The act of Berhman is the best example of existence of humanhood in our society ?Explain in 200 words according to THE LAST LEAF
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Behrman's last painting becomes a true masterpiece because of its realism. It was so true to life that it fooled everyone, but especially Johnsy, for she was the one he had done the painting for. If the painting had not so masterfully depicted the last leaf holding onto life on the withering ivy vine, Johnsy would not have been convinced and, in her despair, she would have given herself over to death.
In addition, the painting is remarkable because it becomes evident later that the frail old man had gone outside to face the most atrocious weather conditions to paint the leaf. The fact that he could even paint so precisely in such a storm makes his rendition so much more phenomenal.
Furthermore, in spite of his frailty and the prevalence of a deadly disease, Behrman was prepared to put himself at risk of infection and exposure by performing a remarkably sacrificial act to show how much he cared for Johnsy and human life. As it is, being out in the freezing cold and rain led to an infection which his fragile body could not fight and he was ravaged by pneumonia and later died. Of all the acts that he performed, this stands out as the greatest and accentuates the fact that his simple work of art is a masterpiece.
Behrman did not expect any reward or praise for his work. He realized that saving Johnsy's life would be a reward in itself and he more than admirably succeeded in doing so. Johnsy had put all her hope for survival in that one last leaf she saw clinging to the vine. When she saw the vine losing its leaves, she started counting them and stated that her life was ebbing away just as the leaves were dropping.
Johnsy determined that when the last leaf had fallen, she would die. As she told Sue:
Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too.
I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too.
When Sue reported this to Behrman, a downstairs neighbor, he was quite upset and saw Johnsy's remarks as foolish. He then decided to perform his most magnanimous deed. Johnsy's life was saved when she believed that the fragile leaf was clinging to life and, if it could survive against all odds, so could she. The inspiration she got from the leaf gave her hope and she decided to live.
"I've been a bad girl, Sudie," said Johnsy. "Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die."
Behrman's last painting becomes a true masterpiece because of its realism. It was so true to life that it fooled everyone, but especially Johnsy, for she was the one he had done the painting for. If the painting had not so masterfully depicted the last leaf holding onto life on the withering ivy vine, Johnsy would not have been convinced and, in her despair, she would have given herself over to death.
In addition, the painting is remarkable because it becomes evident later that the frail old man had gone outside to face the most atrocious weather conditions to paint the leaf. The fact that he could even paint so precisely in such a storm makes his rendition so much more phenomenal.
Furthermore, in spite of his frailty and the prevalence of a deadly disease, Behrman was prepared to put himself at risk of infection and exposure by performing a remarkably sacrificial act to show how much he cared for Johnsy and human life. As it is, being out in the freezing cold and rain led to an infection which his fragile body could not fight and he was ravaged by pneumonia and later died. Of all the acts that he performed, this stands out as the greatest and accentuates the fact that his simple work of art is a masterpiece.
Behrman did not expect any reward or praise for his work. He realized that saving Johnsy's life would be a reward in itself and he more than admirably succeeded in doing so. Johnsy had put all her hope for survival in that one last leaf she saw clinging to the vine. When she saw the vine losing its leaves, she started counting them and stated that her life was ebbing away just as the leaves were dropping.
Johnsy determined that when the last leaf had fallen, she would die. As she told Sue:
Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too.
I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too.
When Sue reported this to Behrman, a downstairs neighbor, he was quite upset and saw Johnsy's remarks as foolish. He then decided to perform his most magnanimous deed. Johnsy's life was saved when she believed that the fragile leaf was clinging to life and, if it could survive against all odds, so could she. The inspiration she got from the leaf gave her hope and she decided to live.
"I've been a bad girl, Sudie," said Johnsy. "Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die."
Explanation:
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. Therefore, O. Henry did not want a man who might conceivably be in love with the sick girl, because right away the reader would say, "Ah, ha! He's going to save her somehow!" So O. Henry needed a man who was a painter and who cared for Johnsy but who could not be imagined as her lover. This explains why Sue has the following interchange with the doctor:
“She—she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day,” said Sue.
“Paint?—bosh! Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice—a man, for instance?”
“A man?” said Sue, with a jew's-harp twang in her voice. “Is a man worth—but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind.”
Then when O. Henry introduces Behrman, there can be no suspicion that this old man could be Johnsy's potential savior. Behrman is old. He is a drunkard. He seems half-crazy. He smells of gin. He has a bad temper. In his broken English, he speaks contemptuously of Johnsy's idea that she is going to die when the last leaf falls.
“Vass!” he cried. “Is dere people in de world mit der foolishness to die because leafs dey drop off from a confounded vine? I haf not heard of such a thing. No, I will not bose as a model for your fool hermit-dunderhead. Vy do you allow dot silly pusiness to come in der prain of her? Ach, dot poor leetle Miss Yohnsy.”
Behrman's character and personality are intended to mislead the reader. He seems angry, obstinate, and self-centered. His broken English is a smokescreen to hide his thoughts and feelings. He doesn't even seem physically capable of climbing a ladder with paints, brushes, and a lantern to paint a leaf on a wall twenty feet above the ground. It turns out, of course, that Behrman is a romantic at heart and the kind of man who actually would risk his life to paint a leaf on the wall of the nearby building. The reader is taken by surprise when this fact is revealed at the very end when Sue tells Johnsy:
"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 that the last leaf fell.”