The Last Leaf

Summary

The Last Leaf is a touching story about two young artists, Johnsy and Sue, who live in a small apartment in Greenwich Village. Johnsy falls seriously ill with pneumonia and loses her will to live, deciding she will die when the last ivy leaf falls from the vine outside her window. Sue, worried about her friend's condition, shares this with an old artist named Behrman, who lives in the same building. Despite his own artistic failures, Behrman decides to help. On a stormy night, he paints a realistic ivy leaf on the wall, which Johnsy sees the next morning, giving her hope. She soon begins to recover, but Behrman dies from pneumonia, contracted while working on his final masterpiece. The story highlights the power of art and self-sacrifice.