Loss In Gwilan's Harp And The Last Leaf

Loss is one of the hardest challenges to walk through. Why? It signifies the knowledge of having had something. It was held and cherished and loved, before it was whisked away unexpectedly, out of reach. Nothing can bring it back, and only memories of it’s presence remain. The inevitability does not lessen the pain and emptiness it leaves in it’s wake. In three short stories, “Gwilan’s Harp” by Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Washwoman” by Isaac Singer, and “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry, the theme of loss is illustrated through the loss of a family member, prized possession, and a friend.

Any heirloom passed down through a family gains personal value with each consecutive generation, and Gwilan’s harp is no exception. Although she treasures the priceless instrument, Gwilan also generously shares the harp and her talented playing as well. Suddenly, Gwilan’s world changes when she and her harp are thrown out of a cart when the horse spooked. Nursing her broken arm, Gwilan found her harp in pieces not far away, shattered by the impact. Although she finds happiness and contentment in marriage, Gwilan never forgets her lost
treasure. Gifted with two boys, the family lives very happily for many years, until Gwilan again experiences crushing loss when her husband dies. As she grows older, arthritis also sets in, preventing her form playing any instrument. However, Gwilan never gives up, but remains grateful for what she has left. “The Washwoman” traces two opposite perspectives of loss. A Jewish family relies on an old, Gentile lady to clean their mounds of clothing every other week. While she warms herself and prepares for the long trek back to her house, the washwoman gives the family little glimpses into her situation. Her life as been a long, painful, hard, road filled with trials and difficulties, but the washwoman bore her burdens without complaint. “…This washwoman, small and thin as she was, possessed a strength that came from generations of peasant forebears” (Singer). When the washwoman became deathly ill, the Jewish family assumed she had died in her old age, and would not return the wash. However, even death’s grip could not trump the integrity and resolve of the faithful woman. As soon as she could bear the journey, she loaded the wash on her back, and returned the family’s laundry for the last time. The Jewish family lost a hard worker and a friend, but the Gentile woman lost her burdens.

In “The Last Leaf”, sacrificial loss comes at a costly price. Johnsy, a young woman stricken with pneumonia, has given up hope of recovery. Despite the desperate urges of her best friend, Sue, she announces that when the last leaf falls from the ivy vine outside her window, she will die. Although Bergman considers Johnsy’s prediction utter nonsense, he sacrificially and courageously braves the storm to paint a leaf on the empty vine. Johnsy starts recovering when she realizes how ungrateful she is to seek death, oblivious to the fact that her sacrificial rescuer is dying downstairs. Sue points out the painter’s sacrifice to Johnsy, saying, “Ah, Darling, it’s Behrman’s masterpiece — he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell” (Henry) Behrman lost his own life in order to give purpose to Johnsy’s, and the sisters lost a dear friend.

“Grief is not a state but a process - like a walk in a winding valley with a new prospect at every bend.” - C.S.
Lewis.In each of these stories illustrating different types of loss, we also see the characters go through a period of grieving. In “Gwilan’s Harp” Gwilan mourns the loss of her harp, husband, and then her ability to play any instrument because of her arthritis. Two close friends mourn the death of a gruff yet dear friend, Behrman, who died in the process of giving hope back to Johnsy. While the Jewish family might mourn the washerwoman for her gentle friendship and service, the washwoman has nothing to mourn, for her great burdens have been taken away at last. “Gwilan’s Harp” by Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Washwoman” by Isaac Singer, and “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry are three excellent stories depicting people’s journey through personal
loss.