Class 9 English - KARNATAKA
Supplementary: The Last Leaf
Supplementary: The Last Leaf by O. Henry is a touching story set in Greenwich Village, New York, about hope, friendship, and self-sacrifice. It revolves around a young artist named Johnsy who falls seriously ill with pneumonia and believes she will die when the last ivy leaf falls from the wall outside her window. Her flatmate Sue and an old, struggling painter named Behrman save her life. Behrman paints a lifelike ivy leaf on the wall during a stormy night, sacrificing his own life to pneumonia. This chapter is important for board exams as it tests reading comprehension and thematic understanding of sacrifice.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Setting the Scene
The story takes place in Greenwich Village, an artists' colony in New York, where young artists Sue and Johnsy live together in a small studio flat.
Johnsy's Illness and Despair
Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and loses the will to live, linking her fading life to the falling ivy leaves outside her window, deciding she will die when the last leaf falls.
Behrman's Masterpiece
Behrman, an aging unsuccessful painter who always wanted to paint a masterpiece, paints a realistic green-and-yellow ivy leaf on the brick wall during a freezing, stormy night.
The Twist of Sacrifice
The last painted leaf does not fall, giving Johnsy back her hope and will to live, but Behrman catches pneumonia while painting it in the cold rain and passes away.
Theme of Hope and Art
The story highlights the psychological power of hope in healing and defines true art as something that saves a life, fulfilling Behrman's dream of a masterpiece.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Karnataka (KSEEB) Class 9 English exams, this supplementary chapter typically carries around 3 to 5 marks. Common question types include 1-mark objective questions, 2-mark short answer questions about characters like Behrman and Johnsy, and 3-mark analytical questions on the theme or the twist at the end of the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Johnsy counting the ivy leaves?
Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia and had given up hope of recovery; she tied her life to the falling ivy leaves, believing she would die when the very last leaf fell.
What was Behrman's lifelong dream?
Behrman's lifelong dream was to paint a masterpiece, which he finally achieved by painting a lifelike ivy leaf on the wall that saved Johnsy's life.
Why is the story titled 'The Last Leaf'?
The title is central to the plot because the last ivy leaf on the wall symbolizes hope, despair, and ultimately the sacrifice made by Behrman to save Johnsy.
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