the story the last leaf shows the power of the mind discuss
in 100 wooed
Answers
The story gives the message that the power of hope and optimism can help win the most difficult situations. Sue does not lose hope and keeps trying until the end to revive the desire to live in her friend Johnsy. Her optimism finally succeeds in reviving Johnsy’s interest in life and helps her recover from pneumonia.
Another message given by the story is that friends are our saviours. Sue keeps telling Johnsy that she has to live for her friend’s sake and her own life would be meaningless without Johnsy. She tends to her by talking about cheerful things, giving her food, calling in a doctor, and even seeking help from neighbours.
A latent message of the story is that sacrifice is a great virtue. Bauman sacrifices his life so that Johnsy gets over her depression. This sacrifice does not go in vain. Not only does Johnsy recover but Behrman also manages to create the masterpiece that he had yearned for all his life.
It was because of this stubborn belief that Behrman, an older artist, lost his life when he went out in the storm to paint a leaf onto the creeper so that Johnsy would not realise that the last leaf had actually fallen. This story shows the power of the mind.