Comparison Of Gwilan's Harp And The Last Leaf

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The short stories of “Gwilan’s Harp” by Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Washwoman” by Isaac Singer, and “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry all possess the common theme of loss. Gwilan from “Gwilan’s Harp” lost her harp and her husband. The old washwoman in Isaac Singer’s story “The Washwoman” lost her health and eventually her life. Further, Johnsy lost her physical and mental strength and Mr. Behrman lost his life in “The Last Leaf.”

In “Gwilan’s Harp” by Ursula K. LeGuin, the main character, Gwilan, experienced many tragic losses. Passed down from generations—Gwilan inherited a harp of utter perfection and had a life full of joy, festivals, and music. Everything Gwilan touched turned gold with success, and Gwilan’s music was highly desired at every wedding …show more content…

Henry also carries the theme of loss with the story of two young impoverished artists, Sue and Johnsy. In the early 1900s pneumonia took many lives and grasped onto Johnsy’s. In solitude, Johnsy observed a dying ivy branch outside of her window, and she later convinced herself that each leaf represented a day of life and when the last leaf would fall—she would fall with it. Day by day leafs fell and Johnsy’s health lessened, but Mr. Behrman, their grouchy unsuccessful neighbor, would not permit Johnsy’s death. One windy winter night Sue prepared to die with the ivy, but the following morning a single leaf stood. “Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die” (O. Henry). That something was Mr. Behrman, and he made the ultimate sacrifice by sacrificing his life to save hers. The previous night Mr. Behrman mixed up paints, grabbed a lantern, walked out into freezing storm, and painted the last leaf on the barren ivy vine, but sadly, due to the horrible weather conditions, Mr. Behrman took Johnsy’s place in the grave and died of pneumonia. Mr. Behrman’s sacrifice evoked a feeling of sadness, which deeply affects and impacts the

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