O. Henry's famous story "The Last Leaf", for which he named his work, points out how hope causes a transformation in one's life. The summary of the story is as follows: Sue and Johns meet at a restaurant and open a studio and achieve great success in the business field. However, Johns' catching fatal pneumonia, which was an pandemic at that time, seriously affects the course of the business and unexpected problems arise. As Johns' illness progresses and becomes unable to respond to treatment, the young man loses hope and prepares himself for death. However, the doctor, who practices his profession with love, carefully observes his patient and strives to regain his lost hopes. The doctor is aware that hope is the most effective medicine and tries to support his patient at this point.
When Sue comes to visit her colleague one day, she wants to discuss the course of the disease with the doctor and enters her room in a pessimistic mood. Both are sad, the doctor expresses that hope is of great importance for the patient and states that when hopes are green, the body can fully adapt itself to it. The doctor states that the patient must first want to live and pray for it, and ends his words with the following statements: "I will try everything that can be done scientifically, but if the patient starts counting the cars that will join his funeral procession, believe that the drugs will have no effect..."
These statements of the doctor affect Sue very much and she comes to her co-worker's bedside and then begins to wait absentmindedly. Just then, he realizes that the patient is counting the leaves of a currant that is leaning against the window of the room where he is sleeping. She is surprised and asks why she is doing this. The patient does not take his eyes off the vine leaves and says, "I count every day, the leaves of this grape are falling one by one, and when the last leaf falls, I will die too." Then he bows his head like a guilty child. After Sue leaves, she meets with her painter friend and a leaf on the vine branch near the window is colored with the artist's brush and mounted on the wall. A lot of time passes and the patient realizes that the last leaf on the branch extending towards the window did not fall even though all the leaves have fallen, and he gains resistance. The patient regains hope, prays to overcome the disease and participate in life.
This story by O. Henry, whose work is named after him, summarizes the positive effects of hope on our lives. We certainly have goals in the long or near term, but we need to hold on to hope in order to be successful.