همایش رویکردهای میان رشته ای به آموزش زبان، ادبیات و مطالعات ترجمه

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صفحه اصلی / پنجمین همایش رویکردهای میان رشته ای به آموزش زبان، ادبیات و مطالعات ترجمه

Unknowable in O.Henry's "The Last Leaf": A Levinasian Reading

نویسندگان :

Bahar Tajik¹ Fatemeh Yahyapoor²

1- دانشگاه ارومیه 2- دانشگاه ارومیه

کلمات کلیدی :

unknowable،alterity،face of the Other،responsibility،Emmanuel Levinas

چکیده :

O. Henry’s “The last Leaf” (1907) is a short but complex and multilayered story. Although various themes of “The Last Leaf” have been studied, it has not been extensively analyzed from the theme of unknowable, which concerns primarily with Emmanuel Levinas’ concepts of “alterity”, “face of the Other”, and “responsibility”. Drawing on Levinas’ mentioned concepts, we argue that in “The Last Leaf” there is unknowable relation leading to unknowable desires salvation. The narrative explores how Mr. Behrman, as a stranger artist, enters Greenwich and unknowingly saves Jonhsy’s life, as the “Other”. To face the Other is to carry one’s responsibility toward Other eternally. Mr. Behrman faces the vulnerability of Johnsy through his infinite sense of responsibility of saving her by painting the last leaf that stays interminably on the wall. The question of how the colors remain unchanged under the rain is unknown. The reason for Johnsy’s nonsensical leave counting remains unknown. Meanwhile, as an unknowable alterity within unknown relations, Mr. Behrman does his responsibility to the unknowable exteriority, the Other. Despite the unknowability of Mr. Behrman’s desire for painting a masterpiece before his death and Sue’s desire for painting the Naples Bay, the findings suggest their actions ultimately reflect an unknowable responsibility for the infinite exteriority. In essence, “The Last Leaf” is primary saturated by the theme of unknowable that shapes unknowable relation and infinite responsibility of salvation.