What is the Johnsy's illeness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to live?
Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia and was not recovering. She assumed that she would die with the fall of the last leaf of the creeper she could see through the window.
No medicine in the world can ever cure a person who believes in and develops a pessimistic outlook towards life. It is only the willingness to live that can cure a person in such a situation.
Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?
Johnsy developed a pessimistic approach after falling ill. It is very common in teenagers to feel low about their lives. Nowadays the competition is so deeply rooted in every field that it is from the start of life that a person has to compete with other people to sustain. Other factors like peer pressure, expectations of parents, studies also contribute to the feeling of depression. However, there are teenagers who remain happy and hopeful even in adverse situations.
Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?
Behrman, a 60 year old painter, lived on the ground floor of the building and had lifelong dreamt of painting a masterpiece. When Johnsy fell ill and lost all hope Sue decided to discuss it with the old man to get some advice. To save Johnsy's life the painter painted the leaf of the creeper which was so real that Johnsy was convinced that the leaf did not fall even in the violent storm. It made her realize that things are not always how they seem to be. It is the grit and determination that makes a person healthy.
Behrman’s dream of painting a masterpiece came true with this incident.
What is Behrman's masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?
Behrman, a 60-year-old painter, had dreamt all his life about painting a masterpiece. He decided to paint the leaf of the creeper with the fall of which Johnsy had associated her death. It was evident that the leaf would fall in the violent storm. Behrman painted such a genuine leaf that Johnsy was amazed to see the leaf intact on the creeper even in adverse weather conditions. It made her realize that it is about one’s own determination and that her health would get better if she wished for it.
Sue called it a masterpiece because it saved Johnsy’s life and convinced her that things are not always as bad as they seem to be.
Have you ever felt depressed and rejected? How did you overcome such feelings? Share your experience with your classmates.
We are living in a world full of stress and tension. Not even students are free from the grasp of this evil. Our parents and teachers expect us to perform well in the examination and often end up comparing us with our classmates. This is a matter of great stress for us because we are continuously dealing with competition in our life. I also faced a similar situation last year when I fell ill during my final exams and could not score well. I felt dejected and was torn down because I was always the topper of the class and could not hold any rank that year. However, my parents and my teachers motivated me to perform better the next time and they showed faith in me and made me realize that it was not always important to win but it was important to perform to the best of our abilities.