Read "The Last Leaf" and tell us how it fits into the chapter dealing with figurative language in terms of paradox, overstatement, understatement and/or irony.
After reading "The Last Leaf" I now feel that I understand paradox. overstatement, and understatement. The piece is full of these types figurative language. I think that the figurative helps strengthen the points the author is making.
The first use of these types figurative language that I noticed was in the second paragraph. The author says that they imported "some pewter mugs and a chafing dish or two." This is an obvious understatement because these numbers would not suffice for an entire colony.
The next paragraph begins with a paradox. The paradox is when the author says, “At the top of a squatty, three story building.” This is a paradox because squatty means short and thick, and a three story building is not really a small structure.
The next example of overstatement is when the doctor says that the girl has a one in ten chance of living. He says this, then goes back on his word later and decides that she has a one in five chance of living. Because he went back on his words the overstatement becomes evident.
Another overstatement is evident when the author says, “Sue went into the workroom and cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp.” This is an overstatement because the author is trying to show how upset Sue is by saying that she cried until the napkin turned to a pulp. This is very unlikely to actually happen, therefore; it is an overstatement.
The irony of the short story is the entire plot. The doctor is sure that the girl will die when the final leaf falls off the vine, but when the final leaf actually does fall the doctor is the person who dies. This is very ironic.
Overall, the story was interesting and used figurative language effectively to get the point across. The use of irony tied the entire story together because it showed that waiting for death is not something that people should do.
I respect some of the examples you pulled from the story. You found an understatement, and it was very good! I'm so jealous! I struggled to find one of those. Also, the example of your paradox that concerned the three story building was also very well thought out. Bravo! The only thing I really have to point out, though, is your interpretation of the plot and how the figurative language contributes to it. I agree one hundred percent with you that the entire story is ironic, but not because the doctor dies. I do not think he dies? I could be wrong, but I thought it was the old man was a "failure in art" who died? And I think that it was ironic because he painted a picture that saved the dying woman's life. That is just my take on it, but I thought I would let you know! Haha! Other than that, great blog!
Luke, You had some great examples in your blog! I missed a lot of things that you picked out in this story, such as the squatty, three story building. I totally missed that and didn't think anything of it really. Your examples were very good. I think that you meant that it was ironic that the old man died in the story rather than the doctor, because the doctor didn't die in the story. But other than that I think that you had a great blog! Nice job!
Awwwww! Talk about a cute story that melts your heart! Awwww!
I can definitely see why Mrs. Messineo chose this story to analyze after our last chapter of figurative language. In my mind, the entire piece is ironic. It is ironic because this man that was a “failure in art” paints a picture that saves a woman’s life. How much more ironic or paradoxical can a story be?
Jumping right into figurative language, I would first like to discuss the simple sentence of “Behrman was a failure in art”. For me, this small statement is like the thesis of the entire story. When I first read it, I interpreted it as an overstatement, because he was not a complete and utter failure. He drew lines, simple pictures for advertisers, and modeled for other artists. When I read the last sentence of the story, I realized that this sentence also beholds a sense of irony. The old man was “a failure in art”, yet, he created a painting that saved a person’s life. That is irony at its finest.
Going off on a tangent regarding the same sentence, I also find it being a paradox. The sentence that precedes it says, “Old Behrman was a painter.” I find this paradoxical because the story labels the man as a “painter”, and then continues to say that he is “a failure in art”. It is amazing how one sentence or idea can encompass so much figurative language and adds a richer and deeper effect to the meaning of the story as a whole.
Some other figurative language I discovered throughout the short story includes a bunch of overstatements because, in my opinion, they are the easiest to find. Phrases such as “Sue went into the workroom and cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp”, “go sailing down”, “the lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey”, and “light and fragile as a leaf herself” all add to the sad and mournful tone of the story. It is incredible how just exaggerating the smallest features of a story can really distinguish the tone of a piece.
The figurative language is obviously what gives “The Last Leaf” its charm. Overall, it is an ironic story of a man who was “a failure in art” paints a picture that saves a dying woman’s life. It is overflowing with overstatements, paradoxes, and irony that really contribute to the beauty of the cute, little story.
Rachel, I also found this story to be very cute and heart warming. I totally agree that the figurative language in this short story is really what makes the story so good. After reading your blog I see how the old man is a failure in art and this is what is ironic about the story. However when I did mine I did not think of it that way, I just thought that it was ironic because he died. Well anyways great examples and great blog!
Rachel, You had some good examples in your blog. I did not catch all of these overstatements, but though they are the easiest to find, they still take a little work to find. I found this to be a very good story too. I did not realize that the author describing Behrman was the thesis of the story. It really sticks out to me now that I think about it. Nice blog!
Rachel, I could not agree more. This story was beyond cute. I think its beauty lies within its figurative language. I think that your examples were good too. I used the same example of crying the napkin to a pulp in my blog. I think that is a really obvious overstatement in the story. I completely missed the paradox about Mr. Berhman. Great job.
The short story The Last Leaf is full of figurative language. There are examples of irony, paradox, understandings and overstatements in this short story. This is a truly heartwarming story and really shows the general goodness that humankind truly possesses. One example of paradox in this story is the setting, which is Washington Square. The word square suggests order, straight lines and ninety degree angles, which is what makes up the square. However the streets in this poem are described as going every which way. The streets have strange angles and curves, which completely contradicts with the name of Washington Square.
The situation of how Sue and Johnsy started their art partnership is an example of an understatement. The story says the two meet while having dinner, which means that they were complete strangers prior to their dinner. It suggests that the two women meet only by chance. They also apparently decided to start a business together while having dinner, even though they didn't know each other very well.
An example of an overstatement in this story is the doctor's prediction of Johnsy's health. At first he says that her chances are of surviving are ten to one, but then he goes back on his word and says that her chances of surviving are five to one. This is because he says that she doesn't have the will to live. Therefore, her chances of surviving are slimed than they would if she had a more positive attitude toward her health.
The situation with Behrman is a great example of irony. Behring tells Sue that he wants to paint a master piece and he does at the end of the story. But it is definitely not the magnificently piece that the old man had in mind. Instead he painted the picture of the last leaf which saved the life of Johnsy, who had thought that with the falling of the last leaf she would die instantly. It is ironic that Behrman completed his master piece because he is old and nearing the end of his life. But after completing the painting of the leaf the old man did die, but after his master piece was already finished. It is ironic that he finished the painting just prior to his death.
I thought that your blog made some great points. I did not see many of the uses of figurative language that you saw. I thought your interpretation of Washington Square was very interesting. I never thought of it in that way. I also liked your interpreation of how understatement was used in the story. I found it to be an interesting perspective. Nice blog.
I love how you interpreted this story as an ironic story. I totally agree with you on that! I read your comment on my blog already, and I definitely see how we both think this story is ironic but in different ways. I think that is what is so cool about short stories and poems is that there are so many ways to look at them and interpret them. I like how you think the story is ironic because the old man finished his first and last masterpiece right before he died. That is ironic! I never even thought about that! Good thinking, Michaela! You also picked out some pretty solid examples of figurative language used throughout the story. Your example of the paradox with Washington Square was extremely clever. I enjoyed that! Good blog, Michaela!
Michaela, That was a really great blog. The last paragraph about Behrman finishing his so called "masterpiece" was a good example of irony. You had a good example of a paradox too that I would have never picked out if I read it a million times. Good blog!
There was definitely a lot of figurative language in this story, and it helps the author make his points more effective. These types of figurative language enrich the poem and I feel like these types of language are more easy to pick out.
I am going to start out by saying that there was irony throughout most of the story. The story told that people should live everyday like its last. The situation at the end between the girl and the doctor was the most ironic part of the entire book. Even though Johnsy said she would die, it ended up being the doctor.
In the story, I found one paradox, an understatement, and a lot of hyperboles. The paradox I found was at the beginning of the third paragraph. It starts of saying "At the top of a squatty, three-story brick Sue and Johnsy had their studio." Squatty and a three story building contrast each other, making it a paradox.
The understatement I found was at the very beginning when they found a "chaffing dish or two and became a colony". One or two dishes of food could never support a colony, making this an understatement.
One overstatement that was referred to throughout the entire poem was when the girl thought the leaf was going to fall off of the tree. Nobody is going to die when all of a tree's leafs are gone. She was over exaggerating, and was way to superstitious.
Another overstatement that was very easy to pick out was when they were describing what Mr. Behrman's physical appearance was like. The author said he had the head of a satyr and the body of an imp. They compare him to magical creatures, which implies he must have looked like a wizard or something similar to it. Nevertheless it is still an overstatement.
Overall, this story was pretty deep in meaning and in figurative language. I really enjoyed it, and even though some examples were hard to find, you could see that it definitely was figurative language that made the story decent.
I agree with the points you made on figuartive language. I found many similar uses of figurative language throughout the story. I liked the paragraph on Mr. Behrman's appearance. I did not notice this origionally, but I now see that it was an obvious overstatement. Nice Blog Matt Bobby
Matt Bobby, I agree with a lot of your blog. I did not even notice a couple of the overstatements that you pointed out. The description of Mr. Berhman never even crossed my mind as an overstatement. There is one thing that I didn't agree with, however. I saw the irony as the man painting the picture die, not the doctor. Other than that little difference, however, I really liked your blog.
Wow! You really found a lot of good examples! As I mentioned to Megan too, the paradox about the squatty building was one I never would've picked up on. Also, the overstatement regarding Behrman's appearance was genius. I didn't think of that either. I agree about the beginning of the story, concerning the settlement of the art colony, being understated. You picked a good quote to illustrate that.
I would just like to start this blog out by saying that that was adorable. How freaking heartwarming was that?
One example of figurative language that I found was a paradox. In the third paragraph the author uses a squatty three story building. Usually when we think of a three story building, we think of something very tall. Squatty, however, is another word for short. These things are very contradictory to each other, but they also convey the point that the building was not terribly large.
Another example of figurative language was irony. The whole story is ironic. There is a girl who is sick and dying, het she is saved by a man that is regarded as a failure. He has been saying for years that he would create a masterpiece, and when he was able to paint his great work, he not only achieved his goal, but was able to save a woman's life in the process.
Another example of figurative language in the poem is overstatement. The author makes several statements that are exaggerated but used to illustrate a point. An example of this would be that she cried a napkin to a pulp. That seems far fetched, but the fact that is a stretch makes it ingenious. Without that subtle exaggeration the reader would not receive the same effect as they would with the author pushing the truth just a little bit.
This story made my day a little. I think that it is adorable how one man could save a woman's lice like that, even at the expense of his own. I am so glad that we read that story. It was beautiful. The figurative language makes it even better.
We had lots of similar findings in this story! I definitively agree that the whole story was ironic but that's just what made the ending so shocking and so good! Additionally, I thought the over exaggeration regarding the napkin was well done and served to give the mental image needed. However, the paradox you found regarding the squat building was one I never picked up on. I suppose to some a three story building isn't squat. That was a very interesting observation.
Anyways, this story was certainly filled with various elements of figurative language that we have discussed recently. Irony was the most obviously noticeable form of language I detected. The story's meaning as a whole was ironic. Behrman, a man described as a failed artist, was able to paint his "masterpiece" that would change someone's life. I believe that all artists wish for their art to serve a purpose in the world, whether to make a statement or evoke emotion. So by Behrman painting the simple leaf, he was able to make his work count, literally transforming someone's life by allowing it to continue. It is ironic that a man who was always categorized as a failure would be able to succeed in his craft in a way far surpassing other "successful" people in his field.
The beginning of the story sets the tone for the story in a rather understated way. It described the upbringings of a small art "colony" in a way that makes the settling of an area sound so simple. This understatement continues when describing the way Sue and Johnsy began their business together. It sounded like a simple agreement made over dinner based off of a few trivial commonalities. Such decisions are not generally made in haste over dinner. The entire set-up of the story is done in an understated way that gives humble beginnings to the heart-warming tale.
Alright, I'm no good at these paradoxes. But, I will try. I found most of the paradoxes when discussing Behrman, and the contradictory nature of the paradoxes added to the story's irony. An example of this is when, in one instance, Behrman is being called a "failed artist", therefore not a real artists at all. However, near the close of the story the doctor says that he is going to tend to "some kind of an artist". Both terms were correct as the end of the story revealed.
Lastly, there was overstatement. I feel like a lot of times we think of over statements as being boisterous like in the "Hans a Commercial". However, this story revealed a practical use of overstatement. Overstatement is used sporadically throughout the story to put added emphasis on small elements. Expressions like "cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp" or "as fragile as a leaf herself" both serve to provide vivid imagery to the reader, by placing emphasis on small various elements throughout the story to establish a soft sadness to the story.
This was a really cute story brimming with figurative language. It was like a little scavenger hunt and really illustrated how these forms of figurative language can really shape a story.
After reading "The Last Leaf" I now feel that I understand paradox. overstatement, and understatement. The piece is full of these types figurative language. I think that the figurative helps strengthen the points the author is making.
ReplyDeleteThe first use of these types figurative language that I noticed was in the second paragraph. The author says that they imported "some pewter mugs and a chafing dish or two." This is an obvious understatement because these numbers would not suffice for an entire colony.
The next paragraph begins with a paradox. The paradox is when the author says, “At the top of a squatty, three story building.” This is a paradox because squatty means short and thick, and a three story building is not really a small structure.
The next example of overstatement is when the doctor says that the girl has a one in ten chance of living. He says this, then goes back on his word later and decides that she has a one in five chance of living. Because he went back on his words the overstatement becomes evident.
Another overstatement is evident when the author says, “Sue went into the workroom and cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp.” This is an overstatement because the author is trying to show how upset Sue is by saying that she cried until the napkin turned to a pulp. This is very unlikely to actually happen, therefore; it is an overstatement.
The irony of the short story is the entire plot. The doctor is sure that the girl will die when the final leaf falls off the vine, but when the final leaf actually does fall the doctor is the person who dies. This is very ironic.
Overall, the story was interesting and used figurative language effectively to get the point across. The use of irony tied the entire story together because it showed that waiting for death is not something that people should do.
Luke Kraus,
DeleteI respect some of the examples you pulled from the story. You found an understatement, and it was very good! I'm so jealous! I struggled to find one of those. Also, the example of your paradox that concerned the three story building was also very well thought out. Bravo! The only thing I really have to point out, though, is your interpretation of the plot and how the figurative language contributes to it. I agree one hundred percent with you that the entire story is ironic, but not because the doctor dies. I do not think he dies? I could be wrong, but I thought it was the old man was a "failure in art" who died? And I think that it was ironic because he painted a picture that saved the dying woman's life. That is just my take on it, but I thought I would let you know! Haha! Other than that, great blog!
Luke,
DeleteYou had some great examples in your blog! I missed a lot of things that you picked out in this story, such as the squatty, three story building. I totally missed that and didn't think anything of it really. Your examples were very good. I think that you meant that it was ironic that the old man died in the story rather than the doctor, because the doctor didn't die in the story. But other than that I think that you had a great blog! Nice job!
Awwwww! Talk about a cute story that melts your heart! Awwww!
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see why Mrs. Messineo chose this story to analyze after our last chapter of figurative language. In my mind, the entire piece is ironic. It is ironic because this man that was a “failure in art” paints a picture that saves a woman’s life. How much more ironic or paradoxical can a story be?
Jumping right into figurative language, I would first like to discuss the simple sentence of “Behrman was a failure in art”. For me, this small statement is like the thesis of the entire story. When I first read it, I interpreted it as an overstatement, because he was not a complete and utter failure. He drew lines, simple pictures for advertisers, and modeled for other artists. When I read the last sentence of the story, I realized that this sentence also beholds a sense of irony. The old man was “a failure in art”, yet, he created a painting that saved a person’s life. That is irony at its finest.
Going off on a tangent regarding the same sentence, I also find it being a paradox. The sentence that precedes it says, “Old Behrman was a painter.” I find this paradoxical because the story labels the man as a “painter”, and then continues to say that he is “a failure in art”. It is amazing how one sentence or idea can encompass so much figurative language and adds a richer and deeper effect to the meaning of the story as a whole.
Some other figurative language I discovered throughout the short story includes a bunch of overstatements because, in my opinion, they are the easiest to find. Phrases such as “Sue went into the workroom and cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp”, “go sailing down”, “the lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey”, and “light and fragile as a leaf herself” all add to the sad and mournful tone of the story. It is incredible how just exaggerating the smallest features of a story can really distinguish the tone of a piece.
The figurative language is obviously what gives “The Last Leaf” its charm. Overall, it is an ironic story of a man who was “a failure in art” paints a picture that saves a dying woman’s life. It is overflowing with overstatements, paradoxes, and irony that really contribute to the beauty of the cute, little story.
Rachel,
DeleteI also found this story to be very cute and heart warming. I totally agree that the figurative language in this short story is really what makes the story so good. After reading your blog I see how the old man is a failure in art and this is what is ironic about the story. However when I did mine I did not think of it that way, I just thought that it was ironic because he died. Well anyways great examples and great blog!
Rachel,
DeleteYou had some good examples in your blog. I did not catch all of these overstatements, but though they are the easiest to find, they still take a little work to find. I found this to be a very good story too. I did not realize that the author describing Behrman was the thesis of the story. It really sticks out to me now that I think about it. Nice blog!
Rachel,
DeleteI could not agree more. This story was beyond cute. I think its beauty lies within its figurative language. I think that your examples were good too. I used the same example of crying the napkin to a pulp in my blog. I think that is a really obvious overstatement in the story. I completely missed the paradox about Mr. Berhman. Great job.
The short story The Last Leaf is full of figurative language. There are examples of irony, paradox, understandings and overstatements in this short story. This is a truly heartwarming story and really shows the general goodness that humankind truly possesses. One example of paradox in this story is the setting, which is Washington Square. The word square suggests order, straight lines and ninety degree angles, which is what makes up the square. However the streets in this poem are described as going every which way. The streets have strange angles and curves, which completely contradicts with the name of Washington Square.
ReplyDeleteThe situation of how Sue and Johnsy started their art partnership is an example of an understatement. The story says the two meet while having dinner, which means that they were complete strangers prior to their dinner. It suggests that the two women meet only by chance. They also apparently decided to start a business together while having dinner, even though they didn't know each other very well.
An example of an overstatement in this story is the doctor's prediction of Johnsy's health. At first he says that her chances are of surviving are ten to one, but then he goes back on his word and says that her chances of surviving are five to one. This is because he says that she doesn't have the will to live. Therefore, her chances of surviving are slimed than they would if she had a more positive attitude toward her health.
The situation with Behrman is a great example of irony. Behring tells Sue that he wants to paint a master piece and he does at the end of the story. But it is definitely not the magnificently piece that the old man had in mind. Instead he painted the picture of the last leaf which saved the life of Johnsy, who had thought that with the falling of the last leaf she would die instantly. It is ironic that Behrman completed his master piece because he is old and nearing the end of his life. But after completing the painting of the leaf the old man did die, but after his master piece was already finished. It is ironic that he finished the painting just prior to his death.
Michaela,
DeleteI thought that your blog made some great points. I did not see many of the uses of figurative language that you saw. I thought your interpretation of Washington Square was very interesting. I never thought of it in that way. I also liked your interpreation of how understatement was used in the story. I found it to be an interesting perspective. Nice blog.
Michaela Cashmer,
DeleteI love how you interpreted this story as an ironic story. I totally agree with you on that! I read your comment on my blog already, and I definitely see how we both think this story is ironic but in different ways. I think that is what is so cool about short stories and poems is that there are so many ways to look at them and interpret them. I like how you think the story is ironic because the old man finished his first and last masterpiece right before he died. That is ironic! I never even thought about that! Good thinking, Michaela! You also picked out some pretty solid examples of figurative language used throughout the story. Your example of the paradox with Washington Square was extremely clever. I enjoyed that! Good blog, Michaela!
Michaela,
DeleteThat was a really great blog. The last paragraph about Behrman finishing his so called "masterpiece" was a good example of irony. You had a good example of a paradox too that I would have never picked out if I read it a million times. Good blog!
There was definitely a lot of figurative language in this story, and it helps the author make his points more effective. These types of figurative language enrich the poem and I feel like these types of language are more easy to pick out.
ReplyDeleteI am going to start out by saying that there was irony throughout most of the story. The story told that people should live everyday like its last. The situation at the end between the girl and the doctor was the most ironic part of the entire book. Even though Johnsy said she would die, it ended up being the doctor.
In the story, I found one paradox, an understatement, and a lot of hyperboles. The paradox I found was at the beginning of the third paragraph. It starts of saying "At the top of a squatty, three-story brick Sue and Johnsy had their studio." Squatty and a three story building contrast each other, making it a paradox.
The understatement I found was at the very beginning when they found a "chaffing dish or two and became a colony". One or two dishes of food could never support a colony, making this an understatement.
One overstatement that was referred to throughout the entire poem was when the girl thought the leaf was going to fall off of the tree. Nobody is going to die when all of a tree's leafs are gone. She was over exaggerating, and was way to superstitious.
Another overstatement that was very easy to pick out was when they were describing what Mr. Behrman's physical appearance was like. The author said he had the head of a satyr and the body of an imp. They compare him to magical creatures, which implies he must have looked like a wizard or something similar to it. Nevertheless it is still an overstatement.
Overall, this story was pretty deep in meaning and in figurative language. I really enjoyed it, and even though some examples were hard to find, you could see that it definitely was figurative language that made the story decent.
Matt Bobby,
DeleteI agree with the points you made on figuartive language. I found many similar uses of figurative language throughout the story. I liked the paragraph on Mr. Behrman's appearance. I did not notice this origionally, but I now see that it was an obvious overstatement. Nice Blog Matt Bobby
Matt Bobby,
DeleteI agree with a lot of your blog. I did not even notice a couple of the overstatements that you pointed out. The description of Mr. Berhman never even crossed my mind as an overstatement. There is one thing that I didn't agree with, however. I saw the irony as the man painting the picture die, not the doctor. Other than that little difference, however, I really liked your blog.
Matt,
DeleteWow! You really found a lot of good examples! As I mentioned to Megan too, the paradox about the squatty building was one I never would've picked up on. Also, the overstatement regarding Behrman's appearance was genius. I didn't think of that either. I agree about the beginning of the story, concerning the settlement of the art colony, being understated. You picked a good quote to illustrate that.
Nice job, Matt!
I would just like to start this blog out by saying that that was adorable. How freaking heartwarming was that?
ReplyDeleteOne example of figurative language that I found was a paradox. In the third paragraph the author uses a squatty three story building. Usually when we think of a three story building, we think of something very tall. Squatty, however, is another word for short. These things are very contradictory to each other, but they also convey the point that the building was not terribly large.
Another example of figurative language was irony. The whole story is ironic. There is a girl who is sick and dying, het she is saved by a man that is regarded as a failure. He has been saying for years that he would create a masterpiece, and when he was able to paint his great work, he not only achieved his goal, but was able to save a woman's life in the process.
Another example of figurative language in the poem is overstatement. The author makes several statements that are exaggerated but used to illustrate a point. An example of this would be that she cried a napkin to a pulp. That seems far fetched, but the fact that is a stretch makes it ingenious. Without that subtle exaggeration the reader would not receive the same effect as they would with the author pushing the truth just a little bit.
This story made my day a little. I think that it is adorable how one man could save a woman's lice like that, even at the expense of his own. I am so glad that we read that story. It was beautiful. The figurative language makes it even better.
Megan,
DeleteWe had lots of similar findings in this story! I definitively agree that the whole story was ironic but that's just what made the ending so shocking and so good! Additionally, I thought the over exaggeration regarding the napkin was well done and served to give the mental image needed. However, the paradox you found regarding the squat building was one I never picked up on. I suppose to some a three story building isn't squat. That was a very interesting observation.
Nice job.
That was really cute. Like, really cute.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, this story was certainly filled with various elements of figurative language that we have discussed recently. Irony was the most obviously noticeable form of language I detected. The story's meaning as a whole was ironic. Behrman, a man described as a failed artist, was able to paint his "masterpiece" that would change someone's life. I believe that all artists wish for their art to serve a purpose in the world, whether to make a statement or evoke emotion. So by Behrman painting the simple leaf, he was able to make his work count, literally transforming someone's life by allowing it to continue. It is ironic that a man who was always categorized as a failure would be able to succeed in his craft in a way far surpassing other "successful" people in his field.
The beginning of the story sets the tone for the story in a rather understated way. It described the upbringings of a small art "colony" in a way that makes the settling of an area sound so simple. This understatement continues when describing the way Sue and Johnsy began their business together. It sounded like a simple agreement made over dinner based off of a few trivial commonalities. Such decisions are not generally made in haste over dinner. The entire set-up of the story is done in an understated way that gives humble beginnings to the heart-warming tale.
Alright, I'm no good at these paradoxes. But, I will try. I found most of the paradoxes when discussing Behrman, and the contradictory nature of the paradoxes added to the story's irony. An example of this is when, in one instance, Behrman is being called a "failed artist", therefore not a real artists at all. However, near the close of the story the doctor says that he is going to tend to "some kind of an artist". Both terms were correct as the end of the story revealed.
Lastly, there was overstatement. I feel like a lot of times we think of over statements as being boisterous like in the "Hans a Commercial". However, this story revealed a practical use of overstatement. Overstatement is used sporadically throughout the story to put added emphasis on small elements. Expressions like "cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp" or "as fragile as a leaf herself" both serve to provide vivid imagery to the reader, by placing emphasis on small various elements throughout the story to establish a soft sadness to the story.
This was a really cute story brimming with figurative language. It was like a little scavenger hunt and really illustrated how these forms of figurative language can really shape a story.