Death In The Last Leaf
The short books The Last Leaf by O. Henry, Gwilan’s Harp by Ursula K. LeGuin, and The Washwoman Isaac Singer primarily possess themes about experiencing loss and death. In all of these stories loss manifests itself in the death of important characters in each respective plot. The books, while hopeful, yarn a pattern of tragedy. These events are the clear turnings points of each story. In The Last Leaf, Behrman dies of pneumonia leaving his neighbors at a loss. Gwilan’s Harp pains a picture of a Celtic maiden whose husband dies along with her beloved harp. Finally, The Washwoman tells a story about an old Christian washwoman in Poland who finally passes away under the heaviness of her workload. Clearly, the books all tell the same premise of loss and death.
In The Last Leaf by O. Henry, the theme of death dominates the entire story.
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The washwoman obstinately determines to work even though her health fails due to her elderly age. “’I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash’, the old woman explained. ‘The wash would not let me die.’ (Singer)” In the end, she dies because of the immense stress she puts on her body. Gloomily, the Jewish family she worked for ends up having a funeral for her, despite her Christian faith. Noticeably, The Washwoman proves the undeniable fact of human fatality and loss.
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