The Last Leaf (play)

"The Last Leaf" is a one-act play by O. Henry that explores themes of hope, sacrifice, and compassion. Set in a small Greenwich Village apartment, it tells the story of two young women artists, Sue and Johnsy. Johnsy falls critically ill, losing her will to live and believing she will die when the last leaf falls from a vine outside her window. An elderly, failed artist named Behrman, who has long dreamed of creating a masterpiece, braves a storm to paint a realistic leaf on the wall, giving Johnsy hope and ultimately saving her life.