Who is Mr. Behrman and why does Sue see him?
Answers
Explanation:
"Old Behrman" is a sixty-year-old curmudgeon who lives on the ground floor of the "squatty three-story brick apartment building" in which two young aspiring artists, Sue and Johnsy, also dwell.
Mr. Behrman is a failure as a painter because for forty years he has intended to paint a masterpiece but still has not begun. To support himself he sometimes does illustrations for businesses, and he poses as a model for the aspiring artists in Greenwich Village who cannot afford professional models. He is a "fierce little old man" who disparages weakness of character in anyone. Notwithstanding his crusty demeanor, Mr. Behrman has a tender heart for the two girls who live above him. In fact, he "regarded himself as especial mastiff-in-waiting to protect the two young artists in the studio above."
When Sue, who has asked him to pose for her, tells Mr. Behrman that her friend Johnsy has become so weak and despondent after contracting pneumonia that she has decided to measure her life by the ivy leaves that fall off a building outside her window, Behrman is incensed: " . . . with his red eyes plainly streaming, [he] shouted his contempt and derision for idiotic imaginings."
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Answer:
Explanation:
In the west part of Washington Square there is a small district which is called Greenwich Village. The place offers rooms at a low cost, so many people tend to rent a room here. It is very suitable for painters as well.
Two young women – painters, are renting a room together. Sue and Johnsy met each other at a restaurant and found out that they had familiar tastes in art, food and even clothes, so decided to live together.
Winter was approaching and brought with it a bad illness – pneumonia. Johnsy unfortunately became ill, so was bent to the bed. The doctor visited her time after time, and the last visit he informed Sue that Johnsy’s chances are bad as she had no will to live. He inquired whether there was a man who would cheer her up, but there was none. So he left and Sue bursted into tears of sorrow. Then she came into the room where Johnsy was lying. Sue thought at first that she was sleeping so she began to work, but she heard Johnsy whispering something, when Sue came closer to the bed she heard Johnsy counting back. She asked what Johnsy was doing and the last answered that she was counting the leaves falling from the tree on the opposite side of the street. She said that when the last leaf fell she would pass away.
Sue asked her not to tell nonsense and commanded her to go to sleep, Johnsy obeyed. Sue left her and went downstairs to ask their neighbout Mr. Behrman to pose for her painting. Berhman was a painter as well, but not a successful one. All his life he pursued an idea of creating a real masterpiece, but all in vain. He was past sixty already, but he felt he had a special responsibility to both girls.
Sue told him what illness had done to Johnsy and what crazy thoughts it had put into her head. Behrman answered what a nonsense it was, but at the same time he became thoughtful.
When Sue entered Johnsy’s room she was asleep, so Sue covered the window and left. When she came in the morning Johnsy was already awaken and asked Sue to open the window. There they saw the tree with one leaf on it, it was a miracle that the leaf was still there as a strong storm and rain was pouring through the night. Johnsy was sure that the leaf would fall till evening, but when it did not she became more cheerful and even asked Sue to give her something to eat.
Soon came the doctor and said that Johnsy’s chances were much better, she would definitely turn healthy. The doctor also informed her that there was one more sick in their house – Behrman, and that they were going to take him to the hospital, but his chances were really small, and they simply would make it as easy for him as they could. There was no hope for the old man.
Next day the doctor came again and said that Johnsy was beyond any danger. Behrman though had died, he was ill only for two days. Before the day he got sick he was found in his room helpless with pain, he was throughout wet, nobody knew where he could have been in such a cold and rainy night.
Sue came to Johnsy and told her all the news about Behrman. They looked out of the window and realized that the leaf on the tree was painted on the wall behind the tree. It was Behrman’s greatest masterpiece.