Today, in this blog post ‘The Last Leaf Summary Class 9 English’, we’ll read short & detailed summary of the chapter The Last Leaf writen by O. Henry from Class 9th NCERT English Moments(supplementary) Chapter 7 that will help you to understand this chapter better so that you can score best in your exam.
This post is a complete and easy-to-understand guide for your Class 9 English Moments Chapter “The Last Leaf”.
About the Chapter
“The Last Leaf” is a heart-touching story about friendship, hope, and the will to live. It tells us how faith and sacrifice can bring life to others. The story revolves around two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, who live together. When Johnsy falls seriously ill with pneumonia, she loses her desire to live and believes she will die when the last leaf falls from the ivy creeper outside her window. But a kind old painter named Behrman paints a leaf on the wall during a stormy night to give her hope. His act saves her life but costs him his own.
About the Author
O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862–1910), an American short story writer known for his wit, compassion, and surprise endings. His stories often focus on ordinary people and show how love, sacrifice, and kindness can bring meaning to life. Some of his famous works include The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, and The Last Leaf.
Short Summary of The Last Leaf
Sue and Johnsy, two young artists, live together in a small flat. One winter, Johnsy falls seriously ill with pneumonia. She becomes hopeless and starts counting the falling leaves on the ivy creeper outside her window, believing she will die when the last leaf falls.
Sue worries about her friend and seeks help from Behrman, an old painter living downstairs who has always dreamed of creating a masterpiece. That night, during a terrible storm, Behrman secretly paints a perfect picture of a leaf on the wall when the last real leaf falls.
The next morning, Johnsy sees the “last leaf” still there and regains hope. Her will to live returns, and she recovers. Sadly, Behrman catches pneumonia while painting the leaf and dies. Sue later tells Johnsy that Behrman’s painted leaf, his masterpiece, saved her life.
The Last Leaf Summary
Introduction:
The story “The Last Leaf” is about friendship, hope, and sacrifice. It is set in a small artist’s colony in Greenwich Village, New York, where two young women (Sue and Johnsy) share a tiny flat. Both are artists trying to make a living from their paintings.
Johnsy’s Illness:
One winter, Johnsy falls seriously ill with pneumonia, a lung disease common in cold weather. The doctor visits her daily but finds no improvement. He tells Sue that Johnsy has lost the will to live, and unless she regains her desire to survive, no medicine will help her.
Sue becomes very worried and tries to cheer Johnsy up. She talks about clothes, art, and new fashions to distract her, but Johnsy remains silent and weak. She lies on her bed all day, gazing out of the window.
Johnsy’s Strange Belief:
Outside their window is an ivy creeper growing on the opposite brick wall. It is autumn, and the leaves are falling one by one. Johnsy begins counting the leaves as they fall and develops a strange, hopeless belief; she tells Sue that when the last leaf falls, she too will die.
Sue tries to convince her that the idea is foolish, but Johnsy refuses to listen. She believes her fate is linked to the falling leaves of the ivy creeper.
Sue Seeks Help from Behrman:
Worried about her friend, Sue goes downstairs to meet Mr. Behrman, an old artist who lives on the ground floor. Behrman is over sixty, kind-hearted but poor. He has always dreamed of painting a masterpiece, but he has never succeeded.
Sue tells Behrman about Johnsy’s condition and her strange belief. Behrman feels sad and calls Johnsy foolish, but he also decides to help her.
The Stormy Night:
That night, a terrible storm rages outside. It rains heavily, and strong winds blow through the city. Sue closes the curtains so Johnsy cannot see the wall, as the last real leaf is about to fall.
The next morning, Johnsy asks Sue to open the window. To their surprise, the last leaf is still there; fresh, green, and strong, even after the storm. Johnsy cannot believe it. She keeps watching it all day. The leaf doesn’t fall, even during another storm the next night.
Johnsy Regains Hope:
Seeing the leaf’s strength, Johnsy begins to feel ashamed of her weakness. She realizes how wrong she was to give up so easily. The leaf teaches her the value of life and courage. She tells Sue that she has been a bad girl for losing hope and declares that she now wants to live.
Her health starts improving rapidly. The doctor visits again and says that Johnsy now has the will to live, and she will recover soon.
Behrman’s Sacrifice:
However, the doctor also mentions that Behrman is suffering from pneumonia and is in critical condition. The next morning, Sue gives Johnsy some sad news – Behrman has died.
The janitor had found him drenched and shivering in his room, with a ladder, a lantern, and some brushes with green and yellow paint nearby. Sue then tells Johnsy the truth; there was no real leaf left on the creeper. Behrman had gone out in the cold storm that night and painted a perfect picture of a leaf on the wall so that Johnsy would believe it was still there.
That painted leaf, Behrman’s masterpiece, saved Johnsy’s life but cost him his own.
Conclusion:
In the end, Johnsy survives because of Behrman’s selfless love and sacrifice. His painted leaf becomes a symbol of hope, courage, and faith. O. Henry beautifully shows how one person’s kindness can give another the strength to live.
Key Points Recap
- Setting: Greenwich Village, New York
- Main Characters: Sue, Johnsy, Behrman
- Climax: Behrman paints the leaf on the wall during a storm
- Resolution: Johnsy recovers; Behrman dies
- Symbol: The last leaf = hope, life, and courage
View: all Chapter Summary of Class 9th English
Theme of The Last Leaf
The story’s main themes are:
- Hope and the will to live: Life can be saved through positivity and inner strength.
- Sacrifice and selflessness: Behrman sacrifices his life to save Johnsy.
- Art as inspiration: Behrman’s painting becomes a symbol of life and hope.
- Friendship and compassion: True friends stand by each other in difficult times.
Moral of the Story
The story teaches that life is precious, and we must never give up hope, no matter how hard things seem. It also reminds us that real art and love come from sacrifice and kindness. Behrman’s act shows that even one person’s goodness can change another’s fate.
Read Also: The Last Leaf NCERT Question Answer