Question

What is the significance of willpower in "The Last Leaf"?

Answer 1

Answer:

Willpower emerges as another major theme of "The Last Leaf" when the doctor delivers his grim prognosis: he believes Johnsy's chances of survival are slim because she has lost the will to live.

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Answer 2

Concept Introduction

O. Henry's short tale "The Last Leaf" was published in his 1907 book The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories. The tale initially published in the New York World on October 15, 1905.

Explanation

When the doctor gives his bleak diagnosis, he feels Johnsy's prospects of survival are poor since she has lost her will to live. He continues by stating that medical assistance is only helpful when a patient utilizes the drug in conjunction with the desire to improve. Despite her desire to die, Johnsy's determination is strong: she sets her mind on dying when the last leaf falls. Behrman is able to use Johnsy's will and use it against her by painting the Phoney leaf; as long as she believes there is one leaf remaining, she will survive as her body battles the illness.

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