But after the beating rain and the wild wind that had not stopped through the whole night, there still was one leaf to be seen against the wall. It was the last on the tree. It was still dark green near the branch. But at the edges it was turning yellow with age. There it was hanging from a branch nearly twenty feet above the ground.
"It is the last one," said Johnsy. "I thought it would surely fall during the night.
I heard the wind. It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time."
"Dear, dear Johnsy!" said Sue. "Think of me, if you won't think of yourself. What would I do?"
But Johnsy did not answer. The most lonely thing in the world is a soul when it is preparing to go on its far journey. The ties that held her to friendship and to earth were breaking, one by one.
The day slowly passed. As it grew dark, they could still see the leaf hanging from its branch against the wall. And then, as the night came, the north wind began again to blow. The rain still beat against the windows.
When it was light enough the next morning, Johnsy again commanded that she be allowed to see.
The leaf was still there.
Question 1: What is the significance of the last leaf hanging against the wall?
Answer: The persistent presence of the last leaf against the wall creates a sense of suspense and impending doom, adding to the tension of the passage as Johnsy believes she will die when the leaf falls.
Question 2: How does Johnsy's belief about the last leaf reflect her emotional state?
Answer: Johnsy's belief that she will die when the last leaf falls suggests her deep emotional connection to the leaf and her sense of mortality, possibly influenced by her illness and feelings of isolation.
Question 3: How does Sue try to persuade Johnsy to reconsider her belief?
Answer: Sue attempts to persuade Johnsy by appealing to her sense of friendship and concern for others, asking her to think of Sue if she won't think of herself, highlighting the importance of their relationship and its impact on Johnsy's decision.
Question 4: What does the portrayal of Johnsy's loneliness signify?
Answer: The description of Johnsy's loneliness signifies her emotional detachment from the world as she prepares for her impending death, emphasizing the profound isolation she feels as she faces her mortality.
Question 5: How does the author create suspense regarding the fate of the last leaf?
Answer: The author creates suspense regarding the fate of the last leaf by describing the persistent rain and wind, suggesting the leaf's imminent fall, but leaving it hanging against the wall until the end of the passage, heightening the uncertainty of Johnsy's fate.
Question 6: What does the repetition of Johnsy's command to see the leaf indicate?
Answer: The repetition of Johnsy's command to see the leaf reflects her fixation on it and her desperate desire for confirmation of her belief, indicating her increasingly fragile state of mind and emotional turmoil.