The Last Leaf: A Psychological Study of the Characters

Abstract

In the world of literature, short stories are created to entertain readers in a single sitting. This study investigates the psychological aspect of the characters in O. Henry's The Last Leaf by studying more about the characterization, the figures of speech being used, and the writing styles of the author that are visible in the passage. The researchers review and analyze the data of the chosen literary work using a qualitative method of discourse analysis and are substantiated by the Psychoanalytic Theory and the Russian Formalism Theory. The findings of the study show that the characters in the story depict different types of psychological aspects. In the study, depression, anxiety, denial, and frustration are found in the characterization. Meanwhile, fear, despair, anxiety, confusion, depression, sympathy, denial, grief, guilt, hope, surprise, and sadness are found in the figures of speech analysis. Moreover, hope, anger, frustration, isolation, and despair are found in the writing style analysis of the study. In addition, future researchers are recommended to conduct a psychological analysis of the characters, a deeper study of the figures of speech being used, and a stronger discussion about the writing styles in the story.