Chapter 3.3 – The Last Leaf
Warming up!
1. Suppose you suffer from a long – term illness (one or two weeks), what should you do and what should you avoid? Fill up the table of Dos and Don’ts.
| Dos | Don'ts |
|---|---|
(1) Go to a doctor for diagnosis. | (1) Do not _________ |
(2) __________ | (2) Do not avoid medication on time. |
(3) Take a suitable diet. | (3) Avoid __________ |
(4) __________ | (4) Avoid physical stress and exertion. |
(5) Rest in a properly ventilated
room. | (5) Do not __________ |
(6) Have cheerful thoughts, courage,
positive attitude. | (6) Do not lose __________ and __________ |
Ans:
| Dos | Don'ts |
|---|---|
(1) Go to a doctor for diagnosis. | (1) Do not try any medication on your own. |
(2) Take medicines on time. | (2) Do not avoid medication on time. |
(3) Take a suitable diet. | (3) Avoid junk food. |
(4) Take rest. | (4) Avoid physical stress and exertion. |
(5) Rest in a properly ventilated
room. | (5) Do not close doors and windows. |
(6) Have cheerful thoughts, courage,
positive attitude. | (6) Do not lose hope and courage. |
2. You already know that Homophones are pairs of words that sound the same but differ in spellings and meanings.
For example : sum and some
There are some words that even have the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings in different situations or contexts.
For example : bat (a bird) and bat (sports / games equipment)
Such words are called Homographs.
Make pairs of sentences of your own to point out the different meanings of the following Homographs.
(1) fine :
Ans:
(i) Everything was covered with a fine layer of dust.
(ii) I was fined for parking on the wrong side of the street
(2) wave :
Ans:
(i) She waved to her friends.
(ii) She asked the hairdresser to wave her hair.
(3) bear :
Ans:
(i) I cannot bear his constant criticism.
(ii) The grizzly bear hibernates during winter.
(4) rose :
Ans:
(i) There is no rose without a thorn.
(ii) The conference rose to applaud the speaker.
(5) lead :
Ans:
(i) Japan has taken the lead in car production.
(ii) Lead fuses at a low temperature.
(6) match :
Ans:
(i) A match will set fire to a large building.
(ii) The carpets and curtains match well.
(7) second :
Ans:
(i) She read the letter more carefully the second time.
(ii) Just a second – I’ve nearly finished.
(8) object :
Ans:
(i) An object was magnified 200 times by the microscope.
(ii) Working people everywhere object to paying taxes.
In Between the Lesson!
Q1. What dreadful illness did Johnsy suffer from?
Ans: Johnsy suffered from a dreadful illness called pneumonia.
Q2. What did the doctor tell Sue about Johnsy?
Ans: The doctor told Sue that the chances of Johnsy living were like one in ten. She had made up her mind that she was not going to get well. He added that medicines will only work when the patient wishes to live.
Q3. Describe the ivy vine outside the window.
Ans: The ivy vine outside the window was old and decayed at the roots. It climbed half way up the brick wall. The autumn was cold, so it had taken away most of the leaves. Only the skeleton branches were left, clinging to the bricks.
Q4. What false belief did Johnsy have about the ivy vine?
Ans: Johnsy had a false belief that she would die when the last leaf of the ivy tree fell. She related her death to the falling leaves of an ivy tree.
Q5. Who was Behrman? Why did Sue call him to their flat?
Ans: Behrman was a struggling painter who lived on the ground floor of the building where Sue and Johnsy lived. He served as a model for the young artists in the colony. Sue called him to their flat to act as a model for the old man that she was drawing.
Q6. What did Behrman promise to do some day?
Ans: Behrman promised to paint a masterpiece some day.
Q7. What happened that night and what did the two friends see when the window was open?
Ans: There was rain and a fierce wind, but the last ivy leaf remained on the vine. It was still dark green near its stem, with edges tinted yellow, bravely hanging from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.
Q8. What did Johnsy declare when she saw the last ivy leaf?
Ans: When Johnsy saw the last ivy leaf, she said that it would fall that same day and that she would die at the same time.
Q9. What change came over Johnsy the next day? Why?
Ans: Johnsy saw that the last leaf on the ivy plant had not fallen, though the wind raged and rain poured. This made her confident that she was not going to die and that she hoped to paint the Bay of Naples someday soon.
Q10. What happened to Mr. Behrman?
Ans: Mr. Behrman was diagnosed with pneumonia. The sweeper had found him lying helpless in his room wearing very wet clothes and shoes. Some scattered brushes and a palette with green and yellow paint mixed on it were lying beside him. Mr. Behrman was taken to the hospital, where two days later he died.
Q11. Who had saved Johnsy’s life and how?
Ans: Old Behrman had saved Johnsy’s life. He painted an ivy leaf on the brick wall. The leaf made Johnsy confident that she was going to live. If the leaf could survive the odds, then she could surely fight the dreadful disease. This hope saved Johnsy’s life.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Read the story and choose the appropriate meanings.
(a) Struggling artists
(i) artists fighting with one another
(ii) artists trying hard to earn a living
(iii) artists painting war scenes
Ans: (ii) artists trying hard to earn a living
(b) Skeleton branches
(i) bones branching out from joints
(ii) leafy branches
(iii) bare branches
Ans: (iii) bare branches
(c) Wielded the brush
(i) painted skillfully
(ii) broke the brush
(iii) joined the broken brush
Ans: (i) painted skillfully
(d) Palette
(i) the tip of the brush
(ii) a board used by artists to mix colours
(iii) a fancy dinner plate
Ans: (ii) a board used by artists to mix colours
(e) Masterpiece
(i) a master who promotes peace
(ii) the very first creation of an artist
(iii) an exceptionally beautiful work of art
Ans: (iii) an exceptionally beautiful work of art
2. Make pairs of sentences to show the difference between the meanings of the following Homographs from the story.
(a) interest
Ans:
(i) The bank strongly resisted cutting interest rates.
(ii) Politics does not seem to interest him at all.
(b) well
Ans:
(i) An enemy’s mouth seldom speaks well.
(ii) When the well is full, it will run over.
(c) left
Ans:
(i) The war has left thousands of children as orphans.
(ii) He will receive physiotherapy on his damaged left knee.
(d) just
Ans:
(i) It is the duty of a judge to be just.
(ii) The darkest hour is just before dawn.
(e) mind
Ans:
(i) A healthy mind is in a healthy body.
(ii) “You should try minding your own business”, said Ravi to Harish.
3. State the facts about the story.
Main characters :
Ans: Johnsy, Sue, Mr. Behrman, and the Doctor.
Problem :
Ans: Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia. She felt she would die when the last leaf of the ivy fell.
Attempts made to solve it :
Ans: Sue spoke to her and tried to make her understand. The doctor spoke to her. Nothing really helped.
Climax / Turning point :
Ans: When the last leaf did not fall, Johnsy realised she was wrong and wicked; she realised that it was a sin to want to die.
Problem solved :
Ans: After Johnsy removed the thought of dying from her mind, she decided to have her milk and broth and even hoped to paint the boy of Naples some day.
End :
Ans: The man who painted the ivy vines on the wall, Mr. Behrman, got wet when he was painting and got sick with pneumonia. This man, who helped Johnsy live, died after two days.
4. Say whether the following statements are right or wrong.
(a) Sue and Johnsy were very close friends.
Ans: Right
(b) Sue was a rich girl.
Ans: Wrong
(c) Johnsy was hopeful that she will live.
Ans: Wrong
(d) Behrman was a hard – hearted person.
Ans: Wrong
(e) The last leaf fell off during the rain.
Ans: Right
(f) Johnsy realised that her thinking was wrong.
Ans: Right
(g) Behrman did not know anything about the last leaf on the ivy.
Ans: Wrong
5. Correct the following statements.
(a) Sue and Johnsy were good neighbours.
Ans: Sue and Johnsy were very good friends.
(b) Johnsy was eager to recover from her illness.
Ans: Johnsy had made up her mind that she was not going to recover.
(c) Sue ignored Johnsy completely.
Ans: Sue looked after Johnsy completely.
(d) Behrman was a very heartless person.
Ans: Behrman was a very kind-hearted person.
(e) The real ivy leaf did not fall off at all.
Ans: The real ivy leaf fell off the night it rained and snowed.
(f) The last leaf was a real leaf that survived.
Ans: The last leaf was a leaf painted on the wall by Behrman.
6. Read the descriptions of the following from the story and describe any one of them using your own words.
The ivy vine
Ans: Outside the window was an old ivy vine, gnarled with decayed roots. It had climbed halfway up the brick wall. It had lost most of its leaves due to the cold autumn. Only a few bare branches were left clinging to the bricks.
Behrman
Ans: Behrman was a struggling painter who lived on the ground floor of the building where Sue and Johnsy lived. He was a failure in art, for though he had been painting for forty years, he had not made any money. He always dreamed of painting a masterpiece and often spoke about it, but had never gotten around to doing it. He served as a model for the young artists in the colony who couldn’t afford other models. He was shocked when he heard about Johnsy’s fancy and thought that the place wasn’t good for her. He was a generous, compassionate, and kindhearted man. Even though he was old, he braved the wind, rain, and snow to go out and paint the last leaf on the wall. He died so that Johnsy could live.
The last leaf that Johnsy saw
Ans: The last leaf that Johnsy saw was not a real leaf but a leaf painted on the wall by Behrman. It was dark green near its stem, but its edges were tinted with yellow. It hung from a branch some 20 feet above the ground. Naturally, it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew. It was Behrman’s masterpiece and had been painted the night when the real last leaf had fallen.
7. You have learnt that a Clause is a group of words that has a Subject and a Verb, and is a part of a larger sentence.
In the sentence, ‘We returned home, when school was over’ there are two clauses.
(i) ‘We returned home
(ii) ‘When school was over’.
The first one makes complete sense, so it is called Main / Principal Clause. The second one is not complete by itself. It depends on the Main Clause to convey proper sense. So it is called Dependent or Subordinate Clause. ‘When’ is the joining word, and it is called a Subordinator.
In the following sentences, point out the Main Clause and Subordinate Clause. Encircle the Subordinator.
(a) There was a colony, where many struggling artists lived.
Ans:
Main Clause: There was a colony
Subordinate Clause: where many struggling artists lived
Subordinator: where
(b) Though Sue looked after her well, Johnsy showed no signs of improvement.
Ans:
Main Clause: Johnsy showed no signs of improvement
Subordinate Clause: Though Sue looked after her very well
Subordinator: Though
(c) Sue thought that she had fallen asleep.
Ans:
Main Clause: Sue thought
Subordinate Clause: that she had fallen asleep
Subordinator: that
(d) Old Behrman was a painter, who lived on the ground floor.
Ans: Main Clause: Old Behrman was a painter
Subordinate Clause: who lived on the ground floor
Subordinator: who
(e) Johnsy was sleeping, when the two went upstairs.
Ans:
Main Clause: Johnsy was sleeping
Subordinate Clause: when the two went upstairs
Subordinator: when
(f) I want to see the last one before it falls.
Ans:
Main Clause: I want to see the last one
Subordinate Clause: before It falls
Subordinator: before
8. Compose an imaginary dialogue between Sue and Johnsy, when they realise what Behrman had done for Johnsy.
Ans:
Johnsy: I am so lucky to have a friend like you! Thank you for looking after me so lovingly! If I am alive, it is because of you.
Sue: You are my darling. I am so happy you recovered and are healthy now. I was scared to death with so many people just becoming victims of pneumonia. I thank God and Mr. Behrman for all their help.
Johnsy: Mr. Behrman? Why should he be thanked? What did he do?
Sue: Johnsy darling, there is a secret I did not share with you. But you promise you will be strong and not sad if I share it with you, will you?
Johnsy: What secret? I promise I will be strong and not sad.
Sue: You know you had formed a belief that you would die the moment the last leaf on the ivy climber on the opposite wall fell. I shared it with Mr. Behrman. He took it quite seriously. He painted a leaf on the ivy climber in such a manner that it looked real. It was that leaf that gave you hope, and you fought back and miraculously recoveredn the ivy climber on the opposite wall fell. I shared it with Mr. Behrman. He took it quite seriously. He painted a leaf on the ivy climber in such a manner that it looked real. It was that leaf that gave you hope, and you fought back and miraculously recovered. The sad thing was that Mr. Behrman himself caught pneumonia working in the cold that night and breathed his last the next morning.
Johnsy: Oh, my God! How great Mr. Behrman was! He sacrificed his life to save mine! I will always remember it and try to be like him. God bless his soul.