Question

Illustrate the theme of sacrifice in the story the last leaf

Answer 1

O. Henry brings out the themes of selflessness and sacrifice in his story 'The Last Leaf'. Sue and Johnsy, both from California are striving to succeed as artists. How they help and support one another reveals their selflessness. Unfortunately, Johnsy gets pneumonia and relates her sickness to the falling ivy leaves as it is autumn she can see from her window the ivy vine during the fall. She somehow feels that she would die when the last leaf would fall. An old, frustrated artist Behrman lives in the same building asJohnsy and Sue. He longs to paint a masterpiece and has even attempted to do so. Sue goes to him and tells him that her friend is dying of pneumonia and that Johnsy claims that when the last leaf falls off the vine outside her window, she will die, Behrman scoffs at this as foolishness, but as he is protective of the two young girls he decides to see Johnsy and the vine.

In the night, a very bad storm comes and wind the wind is howling and the rain is splattering against the window. Sue closes the curtains and tells Johnsy to go to sleep, even though there was still one leaf left on the vine. Johnsy protests but Sue insists on doing so because she doesn’t want Johnsy to see the last leaf fall. In the morning, Johnsy wants to see the vine to be sure that all the leaves are gone, but to their surprise, there is still one leaf left. She regains her will to live and makes a full recovery throughout the day.

In the afternoon, doctor talks to Sue. Behrman painted a masterpiece; he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell. Unfortunately, he dies after his attempt to paint his masterpiece. He sacrifices his life for saving Johnsy's life

Answer 2

Thanks for the question.
O. Henry's "The Last Leaf" is a spectacular story of hope, friendship, and sacrifice. Sue and Mr. Behrman try hard and fast to restore Johnsy's will to live. They show sincere and loving efforts to help Johnsy regain her good health. In the end, Mr. Behrman even sacrifices his life for Johnsy. This proves that sacrifice is very hard to do for anyone. Johnsy was lucky enough though.
Johnsy turned sick with pneumonia. He talks silently to the leaves outside that drop from the vine. She even tells her  friend Sue that she "must go, too." She also believes that she will stay till the last leaf of the tree. Here, it is a beautiful theory of HOPE added as well.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"                
Behrman in the end went into the chilly snowy night and painted an ivy leaf so that Johnsy never comes to know all the real leaves are gone. Behrman's leaf has finally restored hope to Johnsy and makes her determined to get well.This beautiful story was also adapted as the screenplay of the Bollywood movie in India titled "Lootera" starring Ranbir Singh and Sonakshi Sinha.