The work of the last leaf of autumn. Analysis of O'Henry's story “The Last Leaf

Try to sleep, ”Sue said. - I need to call Berman, I want to write from him a gold-digger-hermit. I’m just for a minute at the most. Look, don't move until I come.

Old Man Berman was an artist who lived on the ground floor below their studio. He was already over sixty, and his beard, all in curls, like Michelangelo's Moses, descended from the satyr's head onto the body of a dwarf. In art, Berman was a failure. He was going to write a masterpiece, but he never even started it. For several years he has not written anything except signs, advertisements and the like daub for a piece of bread. He made some money by posing for young artists who could not afford professional sitters. He drank heavily, but still talked about his future masterpiece. For the rest, it was a feisty old man who scoffed at all sentimentality and looked at himself as a watchdog specially assigned to guard two young artists.

Sue found Berman, who smelled strongly of juniper berries, in his half-dark room downstairs. In one corner, for twenty-five years, an untouched canvas stood on an easel, ready to take the first touches of a masterpiece. Sue told the old man about Jonesy's fantasy and her fears about how she, as light and fragile as a leaf, would fly away from them when her fragile connection to the world weakened. Old man Berman, whose red eyes were very noticeably watery, screamed, mocking such idiotic fantasies.

What! he shouted. - Is it possible to be so stupid - to die because the leaves are falling from the cursed ivy! The first time I've heard. No, I don’t want to pose for your idiot hermit. How do you let her stuff her head with such nonsense? Oh, poor little Miss Jonesy!

She is very sick and weak, - said Sue, - and from the fever all sorts of painful fantasies come to her mind. Very well, Mr. Berman - if you don’t want to pose for me, you don’t need to. But I still think you are a nasty old man ... nasty old chatterbox.

Here is a real woman! Berman shouted. - Who said I didn't want to pose? Come on. I'm going with you. For half an hour I say that I want to pose. My God! This is not the place to be ill for a good girl like Miss Jonesy. Someday I will write a masterpiece and we will all leave here. Yes Yes!

Jonesy was dozing when they went upstairs. Sue pulled the curtain down to the very windowsill and motioned for Berman to go into another room. There they went to the window and looked with fear at the old ivy. Then they looked at each other without saying a word. It was a cold, persistent rain, mixed with snow. Berman, dressed in an old blue shirt, sat in the pose of a gold digger-hermit on an inverted kettle instead of a rock.

The next morning, Sue, awakening from a short nap, saw Jonesy keeping her dull, wide eyes on the drawn green curtain.

Pick her up, I want to see, ”Jonesy commanded in a whisper.

Sue obeyed wearily.

And what? After the pouring rain and sharp gusts of wind that did not abate all night, one last ivy leaf was still visible on the brick wall! Still dark green at the stalk, but tinged at the jagged edges by the yellow of decay and decay, it held on bravely to a branch twenty feet above the ground.

This is the last one, ”Jonesy said. - I thought that he would certainly fall at night. I heard the wind. He will fall today, then I will die too.

God be with you! - said Sue, bending her tired head to the pillow. - Think about me, if you don't want to think about yourself! What will happen to me?

But Jonesy didn't answer. The soul, preparing to set off on a mysterious, distant path, becomes alien to everything in the world. A painful fantasy took possession of Jonesy more and more, as one after another all the threads that connected her with life and people were torn.

The day passed, and even at dusk, they saw a lone ivy leaf clinging to its stem in the background brick wall... And then, with the onset of darkness, the north wind rose again, and the rain continually knocked on the windows, rolling down from the low Dutch roof.

As soon as dawn broke, the merciless Jonesy ordered the curtains to be raised again.

The ivy leaf was still in place.

Johnsy lay looking at him for a long time. Then she called Sue, who was heating chicken broth for her on the gas burner.

I was a nasty girl, Sudie, ”Jonesy said. “That last leaf must have been left on the branch to show me how ugly I was. It is a sin to wish you death. Now you can give me some broth, and then milk and port ... But no: first bring me a mirror, and then throw pillows over me, and I will sit and watch you cook.

An hour later she said:

Ciudi, I hope one day to paint the Gulf of Naples.

In the afternoon, the doctor came, and Sue, under some pretext, followed him into the hallway.

Chances are equal, ”the doctor said, shaking Sue's thin, trembling hand. - At good care you will win. And now I have to visit another patient downstairs. His surname is Berman. He seems to be an artist. Also pneumonia. He is already an old man and very weak, and the form of the disease is severe. There is no hope, but today he will be sent to the hospital, there he will be more peaceful.

The next day the doctor said to Sue:

She's out of danger. You won. Now food and care - and nothing else is needed.

That evening, Sue went to the bed, where Jonesy was lying, happily knitting a bright blue, completely useless scarf, and hugged her with one hand - along with a pillow.

I have something to tell you, white mouse, ”she began. - Mr. Berman died today in the hospital from pneumonia. He was ill for only two days. On the morning of the first day, the doorman found the poor old man on the floor in his room. He was unconscious. His shoes and all his clothes were soaked through and cold as ice. No one could understand where he went on such a terrible night. Then they found a lantern that was still burning, a ladder that had been pushed aside, a few discarded brushes, and a palette of yellow and green paints. Look out the window, honey, at the last ivy leaf. Weren't you surprised that he doesn't shiver or move in the wind? Yes, honey, this is Berman's masterpiece - he painted it the night the last leaf came off.

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O.Henry

One of the most famous humorists in world literature, O. Henry created a unique panorama of American life at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, in grotesque situations conveyed the contrasts and paradoxes of his era, which opened up space for people with a business acumen, whom the game of chance then elevates to the pinnacle of success , it casts down to the very bottom of life.

“In a small block west of Washington Square, the streets got messed up and broke into short strips called thoroughfares. These driveways form strange angles and curved lines. One street there even crosses itself two times. A certain artist managed to discover a very valuable property of this street. Suppose a shop picker with a bill for paints, paper and canvas meets himself there, going home, without receiving a single cent on the bill! .. "

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In a small block west of Washington Square, the streets are messed up and broken into short strips called thoroughfares. These driveways form strange angles and curved lines. One street there even crosses itself two times. A certain artist managed to discover a very valuable property of this street. Suppose a shop picker with a bill for paints, paper and canvas meets himself there, walking home without getting a single cent on the bill!

And now, in search of north-facing windows, 18th century roofs, Dutch mansards and cheap rent, the art people came across a kind of Greenich Village. Then they brought in a few pewter mugs and a brazier or two from Sixth Avenue and founded a "colony."

Sue and Jonesy's studio was located at the top of a three-story brick house... Jonesy is a diminutive for Joanna. One came from Maine, the other from California. They met at a table d'hote at a restaurant on Eighth Street and found that their views on art, cyclic salad and fancy sleeves were quite the same. As a result, a common studio was created.

It was in May. In November, an unfriendly stranger, whom doctors call Pneumonia, walked invisibly around the colony, touching one or the other with his icy fingers. On the East Side, this murderer walked boldly, striking dozens of victims, but here, in a maze of narrow, mossy alleyways, he trudged leg by leg.

Mr. Pneumonia was by no means a gallant old gentleman. A diminutive girl, anemic from California marshmallows, could hardly be considered a worthy opponent for a stout old dumbass with red fists and shortness of breath. However, he knocked her off her feet, and Jonesy lay motionless on a painted iron bed, looking through the small binding of a Dutch window at the blank wall of a neighboring brick house.

One morning, a preoccupied doctor called Sue into the corridor with a single movement of his shaggy gray eyebrows.

“She has one chance ... well, say, ten,” he said, shaking off the mercury in the thermometer. - And then, if she herself wants to live. Our entire pharmacopoeia loses its meaning when people begin to act in the interests of the undertaker. Your little lady has decided that she will not get better. What is she thinking about?

“She… she wanted to paint the Gulf of Naples.

- Paints? Nonsense! Is there something in her soul that is really worth thinking about - for example, a man?

“Well, then she’s just weakened,” the doctor decided. - I will do everything that I can do as a representative of science. But when my patient starts counting the carriages in his funeral procession, I throw fifty percent off healing power medicines. If you can get her to ask her what style of sleeves she will wear this winter, I can assure you that she will have one chance in five instead of one in ten.

After the doctor left, Sue ran into the workshop and cried into a Japanese paper napkin until it was completely soaked. Then she bravely entered Jonesy's room with the drawing board, whistling ragtime.

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Summary works
Two young artists, Sue and Jonesy, rent an apartment on the top floor of a house in Greenwich Village, New York, where people of the arts have long lived. In November, Jonesy falls ill with pneumonia. The doctor's verdict is disappointing: “She has a one in ten chance. And then, if she herself wants to live ”. But Jonesy had just lost her interest in life. She lies in bed, looks out the window and counts how many leaves are left on the old ivy, which has twined its shoots around the wall opposite. Jonesy is convinced that when the last leaf falls, she will die.
Sue talks about her friend's dark thoughts to the old painter Berman, who lives downstairs. He has been going to create a masterpiece for a long time, but so far something has not been glued to him. Hearing about Jonesy, the old man Berman was terribly upset and did not want to pose for Sue, who wrote from him as a hermit gold digger.
The next morning, it turns out that there is only one leaf left on the ivy. Jonesy watches how he resists the gust of wind. It got dark, it started raining, the wind blew even stronger, and Jonesy has no doubt that in the morning she will not see this leaf again. But she is wrong: to her great surprise, the brave leaf continues to fight against bad weather. This makes a strong impression on Jonesy. She becomes ashamed of her cowardice, and she acquires the desire to live. The doctor who visited her notes an improvement. In his opinion, the chances of surviving and dying are already equal. He adds that the downstairs neighbor also contracted pneumonia, but the poor fellow has no chance of recovery. A day later, the doctor declares that now Jonesy's life is out of danger. In the evening, Sue tells her friend the sad news: old man Berman died in the hospital. He caught a cold that rainy night when the ivy lost the last leaf and the artist drew a new one and attached it to a branch under the pouring rain and icy wind. Berman still created his masterpiece.

The story of "Henry" The Last Leaf "is about how the main character, an artist, saves the life of a terminally ill girl at the cost of his own life. He does this thanks to his creativity, and his last work turns out to be a kind of parting gift to her.

Several people live in a small apartment, among them two young friends, Sue and Jonesy, and an old artist, Berman. One of the girls, Jonesy, is seriously ill, and the saddest thing is that she herself almost does not want to live, she refuses to fight for life.

The girl determines for herself that she will die when the last leaf falls from the tree growing near her window, convinces herself of this thought. But the artist cannot come to terms with the fact that she will simply wait for her death, preparing for it.

And he decides to outsmart both death and nature - at night he ties a drawn paper sheet to a branch with a thread, a copy of the present, so that the last sheet never falls and, therefore, the girl does not give herself the "command" to die.

His idea works: the girl, still waiting for the last leaf to fall and her death, begins to believe in the possibility of recovery. Watching how the last leaf does not fall and does not fall, she begins to slowly come to her senses. And, in the end, the disease wins.

However, soon after her own recovery, she learns that the old man Berman has just died in the hospital. It turns out that he had a serious cold when he hung a fake leaf on a tree on a cold windy night. The artist dies, but in memory of him the girls are left with this sheet, created on the night when the last one actually fell.

Reflections on the purpose of the artist and art

About "Henry in this story reflects on what is really the purpose of the artist and art. Describing the story of this unfortunate sick and hopeless girl, he comes to the conclusion that talented people come to this world in order to help people simpler and save their.

Because no one, except a person endowed with creative imagination, could have such an absurd and at the same time so wonderful idea - to replace real sheets with paper ones, drawing them so skillfully that no one could tell. But the artist had to pay for this salvation with his own life, this creative decision turned out to be a kind of his swan song.

He also talks about the will to live. After all, as the doctor said, Jonesy had a chance to survive only if she herself believed in such a possibility. But the girl was ready to drop her hands faintly until she saw the last leaf that had not fallen. About "Henry makes it clear to readers that everything in their life depends only on themselves, that by force of will and thirst for life, you can even defeat death.

The novel by the American writer O. Henry "The Last Leaf" was first published in 1907, included in the collection of stories "The Burning Lamp". The first and most famous film adaptation of the novel took place in 1952. The film was called The Leader of the Redskins and Others.

Young artists Jonesy and Sue filming for two small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York's quarter, where people of the art have always preferred to settle. Johnsy fell ill with pneumonia. The doctor who treated the girl said that the artist had no chance of escape. She will only survive if she wants to. But Jonesy had already lost interest in life. Lying in bed, the girl looks out the window at the ivy, observing how many leaves are left on it. Cold November wind cuts everything off every day large quantity leaves. Jonesy is sure she will die when the last of them is ripped off. The assumptions of the young artist are groundless, because she may die sooner or later, or not die at all. However, Jonesy unconsciously connects the ending of his life with the disappearance of the last leaf.

Sue is troubled by her friend's gloomy thoughts. It is useless to persuade Jonesy to get rid of the ridiculous idea. Sue shares her experiences with Berman, an old artist who lives in the same house. Berman dreams of creating a real masterpiece. However, the dream has remained only a dream for many years. Sue invites a colleague to pose for her. The girl wants to write a hermit gold digger from him. Upon learning of what is happening with Jonesy, Berman becomes so upset that he refuses to pose.

The morning after Sue's conversation with the old artist, Jonesy notices that the last leaf remains on the ivy, symbolizing the girl's last thread connecting her with life. Jonesy watches as the leaf resists the desperate gust of wind. In the evening it started to rain heavily. The artist is sure that when she wakes up tomorrow morning, the leaf will no longer be on the ivy.

But in the morning Jonesy discovers that the leaf is still in its place. The girl sees this as a sign. She was wrong, wishing herself death, she was driven by cowardice. The doctor who visited Johnsy notes that the patient has improved significantly and that the chances of recovery have increased markedly. The friends find out that Berman also fell ill, but he will not be able to recover. A day later, the doctor informs Jonesy that her life is out of danger. In the evening of the same day, the girl learned that Berman had died in the hospital. In addition, the artist learns that the old man, in a sense, died through her fault. He caught a cold and got pneumonia the night the ivy lost the last leaf. Berman knew what this piece of paper meant to Jonesy and drew a new one. The artist fell ill while attaching a leaf to a branch in a piercing wind and pouring rain.

Artist Jonesy

Creative individuals have a soul more vulnerable than ordinary people... They are easily frustrated, quickly depressed without apparent reasons... This is exactly what Jonesy turned out to be. The first difficulties in life associated with the disease made her lose heart. Being creative nature, the girl draws a parallel between ivy leaves, which disappear every day, and the days of her life, the number of which also decreases every day. Perhaps a representative of another profession would not have thought of drawing such parallels.

Old Man Berman

The old artist was not very lucky in life. He could not become famous or get rich. Berman's dream is to create a real masterpiece that would immortalize his name. However, time passes, and the artist cannot get down to work in any way. He simply does not know what exactly needs to be drawn, realizing at the same time that a real masterpiece must come out from under his brush.

Finally, fate sends the artist the opportunity to fulfill his dream in an unusual way. His dying neighbor pins all hope on the last ivy leaf. She will definitely die if this leaf falls off the branch. Berman is saddened by the girl's sad thoughts, but deep down he understands her perfectly, since his soul is just as vulnerable and full artistic images, incomprehensible to others. The true masterpiece turned out to be a small, inconspicuous sheet that did more than the most stunning painting of any of Berman's famous colleagues.

Artist Sue

Jonesy's girlfriend is given the role of mediator between those who have lost hope and those who are able to return it. Sue cherishes Jonesy. Girls are united not only by their profession. Living in the same apartment, they became a kind of small family, support for each other.

Sue sincerely wishes to help her friend. But the disadvantage life experience doesn't let her do it. Johnsy needs more than medicine. The girl lost her desire to live, and this is much worse than the inability to buy the necessary medicines. Sue doesn't know how to get Johnsy back what was lost. The artist goes to Berman so that he, as a senior comrade, could give her advice.

Analysis of the work

The author's skill is manifested in the description of everyday situations. Excluding fiction, not every writer can create something unusual from the usual. The plot of the novel seems too prosaic at first. But the one who decides to read the work to the end will face an unexpected and exciting denouement.

Magic in the work

The Last Leaf is another example of a man-made miracle. Reading the novel, the reader involuntarily recalls the story "Scarlet Sails". The plots of the works are completely different. They are united by a miracle created by human hands. A girl named Assol waited all her life for her lover on a ship with scarlet sails simply because she received a "prediction" as a child. The old man, who wanted to give hope to the unfortunate child, made the girl believe in a miracle. Arthur Gray performed another miracle, making her dream come true.

Jonesy is not expecting a lover. She has lost her bearings and does not know how to live on. She needs some kind of sign, which she, in the end, creates for herself. At the same time, the reader observes the hopelessness imposed by the girl. The ivy leaf will sooner or later come off the branch, which means that death is considered by Jonesy as something inevitable. In the depths of her soul, the young artist has already given up life. Perhaps she does not see her future, expecting the same inglorious fate that befell her neighbor Berman. He did not reach any heights and until his old age remained a loser, comforting himself with the hope of creating a picture that would enrich and glorify him.