Question

the last leaf
by o. henry
the doctor invited sue into the hallway
\she has one chance in—let us say, ten,\ he said. \and
that chance is for her to want to live. your little lady has
made up her mind that shes not going to get well.
whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in
her funeral procession i subtract 50 percent from the
curative power of medicines. if you can get her to take
an interest in her appearance, or the new winter styles, i
will promise you her chances will double.\ ...
johnsys eyes were open wide. she was looking out the
window and counting—backward. \twelve,\ she said,
and a little later \eleven\; and then \ten,\ and
ine\, and
then \eight\ and \seven.\
sue looked out of the window. what was there to count?
there was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the
blank side of the brick house. an old ivy vine climbed
half way up the brick wall.
\six,\ johnsy whispered. \three days ago there were
almost a hundred. it made my head ache to count them.
but now its easy. there goes another one. there are
only five left now.\
\five what, dear? tell your sudie.\
\leaves. on the ivy vine. when the last one falls i must
3
select the correct answer
according to the doctor’s predictions, why can we infer that johnsy is out of danger?
a. she asks for a little broth.
b. she asks to see the ivy leaf.
c. she asks for a mirror.
d. she asks for more pillows.
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Explanation:

The doctor states that Johnny's chance of recovery depends on her wanting to live, and that if she takes interest in her appearance or new styles, her chances double. Johnny has been fixated on counting ivy leaves as a sign she will die when the last falls. If she asks to see the ivy leaf, it would mean she is no longer fixated on her impending death and is engaging with something outside her fatalistic mindset, aligning with the doctor's prediction of her wanting to live. The other options do not connect to the doctor's stated criteria for her recovery.

Answer:

B. She asks to see the ivy leaf.