an% ve shall all go a#a'

• He is tr'ing to prove that he istalente%/

• He is hoping *or the best/


18/27

hat #oul% 9 %o

•Sue is tr'ing to sho# that she issel3sh/

• She is not com*ortable #ith the #a'the conversation is moving/

The iv' lea* #as still there/

• There #as still hope alive *or "ohns'/• "ohns' ha% epecte% the lea* to *all

%uring the heav' rain an% #in%/


19/27

(9t is a sin to #ant to %ie2

• 9t brings religion an% *aith into contet/

• "ohns' reali6es her mistake o* #anting to %iean% thinks this is Go%7s #a' o* punishing her/

(Some %a' 9 hope to paint the Ba' o* !aples2

• "ohns' has starte% to think about the *uture/• She epresses her ambitions that she inten%s to

*ul3ll in her li*etime/

(Taking Sue7s thin, shaking han%2

• This sho#s the concern that Sue ha% *or "ohns'/

• Sue ha% almost given up hope *or "ohns', to seeher health' ma%e her ver' emotional/


20/27

( She7s out o* %anger/ >ou on2

• Sho#s the victor' achieve% b' Sueagainst "ohns'7s %esire *or %eath/

• "ohns'7s change o* thought ha% a greateect on her health/

($ut one arm aroun% her, pillo#s an% all2

•) Sue is tr'ing to com*ort "ohns'/

•) The pillo#s sho# ho# serious "ohns'7sillness reall' #as an% ho# #eak it has le*ther/


21/27

( 9t is Behrman7s masterpiece4 hepainte% it there the night the last lea**ell2

• Finall', Behrman %i% manage to%ra# his long a#aite% masterpiece/

• Behrman kne# he #as ol% an% histime #as coming/ He #ante% to givea ne# lease o* li*e to "ohns', so in

or%er to %o that, he gave up his o#nli*e/


22/27

Li*e an% 1eath *or a SingleLea*

To properl' un%erstan% the stor', #e must have a

number o* presuppositions in our min%/ Firstl', thetitle (The Last Lea*2 brings the presupposition thatthe stor' #oul% revolve aroun% greener' an% hassomething to %o #ith kin%s o* ora/ Secon%l', the

#or% (Last2 in the title also %eman%s apresupposition that there #ere man' leaves an% thatno# it is a matter o* a single lea*/ !o#, anotherthought enters our min% as to #h' the authorparticular emphasi6e% on the last lea*/ This brings in

another presupposition that the #hole stor' mustrevolve aroun% the last lea*, or the last lea* must pla'a maor part in the stor'/ Another presupposition thatcomes into our min%s is that the last lea* musts'mboli6e something at a %eeper level/


23/27

This lea%s to the presupposition that the lea*ma' s'mboli6e a single person le*t out *romamongst man' other #ho have lost out an% %ie%/

The last lea* coul% also s'mboli6e the strengththat the lea* ha% to hol% on to the stem evena*ter all the other leaves have *allen o/

9n hin%sight #e can sa*el' conclu%e that the

meaning that the author #ante% to %erive #asthe same as #as presuppose%/ The stor'revolves aroun% the li*e o* "ohns' an% ho# shebase% her time o* %eath on the *alling o* a single

lea*/ The last lea* hol%s on an% so %oes her li*e/ "ohns' an% Sue are to 'oung artists livingtogether in !e# >ork/ "ohns' *alls ill #ithpneumonia an% the %octor #ho treats sa's that


24/27

?She has one chance in 4 let us sa', ten?/ ecan assume that once "ohns' hears this, sheloses hope an% looks out the #in%o# #here

she *oun% an ol% iv' vine tree #hich #asshe%%ing its leaves/ "ohns' strongl' believesthat she #oul% %ie #hen the last lea* o* thevine *alls/ But her neighbor Mr/ Behrman

#ho claims to %o a masterpiece o* art one%a' but never actuall' %oes, tries to helpher/ But on the %a' the last lea* never *allsan% "ohns' sees it clinging to the vine an%*eels that she #as #rong, tells Sue"Something has made that last leaf staythere to show me how wicked I was. It is asin to want to die”.


25/27

)n the %a' the last lea* *ell Behrman ha%painte% a lea* on the to hope to "ohns' such that

she recover *rom pneumonia an% lives her li*e//But he catches pneumonia as he paints the lea*stan%ing in the rain an% string #in%/ hen Suecomes to kno# o* the truth she tells "ohns' “lookout the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on thewall. Didn't you wonder why it never uttered ormoved when the wind lew! h, darling, it's#ehrman's master$iece % he $ainted it there thenight that the last leaf fell.” The author o* the

stor' tries to conve' that hope, *rien%s an% the#ill to live are important *actors in one7s li*e/Attaching her hope on the *all o* the last lea* an%the strong #ill o* #anting her to live b' Sue,

"ohns' ma' not have survive%/


26/27

Moreover in this stor', the neighbor, Mr/Behrman, makes the ultimate sacri3ce throughhis neighborl' care giving as he stan%s in therain to paint the lea* an% en%s up %'ing becauseo* pneumonia/ This convinces us that there arestill man' #hose lives are either save% or at leastthe 0ualit' o* their lives are signi3cantl'

improve% b' the caring acts o* *rien%s an%neighbors/

)n care*ul anal'sis o* the stor' an% rea%ingbet#een the lines #e un%erstan% it in a better

#a'/ The implicatures suggest the poor economiccon%ition o* "ohns', Sue an% Behrman/ The' alsotell us about the eccentric #a's o* the artists/


27/27

The author has personi3e% the %isease o* $neumoniaas a col% mur%erer / Also, the %octor is a chauvinist ashe *eels that #omen onl' think o* marriage an%

husban%/ He has also %ra#n a relation bet#een 'oungartists an% 'oung authors/ "ohns'7s pre%iction that she#ill %ie as soon as the last lea* #ill *all o becomesre%un%ant as Mr/ Berhman mocks it an% gives her theultimate hope b' painting the last lea* on the vine to

make it permanent/ 9t also un%erlines Mr/ Behrman7s#a's as to ho# he has been boasting about painting amasterpiece some%a' #hereas he ha%n7t painte% an'/He also coaches 'oung pro*essionals #hereas he is nota goo% master himsel*, an% goes b' li*e b' posingcheapl' *or 'oung artists/ The iron' in the stor' is thatMr/ Behrman, #ho %i% not believe "ohns'7s theor',conce%es to it ust to give her a ne# lease o* li*e, butin the process gives himsel* up to $neumonia/

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The Last Leaf (English Presentation)