“The Last Leaf” and All of It in a Critique Paper
With the published words of O. Henry’s 1906 work “The Last Leaf”, a unanimous jump of
the industry into the story’s entirety is highly notable. This type of literacy not just speaks about
having sympathetic relationship with the environment, but also uses that medium to deliver hope
and will in someone’s life when many of us could not think of that possibility. Remarkably saying,
the story is bound to elaborate how something so trivial could be the factor to bring significance.
O. Henry is known for his style in portraying plots with humour, grim, and blast endings, doing it
utmost especially in this one. He also incorporated his life situations into the plot of “The Last
Leaf”, proving that his life alone is already a worth-to-read story. It could be that the author is the
protagonist himself in what he wrote, just like how Henry too was an artist and that he had to move
from places to places. As diving deep in into the overall elements and structure of the story, a
praise is truly what it deserved.
The story practically goes with Johnsy fighting Pneumonia in the winter season, and then
metaphorically relates her life to a vine in a tree gradually losing its leaves because of the weather.
Chances are lost when each leaf falls, as compromised by Johnsy that she too would pass away by
the time that the last leaf is on the ground. Now, what the author used as a method in connecting
lines in a plot is somehow new in class. The characters immaculately complement each other in a
collective point, despite of the fact that the three are closely related in some way. In every element
also come the linking symbolic creations, which could be a “trigger” in other works. The author
opted for the underscored selection to use as the factor to indirectly utilize as a medium. And this
selection is Art. With art, the author was able to pour his ability in Literature—creating a neverbefore-seen writing style.
In giving merits to the work of Henry, the setting should be higher beyond than the other
elements. As the setting is completely in winter, he was able to gather warmth by placing the mood
of the story in nostalgia—targeting the emotional compatibility of the readers. Everytime that there
is a change in the placement of the story, the audience was able to follow as well. He enticed the
readers to set their own imaginative point inside their mind, which made it easier to connect to
them.
Component-wise, Henry established each character to provide pressure for the remaining
gaps with each other character. Like how Sue was very pursuant to let Johnsy live, and how Johnsy
was losing the will to continue. Henry was able to fulfill the gaps by inserting a twist in the last
part. He introduced the audience to an already-existing character, but just later on revealed.
Through this “twist character”, what was lacking in the start, was furnished in the end. The overall
factors of the characterization is just too well combined along with other the key elements.
Henry aided an ease when indicting a sophisticated run in the plot, making the readers absorb
the sequencing in a less complicated manner. Frankly saying, transparency is present that it was
clear to the view of the audience what was being defined throughout the story. A COMPULSION
also became a big factor, since it is the type of plot to hype the tension especially in the few
remaining parts. And to develop an unusual flow in the ending, the author intentioned for each part
of the content to be diversely related to each other. Knowing that there is a severe problem going
on in the story, it was solved by giving a closure in the ending, Not to mention, the happenings
were equally balanced and portrays a strong coordinance as the story comes to its climax. And just
the idea of using a leaf as the focal point of the whole structure of the story surely rebrands the
ability of literacy to entertain by the means of words. There is no right term for this, but I can
properly term Henry’s plot as somewhat soothing but is a novelty.
Moving on, the author proposed a sentimental ambiance to hold the story, that therefore
kept the details confidential and some of it strongly enough did not dwell in with the readers. The
protagonist also has a very sensitive obsession onto something that is unrelated to her literally,
which anyone could think of as a PLAUSIBLE INTUITION. Yes, the leaf is a great determiner of
the story, but it is nowhere realistic to happen in real life. This proves, that it’s just plainly a written
plot. Another thing is that, as the Henry’s work involves “illness’, it could be not suitable for all
ages, even though that this story’s voice has no restrictions at all.
This masterpiece of Henry has completely a different goal contrast to the others. To
potentially share the same will and hope the protagonist in the story received. All I can tell is that
it is a long-lasting success, because it indeed influences both of its targeted audiences and not. And
up to this day, it still brings the comfort and SERENITY to most of its readers.
We can read, but it takes some of us ages to comprehend things. And that is what O. Henry’s
“The Last Leaf” didn’t urged us to do. A simple and sleek structure that impacted us right into our
physical and psychological beings. Not that it just did its sole purpose, but we also witnessed
ourselves unfold together as our eyes matched with the last few sentences of the story. Coming
right from a reader, yes, it did reached me inside. What’s more important is that every time a
person reads, it is still meeting its deserved success.