Class 9 English - GUJARAT
Supplementary: The Last Leaf
Supplementary: The Last Leaf by O. Henry is a touching story about friendship, hope, and the will to live, featured in the GSEB Class 9 English curriculum. Set in a Greenwich Village art district, it follows a young artist named Johnsy who falls seriously ill with pneumonia and believes she will die when the last ivy leaf falls from a vine outside her window. Her loyal friend Sue and an old, struggling painter named Behrman help save her life. For Gujarat Board exams, this chapter is crucial for testing reading comprehension, character analysis, and the understanding of moral themes.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Friendship and Care
The deep bond and selfless care shown by Sue towards her sick friend Johnsy, nursing her back to health during a severe illness.
Psychological Impact of Hope
How Johnsy's negative mindset and psychological surrender to the falling ivy leaves accelerated her physical illness, proving that a positive will to live is vital for recovery.
Behrman's Masterpiece
The ultimate sacrifice made by the aging, failed artist Behrman, who painted a realistic ivy leaf on the wall in the freezing rain to give Johnsy hope, dying of pneumonia himself.
Irony and Twist Ending
O. Henry's signature plot twist where Behrman catches pneumonia while creating his masterpiece—the 'last leaf'—which saves Johnsy's life while taking his own.
Symbolism of the Ivy Leaf
The ivy leaves symbolize Johnsy's fading life force, while the final painted leaf represents enduring hope, art, and self-sacrificing love.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Gujarat (GSEB) Class 9 English board/school exams, this supplementary chapter usually carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions commonly include short answer questions, character sketches of Behrman or Sue, and questions testing the understanding of the story's theme and twist ending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Johnsy keep counting the falling ivy leaves?
Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia and had lost her will to live; she mentally linked her life with the falling ivy leaves, believing she would die when the very last leaf fell.
How did Behrman save Johnsy's life?
Behrman painted a remarkably realistic green-and-yellow ivy leaf on the brick wall during a stormy night so it would never fall, giving Johnsy the hope she needed to recover.
Why is Behrman's painting called his masterpiece?
It is called his masterpiece because, unlike any painting he attempted before, this painted leaf actually saved a human life, though it cost him his own.
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