Loss In The Last Leaf

Even when short stories hold a meaning of loss some light always exists. Regardless of the object lost a silver lining always emerges. Even if it comes from finding new meaning after all is lost as in Gwilan’s harp. Persevering through unspeakable hardships midst a sea of loss similar to The Washwoman. Or a loss of one fixing the loss of another like in The Last Leaf. No matter the situation dealing with and finding something after loss is always possible. Executing a masterful depiction of many types of loss over three short stories shows the detail and care put into each one.

First, Gwilan’s Harp detailed the multiple losses of Gwilan, a woman who played the harp famously throughout her life. Clearly, the most obvious one involved

Losing the will to live came first. Starting with Sue, a young and upcoming artist who lost the will to live. Stuck with an illness, Sue believed that she would die as soon as the last leaf fells off a vine outside of her window. Unfortunately, Sue Demonstrated a loss of all hope. However, the leaf Sue watched on the vine never fell and her hopelessness changed to a will to live. She regained her lost will and chose to live again and survived. Following this loss came the loss of Behrman. Despite him being an old drunkard and artist who had waited 25 years to paint his masterpiece, his death had meaning. When he heard the tale of Sue, he took out his ladder and brushes and painted in the cold night. With the intention of painting the leaf on the brick outside Sue’s window to save her life, he had not intended to die in the process. “Ah, darling it’s Behrman’s masterpiece – he painted it the night the last leaf fell.”(O. Henry) The Last Leaf depicts a tale that gave loss a meaning and gave meaning to the life of a “worthless” man.

Despite the nature of short stories the points of loss still held impressive impact. Witch ever example comes to mind a theme of loss always shines. Whether it comes from the loss of an object forever changing a life. Persevering through loss and countless hardships. Even the loss of one to save the life of another the meaning holds true. While the details and type of loss vary from story to story the unchangeable fact of true loss never