The Last Leaf by O. Henry is an interesting short story. It revolves around the theme of faith and hope. This short story is about two young women, Sue and Johnsy who has decided to live and work together after they discovered that they have the same interests. During winter, Johnsy unluckily has attacked by Pneumonia. The sickness has made Johnsy loses her hope to live. She said that if the last leaf of the tree which is in front of her window fall, she will die at the same time. Fortunately, Mr. Behrman’s painting on the wall has induced Johnsy to believe that it is wrong to want to die after she found that the last leaf is still hanging from its branch though the wind was blowing. She finally decides to stay alive and even tells Sue that someday she hopes to paint the picture of the Bay of Naples. Although Mr. Behrman is described as unsuccessful painter, at the end of this story, the leaf that he painted on the wall can be considered as his great masterpiece which resembles hope for Johnsy to continue her life.
Through this story, I found that hope and faith is very essential for someone who is sick and hopeless. Medicine alone could not guarantee someone will heal from her or his sickness. As the doctor told Sue in the story, when a sick people begins to feel they are dying, half of his work is useless. In other words, faith in oneself is very important for a sick people to be cured from the disease that she or he suffers. It is common to see someone who has serious disease like Johnsy in the story to be despaired and loses hope to live. Therefore, family and friends’ plays an important role to support and give motivation to her or him. This story reminds me about my aunt who once had been lying down on the ward’s bed for six months due to a bone tuberculosis. She was critically ill. The doctor even suggested to us to gather all our family members because he thought that my aunt had very slight probability to recover. My aunt could not move her leg because of the disease and she was so hopeless by that time. Nevertheless, we as her family members, keep visiting her during she was admitted in the hospital and we always support her and keep telling her that one day she will be fine. Thankfully, my aunt is still alive and she could walk with the support of walking frame. She also starts gardening and doing some craft to avoid boredom.
In conclusion, it is obviously important to have a positive thinking such as having faith and hope especially for those who are ill. My aunt’s condition is similar to Johnsy’s condition when she felt hopeless. Encouragement and continuous support from the family members and friends has become the last leaf for my aunt to think positively about her precious life.
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