Introduction
Christian stories and parables carry deep meaning and contain valuable discourses about virtues, goodness, and the righteous path that people should follow to live in a healthy and peaceful society. At the same time, in addition to theological texts, works from popular literature also may contain profound truths that reveal the human essence from a positive side and call for the accomplishment of benefits for the good of others. In particular, the topic of self-sacrifice, which is traditional in Christianity, is raised in many works of later poets and prose writers, who discuss the importance of helping people to achieve inner harmony and following ancient covenants. As a background for analysis, two stories will be analyzed: the short story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and the passage from Luke, which presents the parable of the Good Samaritan. Despite a significant temporal difference between these stories, one can find common features in them, in particular, raising the themes of human mercy and self-sacrifice. The purpose of comparing and contrasting “The Last Leaf” and “The Good Samaritan” is to show how important the help of a stranger can be, who acts not out of selfish motives but driven by a desire to do a good deed. Both plots have a similar context, and although the events in O. Henry’s story differ in that an outsider intervenes in the fate of another indirectly, the themes of self-sacrifice and mercy unite both stories.
O. Henry’s Story Discussion
Indirect well-intentioned interference in another person’s fate is a form of self-sacrifice, which proves that a person has high moral values and is able to make decisions concerning not only oneself but also others. O. Henry’s story features three main characters: two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, who rent an apartment, and an old artist Behrman, who lives downstairs. Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and loses interest in life; she is ready to die and waits for the last leaf to fall from the ivy outside the window opposite their house. Learning from Sue about this sad story, Behrman secretly draws a new leaf and attaches it to the wall at night, but he himself catches a cold and dies in the hospital, while Johnsy recovers inspired. Sue states that “it is Behrman’s great masterpiece” since the old man has saved Johnsy from death (O. Henry 18). Such an example of self-sacrifice is evidence that a person can do good deeds for the benefit of others by risking one’s own life. That night, when Behrman attaches his painted leaf, he feels cold and freezes in the wind, but this does not stop him from intending to help the young artist (O. Henry 17). The property of self-sacrifice, as a rule, is not innate and depends on person-specific factors, which increases the value of such behavior and contradicts the natural instincts of self-preservation (Rahal 4). This desire symbolizes selfless help, which ultimately helps Johnsy recover but becomes fatal to Behrman himself.
Luke’s Story: Compare and Contrast
Direct intervention in the fate of another with good intentions is mercy, which is a traditional Christian value. Mercy, in its original understanding, is “a public virtue” since moral norms promoted in society involve helping a neighbor (Flores 458). In the biblical story “The Good Samaritan,” this is clearly demonstrated because a Samaritan, who showed mercy to a robbed and wounded man, acted not as a Christian but rather as a kind person (Luke: Chapter 10). Neither the priest nor Levite showed such attention to the fate of another person. The Samaritan, however, not only helped the victim but arranged for him to stay in a hotel by paying for his stay (Luke: Chapter 10). While comparing this story with that of O. Henry, one can note that there is no room for self-sacrifice in it. The Samaritan does not risk his life or make significant efforts to save another. However, a key similarity between “The Last Leaf” and “The Good Samaritan” is the selflessness of both the Samaritan and Behrman. According to the biblical story, “he that shewed mercy” was closer to the wounded man than the other two, although he was related neither to the church nor to nobility (Luke: Chapter 10). This behavior is similar to self-sacrifice in the simplest sense since the Samaritan does not do anything difficult to help his neighbor but, at the same time, spends his time and energy. As a result, based on Christian values and moral principles promoted in traditional relationships in society, both stories under consideration are close.
Conclusion
Despite the demonstration of distinctive Christian values in the stories “The Last Leaf” and “The Good Samaritan” (self-sacrifice and mercy, respectively), the actions of the characters are united by a selfless desire to help others. O. Henry focuses on the efforts that his character made, while in the biblical story, a simple act is considered, which, nevertheless, helps save the man’s life. The importance of following Christian values is relevant in view of the fact that they are applicable to modern society and allow making relationships among people healthy and positive by promoting common virtues.
Works Cited
Flores, Nichole. “Mercy as a Public Virtue.” Journal of Religious Ethics, vol. 48, no. 3, 2020, pp. 458-472.
“Luke: Chapter 10.” King James Bible, Web.
O. Henry. “The Last Leaf.” 2021.
Rahal, Rima-Maria. “The Fire Burns Within: Individual Motivations for Self-Sacrifice.” Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 41, 2018, pp. 1-12.