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They had met at the table d'hote of an Eighth street “Delmonico's,” and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so congenial that the joint studio resulted.
That was in May.
Sue and Johnsy meet in May, a month that symbolizes the birth of new life. The month is thus appropriately named for Maia, the Roman goddess of fertility and spring. Furthermore, the narrator describes these young women’s meeting as “congenial.” Colloquially, this word means “pleasant.” However, its etymological roots suggest coming together (con-) to create something new (-genial). Their friendship thereby begins loaded with new life and a shared interest in art, food, and fashion.
“You are just like a woman!” yelled Behrman. “Who said I will not bose? Go on. I come mit you. For half an hour I haf peen trying to say dot I am ready to bose. Gott! dis is not any blace in which one so goot as Miss Yohnsy shall lie sick. Some day I vill baint a masterpiece, and ve shall all go away. Gott! yes.”
Although Sue has come to ask Behrman to model for her, their conversation has been entirely about Johnsy’s illness and her belief that death is a welcome inevitability. Behrman is clearly upset by the idea. He becomes outraged when Sue suggests that she doesn’t need him to pose. Although he had earlier said, “I will not bose as a model,” now he asks, “Who said I will not bose?” The argument is not about whether Behrman will pose for Sue but over whether Behrman will come help her with Johnsy. He is upset that she questions his friendship. He redirects his outrage, declaring that their low-rent apartment is not a place where someone as good as Johnsy should lie sick. He says that he will take the women away once he has painted his masterpiece. His friendship with them means so much that he’s willing to share the future earnings of his masterpiece with the women to make them safe and happy.
“Dear, dear!” said Sue, leaning her worn face down to the pillow, “think of me, if you won't think of yourself. What would I do?”
But Johnsy did not answer. The lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey. The fancy seemed to possess her more strongly as one by one the ties that bound her to friendship and to earth were loosed.
The day wore away, and even through the twilight they could see the lone ivy leaf clinging to its stem against the wall.
Until this point in the story, Sue has pretended that Johnsy’s condition is not terminal and that her friend’s thoughts of death are foolish. Here, however, she lets down her mask of indifference. Sue appeals to Johnsy to think of her if she won’t think of herself. Johnsy has no answer because she hadn’t thought of how her passing would affect Sue. Yet Johnsy’s feeling is described as loneliness. She becomes more determined to die as she lets go of her ties “to friendship and to earth.” Yet even though all the other leaves have fallen, a single leaf remains, symbolizing the enduring bond of friendship between Johnsy and Sue.
