"The Last Leaf" is a short story that was published in 1907. The story reveals a deep message regarding the thought and acts of others. O'Henry's words open up true emotion as he expresses in detail the story of an ill woman waiting for the last leaf to fall of its vine. The lady by the name of Johnsy believes the leaf represents her life and once it falls she will also come to an end. Fortunately, a well gentleman named Mr. Behrman steps in to save the life of Johnsy by ending all her suffering with a permanently painted leaf to view from her window. Even with the gracious acts performed Mr. Behrman fell sick with pneumonia to have his life ended. This story greatly adds to the awareness of self sacrifice and the impact it may leave on other individuals. O'Henry uses numerous rhetorical devices to share an expression of love in the ways of human acts. He uses symbolism to represent the leaf as a source of life as it signifies hope. Another devices would include personification in which O'Henry used by stating "Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman". He pulls the illness into the role of the human state. The style of the author's piece was written with such beauty as it portrays a language appropriate toward an artistic expression.
I agree with nick, on the depth. However, the word structure of your sentences were very well written, especially the last two sentences. I believe if you carry that same structure to the rest of your blog, it will give your blog a more impactful essence
Henry Ward Beecher once said, "Every artist dips his paint brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." O'Henry's short story , The Last Leaf, tells the story of an artist who, despite his own personal problems, sacrificed his health for that of some one he cared for deeply. Through the use of rhetorical devices such as parallelism, personification, and appealing to pathos, The Last Leaf captures the real meaning of self-sacrifice. Parallelism is used not in the structure of sentences, but between the main character's life and a quickly dying tree. As the winter season quickly draws near, a sick and dying Johnsy claims her life is fading away at the same pace as that of the tree preparing for the season. As she awaits the last leaf to fall, signaling her time to pass as well, she develops a sense of understanding that her life is not yet finished. At the end of the story, it's confirmed that the last leaf has been painted on the wall by a friend. The comparison of Johnsy's life to the tree gives the story so much more of an intimate meaning. The tree was her lifespan- tracker, and thanks to Behrman, she lived. In the beginning of this short story, the use of personification is used almost immediately. Pneumonia is described as "not a nice old man" who had "icy fingers". He was new to the community, and was well-known in the busy streets. But in the small part of the city called Greenwhich Village, his appearance was a rare sighting. Nevertheless, Johnsy had an encounter with Mr. Pneumonia. The use of personification helps readers to better understand what pneumonia is really like. A steely old man is easier to relate to than a "lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid". Mr. Pneumonia becomes a relevant character in the story, who would otherwise be known as just a sickness. Lastly, the ending of the story causes the reader to develop a sense of awe and gratification at the self-sacrificing act of Behrman. He didn't know that he would catch pneumonia while painting the leaf on the wall for Johnsy. Little was said about his love for her, but this act made his feelings towards her obvious. He risked his own life so that she might have hope to keep pushing through her sickness. He did not know the outcome would be her survival with his death as a substitute. He didn't even tell anyone of his action, but humbly accepted his fate. O'Henry deeply appeals to pathos as the emotional ties of love and sacrifice and portrayed through Behrman's "master piece". Behrman truly encompassed Beecher's quote as his painting revealed the nature of his soul. His gift of self-sacrifice towards Johnsy caused her to have a change in heart and want to live. O'Henry's The Last Leaf uses parallelism, personification, and appeals to pathos in this short story of self sacrifice.
Abby, I really enjoyed your blog! I can tell you put a lot of effort into it and it definitely payed off. You were very descriptive and it helped to explain your points. Nice work!
The Last Leaf is a beautiful and very meaningful short story that is most definitely appropriate for this time of the year as Easter is on its way. The story's main idea is about how self-sacrifice is the greatest form of true and authentic love. In the story, there are two roommates, Johnsy and Sue who are also artists. Johnsy gets sick with pneumonia and does not have a very high living rate because she believes that when the last leaf of the ivy vine falls, she will also go. As Sue is extremely upset due to her dying friend, she expresses these emotions to the old artist that lives downstairs, Mr. Behrman. He ends up visiting with Johnsy, but that night there was a terrible storm and Sue did not have high hopes of the the leaves surviving. In the morning, Sue opens the blinds and to her surprise finds that there is one leaf on the vine. Later, Sue discovers that Mr. Behrman died in the hospital from pneumonia. The reasoning for this is because the night of the storm he went out and painted the last leaf to try and save Johnsy, but it costed him his life. Throughout this short story, O'Henry uses multiple rhetorical devices to help support his argument of self-sacrifice. Two of those devices he uses are diction and tone. O'Henry uses diction to his advantage in this story. His word choice consisted of many adjectives to help describe the scene. For example, O'Henry describes the ivy leaf, "Still dark green near its stem, but with its serrated edges tinted with the yellow of dissolution and decay, it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground." This example shows how his diction in the story allows for the reader to get a more in depth idea of the story which also helps the reader to better understand the story. Tone is also important in O'Henry's argument. He kept the story very formal, but at times he made it playful. "Didn't you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece-he painted it there the night the last leaf fell," Sue informed. This is an example of how the author kept the story formal when it came to serious topics. Although, the author also makes the tone a bit more playful at times as well. For example, "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? And you used to love that vine, so, you naughty girl. Don't be a goosey," Sue expressed. This change in tone allows for a more relatable story and better argument. Due to O'Henry's use of tone and diction, he is able to get his point across and allows for a more enjoyable and beautiful story.
Marcy, your blogs are always an easy read to the comparison of the prompt. You speak clearly of your points and I agree with your rhetorical devices for I too found tone significantly important!
'The last leaf' consists of four human characters; Johnsy, Sue, Doctor and Behrman, and a non-living character Mr. Pneumonia. Johnsy and Sue are roommates. Johnsy falls ill and she binds herself with such a fancy that she well die with the fallen of last ivy leaf. But Sue, the very optimist, consults the painter, Behrman, to paint an ivy leaf against the wall. Behrman paints such a leaf which is clinging to its stem against the wall. At last, Johnsy recovers her health. But Behrman dies of pneumonia in the hospital. O'Henry uses many different rhetorical strategies throughout this story. For example dialogue. Which is the usage of dialogues is frequently existed in this story. Dialogues always occur between the two people who talk face to face. The mostly action of this story proceeds with the dialogues of Johnsy and Sue. “Try to sleep,” said Sue, I must call Behrman.” “What is it, dear?” asked Sue.” “Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy This story also does have the devices of symbolism and imagery. The Last Leaf deals with life, nutrition and growth as well. The symbol of shoes and icy cold is also used in this story. Shoes are the symbol of oppression, tyranny and death as well. The writer uses this symbol to show the death of Mr. Behrman. For example “His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold.” Imagery is also very close to symbolism but it appeals to senses and feelings. There is a lot of color imagery in this story. For example “I have something to tell you, white mouse. In the this story he definitely uses many more devices throughout. While using these strategies he is able to get is point across as a whole.
I will have to agree with Lauryn as well! You did a great job with your rhetorical devices, and you brought up some I didn't even think about. I also enjoyed the description of the short story at the beginning of your blog. It gave me a background before you jumped into the devices. Good work!
Honestly, this story is the definition of a plot twist. A plot twist is only effective in conveying the overall meaning of the story if the author has utilized his or her rhetorical devices to fully encase the reader into the story. The author of the short story The Last Leaf wanted the people listening to see the message of love and self sacrifice. They did this by using detailed imagery, specific diction, and an overall tone. From the beginning of the story, the author perfectly paints the scene for us and allows us to be fully involved in the storyline. The very first paragraph is full of detail, such as,"In a little district west of Washington Square, the streets have run crazy and broken them into small strips called "places." These "places make strong angles and curves." The authors's diction through word choice throughout the story was very specific to the time frame and gave the storyline more insight as to what the people were surrounded by. The author wrote the dialogue with the way the characters would actually speak, such as the old man who painted the vines, instead of the plain words we are all used to. By doing this, the characters were given more life and their feelings and emotions could be felt even more. Throughout the whole story, the author also sets a loving and meaningful tone to aid in putting their message acrossed. The author takes us through how the two girls met, to where they live, to parts of their relationship, and to how they both deal with Johnsy's sickness. All of these insights help set the tone to how much they cared about each other. Without the use of these rhetorical devices, the story would have lacked its sparkly attraction and its meaning would have been lost in the words.
The Last Leaf is a short, reflective story that influences people to look deeper into the basic storyline it presents. The story, to me, comes off as a sort-of countdown to extinction. No matter how look at it, some day we will just be waiting for our last leaf to fall and our lives to conclude. Nobody is safe from this reality, but we can make it a more beautiful experience depending on how we view death. Several rhetorical devices are used to emphasize the beauty of the story, which also shows that story can not simply be read as a single-layered tale. I feel the most obvious rhetorical strategy that the author utilizes in the story is the personification of pneumonia. The author treats pneumonia like a remorseless serial killer, a man who is cold, and strikes without any regret. People fall ill because of his actions, and the story is told in a very depressing manner when describing him. The personification is what gives the description it's heart. If it simply states that people fell ill, it wouldn't hit as hard as it did when O Henry describes it as Mr. Pneumonia. The wording makes him sound like a malevolent comic book villain. "Mr. Pneumonia was not a nice old gentleman. A nice old gentleman would not hurt a weak little woman from California. But Mr. Pneumonia touched Johnsy with his cold fingers. She lay on her bed almost without moving, and she looked through the window at the wall of the house next to hers." This description alone is just dark and you can easily envision a shadowy figure going around and just putting people to death with it's fingertips. It might be a strange connection to relate this to comic book movie villains like the Joker or Magneto, but I found this to stand out like one of those characters, particularly the Joker. "Mr. Pneumonia" is malevolent, remorseless, tragic, and simply exists to destroy. While the rest of the story does have its beautiful undertone, this part simply stood out too much to ignore. It says so much to a reader like myself in such a small paragraph.
O'Henrys short story is a well developed piece depicting the true authentication of what love really is, and what it should be. In the story, there are two artists who bond over art and the bond it created. Johnsy and Sue are living the norm days until Johnsy becomes ill with pneumonia and is pronounced by the doctors to have a short time left. However, she has a theory of her own concerning the ivy vine outside her re were hundreds of leaves but recently there are roughly the leaves left on the dying vine. She counts down the leaves as they float to the ground, believing that when the last falls, she too takes her last breath. Through this, Sue is at loss for words so she resorts to her elderly neighbor downstairs, Mr. Behrman. He too is an artist that plays a key role in O'Henrys plot. With a terrible wind storm the night prior, sue opens the blind to find one leaf left as Johnsy believes her time is very close although the leave is sto not green attached to the branch. Sue is later informed of Mr. Behrman's passing, but little did she know the reason why so sudden. He ventured his way through the storm to capture the last leaf on the vine to save Johnsy's life. Hers was spared, while he died from pneumonia. The most evident rhetorical strategies used by O'Henry is his tone and personification to help readers visualize the true emotion in the piece. The words choice filters into his tone most evidently to Mr. Behrman. The short story was personal yet formal enough to allow readers to have the sense of real meaning and authentication of what love really is.
"The Last Leaf" is a short story that was published in 1907. The story reveals a deep message regarding the thought and acts of others.
ReplyDeleteO'Henry's words open up true emotion as he expresses in detail the story of an ill woman waiting for the last leaf to fall of its vine. The lady by the name of Johnsy believes the leaf represents her life and once it falls she will also come to an end. Fortunately, a well gentleman named Mr. Behrman steps in to save the life of Johnsy by ending all her suffering with a permanently painted leaf to view from her window. Even with the gracious acts performed Mr. Behrman fell sick with pneumonia to have his life ended.
This story greatly adds to the awareness of self sacrifice and the impact it may leave on other individuals. O'Henry uses numerous rhetorical devices to share an expression of love in the ways of human acts. He uses symbolism to represent the leaf as a source of life as it signifies hope. Another devices would include personification in which O'Henry used by stating "Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman". He pulls the illness into the role of the human state. The style of the author's piece was written with such beauty as it portrays a language appropriate toward an artistic expression.
Lauryn, I enjoyed how you opened up your blog with just a little information about the short story that we read. Good opening!
DeleteI would've gone more in depth with the two rhetorical strategies rather than the predominant focus n the background. Other than that, well done.
DeleteI agree with nick, on the depth. However, the word structure of your sentences were very well written, especially the last two sentences. I believe if you carry that same structure to the rest of your blog, it will give your blog a more impactful essence
DeleteHenry Ward Beecher once said, "Every artist dips his paint brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." O'Henry's short story , The Last Leaf, tells the story of an artist who, despite his own personal problems, sacrificed his health for that of some one he cared for deeply. Through the use of rhetorical devices such as parallelism, personification, and appealing to pathos, The Last Leaf captures the real meaning of self-sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteParallelism is used not in the structure of sentences, but between the main character's life and a quickly dying tree. As the winter season quickly draws near, a sick and dying Johnsy claims her life is fading away at the same pace as that of the tree preparing for the season. As she awaits the last leaf to fall, signaling her time to pass as well, she develops a sense of understanding that her life is not yet finished. At the end of the story, it's confirmed that the last leaf has been painted on the wall by a friend. The comparison of Johnsy's life to the tree gives the story so much more of an intimate meaning. The tree was her lifespan- tracker, and thanks to Behrman, she lived.
In the beginning of this short story, the use of personification is used almost immediately. Pneumonia is described as "not a nice old man" who had "icy fingers". He was new to the community, and was well-known in the busy streets. But in the small part of the city called Greenwhich Village, his appearance was a rare sighting. Nevertheless, Johnsy had an encounter with Mr. Pneumonia. The use of personification helps readers to better understand what pneumonia is really like. A steely old man is easier to relate to than a "lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid". Mr. Pneumonia becomes a relevant character in the story, who would otherwise be known as just a sickness.
Lastly, the ending of the story causes the reader to develop a sense of awe and gratification at the self-sacrificing act of Behrman. He didn't know that he would catch pneumonia while painting the leaf on the wall for Johnsy. Little was said about his love for her, but this act made his feelings towards her obvious. He risked his own life so that she might have hope to keep pushing through her sickness. He did not know the outcome would be her survival with his death as a substitute. He didn't even tell anyone of his action, but humbly accepted his fate. O'Henry deeply appeals to pathos as the emotional ties of love and sacrifice and portrayed through Behrman's "master piece".
Behrman truly encompassed Beecher's quote as his painting revealed the nature of his soul. His gift of self-sacrifice towards Johnsy caused her to have a change in heart and want to live. O'Henry's The Last Leaf uses parallelism, personification, and appeals to pathos in this short story of self sacrifice.
Abby, I enjoyed your closing paragraph. It really rapped up your whole blog. I enjoyed your plot as a whole! Good work!
DeleteAbby, I thought you picked apart the story well in your blog. Your quotes were excellent as they added detail to what you were expressing. Nice job!
DeleteAbby,
DeleteI really enjoyed your blog! I can tell you put a lot of effort into it and it definitely payed off. You were very descriptive and it helped to explain your points. Nice work!
I agree that the personification was a really great strategy. Your analysis of the parallelism was also really interesting. Nicely put.
DeleteThe Last Leaf is a beautiful and very meaningful short story that is most definitely appropriate for this time of the year as Easter is on its way. The story's main idea is about how self-sacrifice is the greatest form of true and authentic love. In the story, there are two roommates, Johnsy and Sue who are also artists. Johnsy gets sick with pneumonia and does not have a very high living rate because she believes that when the last leaf of the ivy vine falls, she will also go. As Sue is extremely upset due to her dying friend, she expresses these emotions to the old artist that lives downstairs, Mr. Behrman. He ends up visiting with Johnsy, but that night there was a terrible storm and Sue did not have high hopes of the the leaves surviving. In the morning, Sue opens the blinds and to her surprise finds that there is one leaf on the vine. Later, Sue discovers that Mr. Behrman died in the hospital from pneumonia. The reasoning for this is because the night of the storm he went out and painted the last leaf to try and save Johnsy, but it costed him his life.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this short story, O'Henry uses multiple rhetorical devices to help support his argument of self-sacrifice. Two of those devices he uses are diction and tone. O'Henry uses diction to his advantage in this story. His word choice consisted of many adjectives to help describe the scene. For example, O'Henry describes the ivy leaf, "Still dark green near its stem, but with its serrated edges tinted with the yellow of dissolution and decay, it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground." This example shows how his diction in the story allows for the reader to get a more in depth idea of the story which also helps the reader to better understand the story. Tone is also important in O'Henry's argument. He kept the story very formal, but at times he made it playful. "Didn't you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece-he painted it there the night the last leaf fell," Sue informed. This is an example of how the author kept the story formal when it came to serious topics. Although, the author also makes the tone a bit more playful at times as well. For example, "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? And you used to love that vine, so, you naughty girl. Don't be a goosey," Sue expressed. This change in tone allows for a more relatable story and better argument. Due to O'Henry's use of tone and diction, he is able to get his point across and allows for a more enjoyable and beautiful story.
I enjoyed the multiple examples you used to support your rhetorical devices! They really helped put your points and arguments across better!
DeleteMarcy, your blogs are always an easy read to the comparison of the prompt. You speak clearly of your points and I agree with your rhetorical devices for I too found tone significantly important!
Delete'The last leaf' consists of four human characters; Johnsy, Sue, Doctor and Behrman, and a non-living character Mr. Pneumonia. Johnsy and Sue are roommates. Johnsy falls ill and she binds herself with such a fancy that she well die with the fallen of last ivy leaf. But Sue, the very optimist, consults the painter, Behrman, to paint an ivy leaf against the wall. Behrman paints such a leaf which is clinging to its stem against the wall. At last, Johnsy recovers her health. But Behrman dies of pneumonia in the hospital.
ReplyDeleteO'Henry uses many different rhetorical strategies throughout this story. For example dialogue. Which is the usage of dialogues is frequently existed in this story. Dialogues always occur between the two people who talk face to face. The mostly action of this story proceeds with the dialogues of Johnsy and Sue. “Try to sleep,” said Sue, I must call Behrman.” “What is it, dear?” asked Sue.” “Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy
This story also does have the devices of symbolism and imagery. The Last Leaf deals with life, nutrition and growth as well. The symbol of shoes and icy cold is also used in this story. Shoes are the symbol of oppression, tyranny and death as well. The writer uses this symbol to show the death of Mr. Behrman. For example “His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold.” Imagery is also very close to symbolism but it appeals to senses and feelings. There is a lot of color imagery in this story. For example “I have something to tell you, white mouse. In the this story he definitely uses many more devices throughout. While using these strategies he is able to get is point across as a whole.
Cass, I enjoyed the rhetorical devices you have chosen. You expressed them well in this blog by adding great examples to reflect on. Keep it up!
DeleteI enjoyed how you explained your rhetorical devices and how they were found in the story! You did a great job of picking out examples as well!
DeleteI will have to agree with Lauryn as well! You did a great job with your rhetorical devices, and you brought up some I didn't even think about. I also enjoyed the description of the short story at the beginning of your blog. It gave me a background before you jumped into the devices. Good work!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, this story is the definition of a plot twist. A plot twist is only effective in conveying the overall meaning of the story if the author has utilized his or her rhetorical devices to fully encase the reader into the story. The author of the short story The Last Leaf wanted the people listening to see the message of love and self sacrifice. They did this by using detailed imagery, specific diction, and an overall tone. From the beginning of the story, the author perfectly paints the scene for us and allows us to be fully involved in the storyline. The very first paragraph is full of detail, such as,"In a little district west of Washington Square, the streets have run crazy and broken them into small strips called "places." These "places make strong angles and curves." The authors's diction through word choice throughout the story was very specific to the time frame and gave the storyline more insight as to what the people were surrounded by. The author wrote the dialogue with the way the characters would actually speak, such as the old man who painted the vines, instead of the plain words we are all used to. By doing this, the characters were given more life and their feelings and emotions could be felt even more. Throughout the whole story, the author also sets a loving and meaningful tone to aid in putting their message acrossed. The author takes us through how the two girls met, to where they live, to parts of their relationship, and to how they both deal with Johnsy's sickness. All of these insights help set the tone to how much they cared about each other. Without the use of these rhetorical devices, the story would have lacked its sparkly attraction and its meaning would have been lost in the words.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Leaf is a short, reflective story that influences people to look deeper into the basic storyline it presents. The story, to me, comes off as a sort-of countdown to extinction. No matter how look at it, some day we will just be waiting for our last leaf to fall and our lives to conclude. Nobody is safe from this reality, but we can make it a more beautiful experience depending on how we view death. Several rhetorical devices are used to emphasize the beauty of the story, which also shows that story can not simply be read as a single-layered tale. I feel the most obvious rhetorical strategy that the author utilizes in the story is the personification of pneumonia. The author treats pneumonia like a remorseless serial killer, a man who is cold, and strikes without any regret. People fall ill because of his actions, and the story is told in a very depressing manner when describing him. The personification is what gives the description it's heart. If it simply states that people fell ill, it wouldn't hit as hard as it did when O Henry describes it as Mr. Pneumonia. The wording makes him sound like a malevolent comic book villain. "Mr. Pneumonia was not a nice old gentleman. A nice old gentleman would not hurt a weak little woman from California. But Mr. Pneumonia touched Johnsy with his cold fingers. She lay on her bed almost without moving, and she looked through the window at the wall of the house next to hers." This description alone is just dark and you can easily envision a shadowy figure going around and just putting people to death with it's fingertips. It might be a strange connection to relate this to comic book movie villains like the Joker or Magneto, but I found this to stand out like one of those characters, particularly the Joker. "Mr. Pneumonia" is malevolent, remorseless, tragic, and simply exists to destroy. While the rest of the story does have its beautiful undertone, this part simply stood out too much to ignore. It says so much to a reader like myself in such a small paragraph.
ReplyDeleteO'Henrys short story is a well developed piece depicting the true authentication of what love really is, and what it should be. In the story, there are two artists who bond over art and the bond it created. Johnsy and Sue are living the norm days until Johnsy becomes ill with pneumonia and is pronounced by the doctors to have a short time left. However, she has a theory of her own concerning the ivy vine outside her re were hundreds of leaves but recently there are roughly the leaves left on the dying vine. She counts down the leaves as they float to the ground, believing that when the last falls, she too takes her last breath. Through this, Sue is at loss for words so she resorts to her elderly neighbor downstairs, Mr. Behrman. He too is an artist that plays a key role in O'Henrys plot. With a terrible wind storm the night prior, sue opens the blind to find one leaf left as Johnsy believes her time is very close although the leave is sto not green attached to the branch. Sue is later informed of Mr. Behrman's passing, but little did she know the reason why so sudden. He ventured his way through the storm to capture the last leaf on the vine to save Johnsy's life. Hers was spared, while he died from pneumonia. The most evident rhetorical strategies used by O'Henry is his tone and personification to help readers visualize the true emotion in the piece. The words choice filters into his tone most evidently to Mr. Behrman. The short story was personal yet formal enough to allow readers to have the sense of real meaning and authentication of what love really is.
ReplyDelete