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LAZARO, Nasser F.
IV BSE English

Mrs. Salome B. Tolentino

Literary Criticism

The Last Leaf

By O. Henry
On Jungian Criticism
Real friends are like diamonds, precious but rare,
whilst false friends are just like an autumn, leaves are found everywhere.

The Last Leaf is one of the best short stories written by O. Henry. O. He was born
William Sydney Porter, on 1862 and died on 1910 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Porter was a
gifted and prolific short story writer. He left us rich legacy of great stories to enjoy. Hence, his
short stories are well known throughout the world; noted for their witticism, clever wordplay,
and unexpected "twist" endings.
The Last Leaf tells the story of friends named Johnsy and Sue, both girls and an artists.
Johnsy has experienced an afflicted situation due to her pneumonia. This has caused her to lay in
her bed and stare at the window from time to time. Outside the window is a brick wall with an
old vine grew against it, and there were very few leaves on its branches. The weak Johnsy
believed that when the last leaf falls, shell die too. But with Sues eager help, it ends with an
inspiring yet fulfilling moment.
Addressing the characters, the latter mirror some archetypal figures. Sue, being Johnsys
caring friend stands as a nurturing mother in the story. It has being shown how Sue taken care
of Johnsy. She wanted her to relieve from stress upon thinking her sudden condition. On the
other hand, Behrman, an old artist, might serve as the hero of the story. He did, and even
putted his life at risk just to enlighten Johnsy not to succumb her life.
Considering Behrmans moral sense, he did it in his attempt to awaken Johnsy by
painting a leaf on the wall. In fact, he really loves the two girls. The trial he faced amidst
painting in the night of the storm is no doubt gutsy and stouthearted. As a reward, the painted
leaf he created can be considered as his masterpiece that would probably last a lifetime in the

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minds of Sue and Johnsy. On a positive note, just like what Behrman often said: One day, I will
paint a wonderful picture. One day, I will paint a masterpiece.
Finally, the profound moral implication of this story is that: real friends are just like
diamonds, they are precious but rare, whilst false friends are just like an autumn, leaves are
found everywhere.