MP Board 9th Moments The Last Leaf by O Henry MCQs : Here are complete details for the chapter “The Last Leaf” from the 9th Class English supplementary textbook “Moments,” presented .
MP Board 9th English Moments: The Last Leaf by O. Henry
This chapter is a touching story about friendship, hope, and sacrifice. It tells the tale of two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, and an old painter named Behrman. The story highlights how a positive mindset can aid recovery from illness and how true art can save a life.
About the Author
O. Henry (1862–1910) was the pen name of the American short-story writer William Sydney Porter. He is famous for his witty narratives and surprise endings. His stories often capture the lives of ordinary people in New York City. “The Last Leaf” is one of his most celebrated works, known for its emotional depth and unexpected twist at the end.
Vocabulary: The Last Leaf
| English Word | Hindi Meaning | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pneumonia | निमोनिया | An infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. |
| Masterpiece | उत्कृष्ट कृति | A work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship. |
| Janitor | चौकीदार | A caretaker or doorkeeper of a building. |
| Ivy | आइवी (लता) | A climbing plant, typically evergreen. |
| Flutter | फड़फड़ाना | To move with quick, wavering or flapping motions. |
| Feeble | कमजोर | Lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness. |
| Gazing | घूरना | Looking steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought. |
| Reluctantly | अनिच्छा से | With hesitation, doubt, or dread. |
| Clinging | चिपका हुआ | Holding on tightly to something. |
| Sin | पाप | An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. |
| Fierce | भयंकर | Having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness. |
Character Descriptions
- Sue: A young artist from Maine. She is a loyal and deeply caring friend to Johnsy. She works hard to earn money for their shared expenses and tries her best to keep Johnsy’s spirits up during her illness.
- Johnsy (Joanna): A young artist from California. She is small and frail. When she catches pneumonia, she becomes pessimistic and loses the will to live, tying her fate to the falling ivy leaves.
- Behrman: A sixty-year-old painter who lives on the ground floor. He is a failure in art but always dreams of painting a masterpiece. He is gruff on the outside but has a kind heart, fiercely protecting the two young artists upstairs. He ultimately sacrifices his life to save Johnsy.
Summary of the Story: The Last Leaf
The Illness
Sue and Johnsy are two young artists sharing a small flat in Greenwich Village, New York. In November, a cold, unseen stranger whom the doctors called Pneumonia stalked the colony. Johnsy was struck down by it. She lay in her bed, hardly moving, looking through the small window at the blank side of the next brick house.
Losing Hope
The doctor told Sue that Johnsy had a very slim chance—one in ten—because she had made up her mind that she was not going to get well. He said medicines wouldn’t help if she didn’t have the will to live.
Counting the Leaves
Johnsy became obsessed with an old ivy vine climbing the brick wall opposite her window. She started counting backward as the leaves fell due to the autumn wind. She told Sue that when the last leaf fell, she would die too. Sue tried to reason with her, calling it nonsense, but Johnsy was adamant.
Behrman’s Masterpiece
Sue went downstairs to talk to old Behrman. She told him about Johnsy’s fancy. Behrman was angry at such foolishness but agreed to come up and see her. They saw that only one leaf was left on the vine, and a cold rain was falling, mixed with snow.
The next morning, Johnsy asked Sue to open the curtains. To their surprise, the last leaf was still there. It had survived the fierce storm. It was still there the next day too, despite more wind and rain.
The Realization
Seeing the leaf cling to the vine so tenaciously made Johnsy realize her mistake. She said, “Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die.” She regained her will to live, asked for some broth and a mirror, and hoped to paint the Bay of Naples one day.
The Sacrifice
The doctor confirmed Johnsy was out of danger. However, he brought sad news: old Behrman had died of pneumonia in the hospital after being ill for only two days.
Sue later told Johnsy the truth. The janitor had found Behrman in his room, wet and icy cold, the morning after the first storm. They found a lantern, a ladder, and some scattered brushes and a palette with green and yellow paints. The last leaf on the wall never fluttered because it wasn’t real—it was Behrman’s masterpiece, painted there the night the last real leaf had fallen.
Main Themes
- Hope and Willpower: The story emphasizes that a positive attitude is crucial for recovery. Johnsy only starts to get better when she stops wanting to die.
- Sacrifice and True Friendship: Behrman’s act of painting the leaf in a freezing storm is the ultimate sacrifice. He gives his life to save another, proving his love for the young artists.
- The Nature of a Masterpiece: A true masterpiece isn’t just technically perfect art; it’s art that has a profound impact. Behrman’s leaf was his masterpiece because it saved a life.
Textbook Questions (Commonly Asked)
Q1: What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to live?
Answer: Johnsy is suffering from pneumonia. According to the doctor, medicine alone cannot cure her. She needs the willingness to live to fight the disease.
Q2: Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?
Answer: Yes, feelings of depression and hopelessness can be common among teenagers due to various pressures (academic, social, personal). Like Johnsy, they might sometimes lose hope and need support from friends and family to regain a positive outlook.
Q3: Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?
Answer: Behrman’s lifelong dream is to paint a masterpiece. Yes, it comes true when he paints the last ivy leaf on the wall, which is so realistic that it saves Johnsy’s life.
Q4: What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?
Answer: Behrman’s masterpiece is the painted ivy leaf on the wall. Sue calls it a masterpiece because it looked exactly like a real leaf and it successfully accomplished what great art should—it saved Johnsy’s life by giving her hope.
50 Important MCQs on “The Last Leaf”
- Who is the author of “The Last Leaf”?
a) Ruskin Bond
b) O. Henry
c) Mulk Raj Anand
d) William Wordsworth
Answer: b) O. Henry - Where did Sue and Johnsy live?
a) London
b) Paris
c) Greenwich Village, New York
d) Chicago
Answer: c) Greenwich Village, New York - What was the profession of Sue and Johnsy?
a) Musicians
b) Writers
c) Artists/Painters
d) Teachers
Answer: c) Artists/Painters - In which month did Johnsy fall ill?
a) December
b) January
c) November
d) October
Answer: c) November - What illness did Johnsy have?
a) Typhoid
b) Malaria
c) Pneumonia
d) Tuberculosis
Answer: c) Pneumonia - According to the doctor, what were Johnsy’s chances of survival initially?
a) One in five
b) One in ten
c) Fifty-fifty
d) Very good
Answer: b) One in ten - What did the doctor say was necessary for Johnsy to recover?
a) Expensive medicine
b) A trip to Italy
c) The will to live
d) Warm weather
Answer: c) The will to live - What grew on the wall opposite Johnsy’s window?
a) A rose bush
b) An old ivy vine
c) A mango tree
d) A grapevine
Answer: b) An old ivy vine - What was Johnsy counting?
a) The days left in the month
b) The falling leaves of the ivy vine
c) The number of people walking by
d) The bricks on the wall
Answer: b) The falling leaves of the ivy vine - What foolish idea did Johnsy have?
a) That she would become a famous painter.
b) That she would die when the last leaf fell.
c) That Behrman was a great artist.
d) That the doctor was lying to her.
Answer: b) That she would die when the last leaf fell. - How did Johnsy count the leaves?
a) Forward (1, 2, 3…)
b) Backward (12, 11, 10…)
c) By tens
d) She didn’t count them aloud
Answer: b) Backward (12, 11, 10…) - What was Sue doing in Johnsy’s room?
a) Cooking soup
b) Reading a book
c) Drawing a fashion illustration
d) Sleeping
Answer: c) Drawing a fashion illustration - Why did Sue whistle while she worked?
a) She was happy.
b) To distract Johnsy and cheer her up.
c) It was her habit.
d) The doctor told her to.
Answer: b) To distract Johnsy and cheer her up. - Who was Behrman?
a) A young doctor
b) An old miner
c) A sixty-year-old painter living downstairs
d) The landlord
Answer: c) A sixty-year-old painter living downstairs - What was Behrman’s lifelong dream?
a) To travel the world
b) To paint a masterpiece
c) To be rich
d) To marry
Answer: b) To paint a masterpiece - How did Behrman typically earn money?
a) By selling his masterpieces
b) By serving as a model for young artists
c) By teaching art
d) By working as a janitor
Answer: b) By serving as a model for young artists - How did Behrman react when Sue told him about Johnsy’s fancy?
a) He laughed
b) He cried
c) He became very angry at such foolishness
d) He didn’t care
Answer: c) He became very angry at such foolishness - Why did Behrman consider himself a guardian to Sue and Johnsy?
a) They were his relatives.
b) He was their paid servant.
c) He was a fierce little old man who protected them like a “mastiff”.
d) They paid him to protect them.
Answer: c) He was a fierce little old man who protected them like a “mastiff”. - What happened on the night Behrman painted the leaf?
a) It was a clear, starry night.
b) There was a fierce storm with cold rain and snow.
c) It was a warm summer night.
d) There was a heavy fog.
Answer: b) There was a fierce storm with cold rain and snow. - What did Johnsy ask Sue to do the morning after the storm?
a) To bring her breakfast
b) To call the doctor
c) To raise the window shade (curtain)
d) To close the window
Answer: c) To raise the window shade (curtain) - What did they see when the shade was raised after the first storm?
a) The vine was completely bare.
b) One last ivy leaf was still clinging to the vine.
c) A bird sitting on the vine.
d) The wall had collapsed.
Answer: b) One last ivy leaf was still clinging to the vine. - What colors was the last leaf?
a) Completely brown
b) Bright bright green
c) Dark green near the stem with serrated edges tainted with yellow
d) Red and orange
Answer: c) Dark green near the stem with serrated edges tainted with yellow - What did Johnsy expect to happen to the last leaf during the second night?
a) It would grow bigger.
b) It would fall.
c) It would change color.
d) Nothing.
Answer: b) It would fall. - What realization did Johnsy have when she saw the leaf had survived?
a) That she was immortal.
b) That it was a sin to want to die.
c) That Behrman was a genius.
d) That the weather was improving.
Answer: b) That it was a sin to want to die. - What did Johnsy ask for after she decided to live?
a) A mirror and some broth
b) A pen and paper
c) Her painting brushes
d) New clothes
Answer: a) A mirror and some broth - What did Johnsy hope to paint one day?
a) The Eiffel Tower
b) The Bay of Naples
c) The Statue of Liberty
d) The Grand Canyon
Answer: b) The Bay of Naples - Who fell ill after Johnsy started recovering?
a) Sue
b) The doctor
c) Behrman
d) The janitor
Answer: c) Behrman - What illness did Behrman contract?
a) Malaria
b) Pneumonia
c) Flu
d) A cold
Answer: b) Pneumonia - How long was Behrman ill before he died?
a) One week
b) Two days
c) Five days
d) One month
Answer: b) Two days - Who found Behrman in his room?
a) Sue
b) Johnsy
c) The doctor
d) The janitor
Answer: d) The janitor - What condition was Behrman in when he was found?
a) He was sleeping peacefully.
b) His shoes and clothes were wet through and icy cold.
c) He was painting at his easel.
d) He was having breakfast.
Answer: b) His shoes and clothes were wet through and icy cold. - What objects were found near Behrman’s bed?
a) A bottle of medicine.
b) A letter to Johnsy.
c) A lantern (still lighted), a ladder, and some scattered brushes and paints.
d) A bag of gold.
Answer: c) A lantern (still lighted), a ladder, and some scattered brushes and paints. - What colors of paint were found on Behrman’s palette?
a) Red and blue
b) Green and yellow
c) Black and white
d) Orange and brown
Answer: b) Green and yellow - Why didn’t the last leaf flutter or move when the wind blew?
a) It was frozen solid.
b) It was very heavy.
c) It wasn’t a real leaf; it was painted on the wall.
d) There was no wind.
Answer: c) It wasn’t a real leaf; it was painted on the wall. - Who told Johnsy the truth about the last leaf?
a) The doctor
b) The janitor
c) Sue
d) She found out herself
Answer: c) Sue - Behrman’s death can be described as a…
a) Sacrifice
b) Accident
c) Mystery
d) Suicide
Answer: a) Sacrifice - The story is set in a colony favored by artists because of…
a) Cheap rents and picturesque gables.
b) Its proximity to museums.
c) The good weather.
d) Rich patrons living there.
Answer: a) Cheap rents and picturesque gables. - O. Henry’s real name was…
a) William Wordsworth
b) William Sydney Porter
c) Mark Twain
d) Charles Dickens
Answer: b) William Sydney Porter - What is the ‘masterpiece’ in the story?
a) The Bay of Naples painting.
b) Sue’s magazine illustration.
c) The painted ivy leaf on the wall.
d) A portrait of Behrman.
Answer: c) The painted ivy leaf on the wall. - Why is the painted leaf considered a masterpiece?
a) It was sold for a lot of money.
b) It was very large.
c) It saved a human life.
d) It took years to paint.
Answer: c) It saved a human life. - Johnsy’s full name was…
a) Joanna
b) Josephine
c) Jennifer
d) Jane
Answer: a) Joanna - Sue calls Johnsy ‘Sudie’. This shows…
a) They are sisters.
b) They are close friends.
c) Sue is Johnsy’s mother.
d) Sue doesn’t know her real name.
Answer: b) They are close friends. - The “red-fisted, short-breathed old duffer” refers to whom metaphorically?
a) Behrman
b) The doctor
c) Mr. Pneumonia
d) The janitor
Answer: c) Mr. Pneumonia - What did Sue pretend to be while working in Johnsy’s room?
a) Sad and worried
b) Angry
c) Cheerful and unconcerned
d) Sick
Answer: c) Cheerful and unconcerned - When Sue first told Behrman about Johnsy, he was…
a) Contemptuous of her fear.
b) Happy to help immediately.
c) Too busy to listen.
d) Afraid of catching pneumonia.
Answer: a) Contemptuous of her fear. - Johnsy compared her hold on life to…
a) A tired runner.
b) A floating cloud.
c) A falling leaf.
d) A fading light.
Answer: c) A falling leaf. - The doctor’s final diagnosis for Johnsy was…
a) She would die soon.
b) She needs more medicine.
c) With good nursing, she’ll win.
d) She needs surgery.
Answer: c) With good nursing, she’ll win. - The prevailing theme of the story is…
a) The cruelty of nature.
b) The struggle of artists.
c) The power of hope and self-sacrifice.
d) The importance of wealth.
Answer: c) The power of hope and self-sacrifice. - What did the doctor say caused Behrman’s rapid decline?
a) Old age and weakness.
b) The severity of the attack and his exposure to the cold.
c) Lack of medical care.
d) He didn’t want to live.
Answer: b) The severity of the attack and his exposure to the cold. - The ending of the story is a classic example of O. Henry’s…
a) Tragic endings.
b) Open endings.
c) Twist or surprise endings.
d) Romantic endings.
Answer: c) Twist or surprise endings.