How are the actions of Mr. Berhman in the last leaf story the same as the actions of people all around us at this very moment in time?
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The Last Leaf by O. Henry
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How would you describe the character of Mr. Behrman in the story "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry?
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WILLIAM DELANEY eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
Mr. Behrman was apparently intended to be the antithesis of "a knight on a white horse." In this story, "a knight on a white horse" would probably be a romantic young unknown artist who sacrifices his life to save Johnsy, the girl he loves. O. Henry wanted to write a story about a girl who was dying of pneumonia and had the conviction that she would die when the last ivy leaf on the wall of a nearby house fell. The author's plot was based on the idea that someone might paint a fake ivy leaf on the wall in the middle of the night, and the girl would recover because of the example set by what appeared to be one brave remaining ivy leaf. O. Henry wanted his ending to come as a surprise, which was his trademark as a writer. O. Henry had to introduce a painter into the story who would end up being the one to paint the fake leaf and sacrifice his life in doing so, but he didn't want the reader to suspect this ending when he introduced the painter.