The Final Analysis         

        The text under analysis is the short story “The Last Leaf” by O’Henry.  The author is a distinguished American writer of the early 20th century. O. Henry, originally named William Sydney Porter, wrote more than 300 short stories, and all of them were captivating, witty and with the endings always contrary to what readers expected.

         The story is devoted to two artist girls – Sue and Johnsy - who live together in quaint old Greenwich Village. They have “common tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves”. Everything is going well till Johnsy fell ill with pneumonia. She lay all day on her bed awaiting her death, looking out of the window hopelessly. The doctor put her chances at one-in-ten. Johnsy had her eyes on an old ivy-vine, losing leaves. Johnsy believes she would die when the last leaf fell. On the ground floor of Sue’s studio lived old Behrman, who sacrifices his life to a young girl.
           The theme of the story, The Last Leaf is self-sacrifice. Johnsy has lost hope of her ever becoming well but Behrman takes the last fallen leaf and sticks it on the tree to make her believe that there's still one more leaf. He later dies of pneumonia. And it shows the ability of a simple person to help another without taking anything instead.
         From the very beginning of the story the author introduces us with the location where this story happens. The story takes place in Greenwich Village, which is a district of New York City.  Mostly, people who is interested in art come there. They like the bohemian life of the village, and they enjoy living among so many artists. The buildings and apartments are very old and dirty, as we understand, but it only adds the interest to the place. The description of the home is not presented in details, but from the fleeting remarks we can conclude the poverty of rooms, but not the poverty of its inhabitants’ spirit: “…the maze of the narrow and moss-grown places.”;“…a bare, dreary yard…”. 

     The weather is cold, windy and it creates rather a pessimistic mood. The nature submitted only in a few sentences, it is very harmonic with the internal contents of the characters: “A persistent, cold rain was falling, mingled with snow.”; “The cold breath of autumn had stricken its leaves from the vine until its skeleton branches clung, almost bare…”.

        The whole description of places where the story comes about draw in our imagination not a very bright and happy picture. In this way O. Henry shows us the all sadness of the story. From the point of view of presentation the text is the 3^rd person narrative.

           The characters we meet in the story are: Sue, Johnsy, Mr. Behrman, a doctor and Mr. Pneumonia. The main characters are Sue, Johnsy,  and Mr. Behrman . The secondary character is a doctor. Sue, Johnsy and Mr. Behrman are protagonists and Mr. Pneumonia - antagonist. The characters in the story are revealed in development of the  plot.

          Sue - a girl who never loses the presence of mind, earns for living by painting, caring for her sick friend and encourages her, inspiring confidence with words and deeds. "You are just like a woman!" - an exhaustive description of Behrman. The writer reveals Sue by means of  character's action, for example :"Sue went into the workroom and cried"; "but then immediately cheers up and goes into Johnsy's room"; "whistling ragtime"; "Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay, contentedly knitting a very blue and very useless woollen shoulder scarf, and put one arm around her, pillows and all"; "Wearily Sue obeyed.". Each time the author shows how Sue supports her friend and worries about her health, and expresses it by Sue's speech, for instance: "Don't be a goosey. Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were - let's see exactly what he said - he said the chances were ten to one! Why, that's almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride on the street cars or walk past a new building. Try to take some broth now, and let Sudie go back to her drawing, so she can sell the editor man with it, and buy port wine for her sick child, and pork chops for her greedy self."; "I'd rather be here by you..."; "I don't want you to keep looking at those silly ivy leaves.". She is a caring person, waiting on Johnsy and hoping for her recovery, it becomes obviously because of the direct characterization.

          The author skillfully describes the ill girl Johnsy and  her pessimistic mood.  The writer reveals Johnsy by means of  physical appearance, for example :"a little woman"; "white and still as fallen statue"; "light and fragile as a leaf"; "dull, wide-open eyes". She essentially gives up, which does not seem to make her much of a fighter. The author shows it by Johnsy's speech, for example: "When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days."; "There goes another. No, I don't want any broth. That leaves just four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too."; "because I want to see the last one fall.". With the help of direct characterization the author describes Johnsy accessibly. We understand that she is rather weak, light, fragile, impressionable, a fantasy-prone sweet girl. And again the word to Berman: "Ach, dot poor leetle Miss Johnsy!"; "Gott! dis is not any blace in which one so goot as Miss Yohnsy shall lie sick.".  And indeed his last act gives grounds to assume that everyone loved Johnsy.

      Then comes Mr. Behrman - the embodiment of contradictions. On the one hand  caricature-repelling appearance, on the other hand an admired deed. The writer reveals Behrman by means of  physical appearance, for example :"He was past sixty and had a Michael Angelo's Moses beard curling down from the head of a satyr along with the body of an imp,"; "...he was a fierce little old man with his red eyes.". He makes very little money as an artist. He is always about to do something, but never quite gets it done. O. Henry presents it by character's actions, for example : "Behrman was a failure in art.";"... scoffed terribly at softness in any one..."; "He had been always about to paint a masterpiece, but had never yet begun it."; "For several years he had painted nothing except now and then a daub in the line of commerce or advertising. He earned a little by serving as a model to those young artists in the colony who could not pay the price of a professional."; "He drank gin to excess, and still talked of his coming masterpiece.". The author shows Behrman's behaviour by his speech, for instance: "No, I will not bose as a model for your fool hermit-dunderhead." and "'Who said I will not bose? For half an hour I haf peen trying to say dot I am ready to bose!"; "Gott! dis is not any blace in which one so goot as Miss Yohnsy shall lie sick. Some day I vill baint a masterpiece, and ve shall all go away. Gott! yes". Also, O. Henry makes some emphasis on Behrman's  ignorance and his relation to the lower class. It is vividly showed by usage of  conversational (low-flown) words. In the beginning, the author gives us a direct characterization of Mr. Behrman that doesn’t care about anyone else other than himself, but in the end he shows his true personality by painting the last leaf on the tree and he sacrifices his life for a young girl, that we understand from indirect characterization of the character.

            And as for  a doctor- very kind and busy person. O. Henry reveals a doctor by means of  physical appearance, for example: "...a shaggy, gray eyebrow...". We can easily understand that a doctor is rather a kind person because of his desire to help the patient. And the author displays it by character's speech, for example :"I will do all that science, so far as it may filter through my efforts, can accomplish.".

          Also, he always has a lot of patients, such lines improves this fact: "One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway...".

           And the antagonist of the story, an impersonal thing that personified in the story like a separate character-an awful disease called Mr. Pneumonia. The author reveals Mr. Pneumonia by means of  physical appearance, for example: “…with his icy fingers”; “…the red-fisted, short-breathed old duffer.”. O. Henry presents Mr. Pneumonia by his actions, for example: “stalked about the colony, touching one here and there with his icy fingers”; “ this ravager strode boldly, smiting his victims by scores, but his feet trod slowly through the maze of the narrow and moss-grown 'places.”. The author’s description shows vividly the ugliness of Mr. Pneumonia.

        The composition of the story contributes empathy and complicity of readers. In the introduction we get acquainted with the description of district in which painters come to set up their art studio and it has curious maze streets criss-crossing one another. This description of the streets has relevance to the story in which a strong and strange psychological morbidity is focused.  Also it acquaints us with friends and artists Sue and Jones and their neighbor - the feisty old man. Calm beginning gradually acquires a disturbing narrative tone. The main part of the story presented in a sad way. The girl’s disease, despair of her friend, joyless of Berman’s life, everything was like an old creaky steps in their home. The climax of the story, as it always happens, manifested in the end of the story: the last leaf is a drawing, the last Berman’s picture. A nondescript leaf that helped Jones to recover, became the main masterpiece of the old painter. The presence intrigue, internal conflict of heroes, overcoming of their external obstacles, the emotional tone of the narrative, an unexpected outcome arouse a great interest and desire to re-read it and to study a language of the story.

           The types of speech employed by the author of the analysed story are narration : “Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman. A mite of a little woman with blood thinned by California zephyrs was hardly fair game for the red-fisted, short-breathed old duffer.”, description: “in a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy and broken themselves into small strips called 'places.' These 'places' make strange angles and curves. One Street crosses itself a time or two.” and dialogues: “-'Five what, dear? Tell your Sudie.'- 'Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?'”.

         In order to portray the general atmosphere of the story vividly and convincingly the author of the analysed story uses such stylistic devices as:

         The metaphor: “But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession I subtract 50 per cent from the curative power of medicines.”;

 “The lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey.” is used to emphasize the main image of the short story under analysis. It helps to create obvious image of Johnsy’s feeling of despair.

        The narrator’s ironic treatment is seen from the use of such words: “ Young artists must pave their way to Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to Literature.”.

    The simile: “…and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves”;“… white and still as fallen statue”;“ …and who regarded himself as especial mastiff-in-waiting to protect the two young artists in the studio above” suggests the narrator’s desire to show and highlight the appearance, actions and to show fully the whole situation taking place in the story with the help of comparison.

         The choice of such epithets as:“cold stranger, icy fingers, chivalric old gentleman, red-fisted, greedy-self, a jew’s harp twang, a mite of a little woman” is used to make the text more emotional and reinforce the impression about  a person who is described with the help of epithets.

       The hyperbole: “the streets have run crazy and broken themselves into small strips called 'places.' These 'places' make strange angles and curves. One Street crosses itself a time or two. An artist once discovered a valuable possibility in this street.”;“Suppose a collector with a bill for paints, paper and canvas should, in traversing this route, suddenly meet himself coming back, without a cent having been paid on account!”; “… and had a Michael Angelo's Moses beard curling down from the head of a satyr along with the body of an imp”;“…and who regarded himself as especial mastiff-in-waiting to protect the two young artists in the studio above” is used to intensify the description of a place and appearance and to create a humorous effect.

     In a way to make the sentence more rhythmical, the author uses polysyndeton: “"Twelve," she said, and little later "eleven"; and then "ten," and "nine"; and then "eight" and "seven", almost together.”

      Such repetitions as: “She was looking out the window and counting - counting backward”; “An old, old ivy”; “… and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves” show the strong emotions of the speaker.

          Also we can distinguish epiphora: “Who said I will not bose? For half an hour I haf peen trying to say dot I am ready to bose” and  anaphora: “ I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking.”.

         Cases of oxymoron is also used to show some irony: “ Johnsy, the merciless”; “…with blood thinned by California zephyrs”;“…a pair of elegant horseshow riding trousers and a monocle of the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy”; “…with magnificent scorn”.

          O. Henry uses a  lot of cases of personification such as: “… the rain still beat against the windows and pattered down from the low Dutch eaves”;  “The cold breath of autumn had stricken its leaves from the vine until its skeleton branches clung, almost bare, to the crumbling bricks”; “In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the colony, touching one here and there with his icy fingers;  this ravager strode boldly, smiting his victims by scores, but his feet trod slowly through the maze of the narrow and moss-grown 'places; Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call a chivalric old gentleman; the red-fisted, short-breathed old duffer”. He shows a disease as a life creature that plays with human’s health and can ruin their lives.

        To create humorous effect the author applies zeugma: “So, to quaint old Greenwich Village the art people soon came prowling, hunting for north windows and eighteenth-century gables and Dutch attics and low rents”, “ They had met at the table d'hte of an Eighth Street "Delmonico's," and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so congenial that the joint studio resulted.”.

         Also in order to convey the mood, the state of the main characters, the whole condition of the story and paying attention to the details O. Henry makes use of  such stylistic devices as:  rhetorical question: “Vy do you allow dot silly pusiness to come in der brain of her?”; “What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well?”. Antonomasia:  “Mr. Pneumonia”. Climax: “But I think you are a horrid old - old flibbertigibbet”. Metonymy: “Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now”; “…people have of lining-up on the side of the undertaker”. “Then they imported some pewter mugs and a chafing dish or two from Sixth Avenue, and became a 'colony.'”. Ellipsis: “Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too”; “Paint? - bosh!”. Emphatic structure:  “there yet stood out against the brick wall one ivy leaf.”. Inversion: “Still dark green near its stem, with its serrated edges tinted with the yellow of dissolution and decay, it hung bravely from the branch some twenty feet above the ground.”. Detachment:“Leaves. On the ivy vine.”.

        A closer look at the stylistic devices of the text allows to a better understanding of the creative style of the author, penetrates the main idea of the story and causes a sympathy for its characters.

       Summing up the analysis of the story I want to say that this story helps to believe in kindness, love and friendship. O.Henry brilliantly uses the twist or surprise ending ( a technique that O. Henry is famous for ).It was the final realization that the last leaf was not real but a painting which seemed to have a magical healing power that renewed Johnsy's will to live and to defeat her pneumonia. Personification, symbolism and similes catch the reader’s attention and bring to us the