the gift of magi essay pdf

The Gift of the Magi Essay: Summary & Analysis

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Looking for The Gift of the Magi essay? Summary and analysis of the themes, characters, and irony in the short story by O’Henry are below.

• Main Characters
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O. Henry, an American writer, is famous for his short stories with an unpredictable ending. The Gift of the Magi is one of his masterpieces, which has become a traditional Christmas tale. In this story, the author shows genuine love between young spouses, which is more precious than any material possessions. In this essay, the plot will be summarized, the main themes and characters will be discussed, and personal opinions will be given.

The Gifts of the Magi Summary

The story takes place just before Christmas, and Della Young is concerned about what she should give her husband, Jim, as a present. She counts her savings and finds only $1.87, which is not enough to buy a worthy gift. She is frustrated since she wants to present her husband with something he deserves for his hard work. Della tries to find a way out of the situation and finally comes up with an idea. The most precious thing she has is her long shining brown hair. After she looks at it in the mirror, she dresses up and goes to Madame Sofronie, a hairdresser. The woman cuts Della’s hair quickly and gives her $20.

Having enough money, Della visits several shops to find a present for Jim. She is not satisfied with anything she finds until she knows exactly what she needs. Della remembers that her husband’s most valuable thing is his gold watch, but he has to wear it with a leather strap since the original one has been broken. The woman finds a platinum chain that will perfectly suit the watch, pays $21 for it, and goes home.

When Jim arrives and sees his wife without her gorgeous hair, he becomes surprised and puzzled. Della cannot understand his reaction until she unpacks his present for her. She discovers a set of combs that she has desired for a long time, but since she does not have her long hair anymore, they appear to be useless. To comfort her husband, she hands him the platinum chain, only to find out that Jim has sold his gold watch to buy a present for her. Jim suggests they should put away their Christmas gifts and have dinner. The story ends with the statement that Della and Jim are the wisest of those who give presents.

The Gifts of the Magi Characters

Della is one of the two main characters of the story. She is young and beautiful, and she is distinguished by her complete devotion to her husband. Della appreciates him so much that she does not agree to present him with some trifle because he deserves something precious. For this reason, she dares sell her hair, which is the only treasure she possesses. She explains to Jim that she “couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present” (O. Henry 5). Apart from being deeply in love with her husband, Della is a highly emotional person. She does not hold back her tears when she is desperate and does not restrain her laugh when she is happy. Moreover, her mood can change in an instant, which happens when she grieves over her haircut, and the next moment she is anxious to give Jim his Christmas gift. Perhaps, the abundance of emotions contributed to Della’s deep affection for her husband.

Since Jim appears on the scene only at the end of the story, readers do not know his thoughts, but they see his actions. Like Della, Jim sacrificed the most precious thing he had, his gold watch, to buy a present for his wife. Thus, it may be assumed that he is as deeply in love with Della as she is with him. After all, the story is intended to show true affection, which is why the author made his characters so pure and loving.

The Gifts of the Magi Themes

The major theme of the story is pure love, which is the most valuable thing in the world. It is unconditional since Della and Jim do not need anything special from each other; they are just happy to be together. When Della counts her scarce savings, she does not even think to blame her husband for earning little money. On the contrary, she is happy to be his wife and wants to give him the best present she can afford ( Study Guide 5). Due to the couple’s sacrifices, the author compares them to the magi who brought presents to baby Jesus (Zhang and Wang 657). However, he says that Jim and Della are wiser because they gave each other the most precious gift in the world, which is pure love (Zhang and Wang 657). Thus, the story conveys the idea of a relationship that should be pursued by everyone.

The Gift of the Magi also tackles the theme of wealth and poverty. According to Nagel, the story “resonates throughout American marriages, many of which went through periods of economic struggle at some point” (102). Indeed, the Young family is very poor, and Della has to haggle with vendors over every single penny (Tong 207). Even though they hardly make ends meet, Della and Jim are happy because they possess a much greater treasure than money – their love. As Zhang and Wang rightly stated, “There is no pure love in the world of money while there is no money in the world of love” (657). The story, therefore, conveys the idea that material possessions do not play a significant role in human life because deep affection is the only thing that matters.

The Gifts of the Magi Critique

Although the story is written to show readers pure love and encourage them to pursue this feeling in their lives, it seems slightly unreasonable when regarded from a realistic rather than a romantic point of view. The exchange of useless gifts would not have happened if the spouses had discussed their desires and plans with each other. Perhaps, they could have agreed upon a festive dinner or something pleasant for both, which would have saved their money and their personal treasures. After all, communication is a crucial part of a strong relationship. Therefore, instead of sacrificing something precious to surprise one’s partner, one had better inform him or her of one’s plans to avoid possible unpleasant consequences.

In conclusion, The Gift of the Magi is a kind and inspiring story about two young people truly loving each other. Their love is revealed by their willingness to sacrifice the most valuable things they own to bring joy to each other. Apart from the theme of affection, the story is concerned with the concepts of poverty and wealth. It asserts that rich people are not those with much money but those who love and are loved in return.

Nagel, James. The American Short Story Handbook . John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

O. Henry. The Gift of the Magi . Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing, 2018.

Study Guide for O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi.’ Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.

Tong, Lu. “A Brief Analysis on the Typical Writing Styles of O. Henry.” Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research , vol. 30, 2016, pp. 205-208.

Zhang, Yue, and Lijun Wang. “On Different Types of Love Stories Written by O. Henry.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research , vol. 6, no. 3, 2015, pp. 656-661.

The Gifts of the Magi FAQ

• What Is the Theme of The Gift of the Magi? The main theme in the story by O’Henry is unconditional love. Sacrificing their most precious things to make the other one happy, Della and Jim show that love is more important for them than any material possessions.
• What Is the Irony in The Gift of the Magi? The most ironic episode in The Gift of the Magi takes place when Della opens the box with the gift from Jim. When she sees the tortoise shell combs, for a moment, she forgets that her hair isn’t long enough so she can use them.
• What Point of View Is The Gift of the Magi? The Gift of the Magi is written in the third person point of view. The narrator is a non-participant. The story is told using pronouns like “she,” “he,” “they,” and “it.”
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Bibliography

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A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Gift of the Magi’ is a short story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). His stories are characterised by their irony, their chatty narrative style, their occasional sentimentality, and by their surprise twist endings.

All of these things became something of a signature feature, and ‘The Gift of the Magi’ embodies them all to some extent. But what does this Christmas story mean?

You can read ‘The Gift of the Magi’ here before proceeding to our summary and analysis of O. Henry’s story below.

We discuss some of the key themes of ‘The Gift of the Magi’ in a separate post.

‘The Gift of the Magi’: plot summary

It is Christmas Eve. Jim and Della are a married couple living in a modest furnished flat in New York. They have little money. The story opens with Della upset because she has just one dollar and eighty-seven cents to spend on a Christmas present for her husband.

The narrator tells us the married couple each have a possession in which they take great pride. For Jim, it’s a gold watch that had been his father’s and, before that, his grandfather’s. Della’s prized possession is her beautiful hair.

Della goes to a woman who deals in hair goods. This woman agrees to buy Della’s hair for twenty dollars. With the newly acquired money, Della goes to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim’s gold watch. This costs her twenty-one dollars, leaving her just eighty-seven cents in the whole world. When she gets home, she sets about curling what’s left of her hair so it looks presentable.

When Jim gets home, he is surprised by his wife’s actions, but when she explains why she had her hair cut off, he embraces her and gives her the present he has bought her: two jewelled tortoiseshell combs she has long admired in a shop window. The combs are useless to her until her hair grows out again, but at least she can give Jim his present …

But in a last twist, Jim tells Della that he sold his gold watch to pay for the expensive combs he bought for her. So now, she has two combs but no hair to use them on, and he has a platinum fob chain for a gold watch he no longer owns.

‘The Gift of the Magi’: analysis

Many of O. Henry’s short stories – the majority of which stretch to only five or six pages – are marked by their ironic twists, and ‘The Gift of the Magi’ is a good example of this typical feature of his work.

In their attempts to buy each other their dream Christmas gift, young Jim and Della end up sacrificing the very things that their presents are designed to complement: the combs for Della’s (sold) hair, and the chain for Jim’s (sold) watch. As the narrator observes in the final paragraph:

The magi, as you know, were wise men – wonderfully wise men – who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.

But O. Henry is not inviting us to laugh at their folly, but to celebrate their sacrifice. Indeed, what motivated them was not foolishness but wisdom, as the narrator remarks in the story’s closing words:

But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

So there are, in a sense, two surprise twists at the end of ‘The Gift of the Magi’: the trademark plot twist which characterises most of O. Henry’s short stories, and the narratorial ‘twist’ in which he overturns our initial response – which might be to laugh good-naturedly at the unhappy turn of events which have just been narrated – and makes a moral point that Jim and Della behaved out of wisdom, even though they ended up with ‘useless’ presents from each other.

This is all well and good, but it’s worth noting that the narrator doesn’t gloss why he believes that Jim and Della were ‘wisest’ of all gift-givers. Of course, ‘wise’ here is suggested by the Magi, the Zoroastrian astrologers who, in the Gospel of Matthew , visited the infant Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh: hence the title of the story.

But what makes Jim and Della wise? And why doesn’t O. Henry tell us? Is it because he wanted us to make up our own minds, or did he assume that the answer was fairly self-explanatory?

The latter seems more likely. For surely the ‘moral’ of ‘The Gift of the Magi’, given its Christmas setting and the fact that Jim and Della clearly love each other and treat each other well despite having no money to afford the finer things in life, is that love is more important than possessions. And when it comes to Christmas and buying gifts for our loved ones, it really is the thought that counts.

But there’s a little more to ‘The Gift of the Magi’ than this rather hackneyed old adage, which would reduce the story to a sentimental and rather twee fable about ‘giving being better than receiving’ and ‘love being more important than money’. Both of these statements are relevant to the story, but what is also relevant is the element of sacrifice the two characters make, and their reaction to learning the implications of this.

So Jim is happy to part with a gold watch that has been passed down the male line for three generations, while Della is happy to lose her hair (which would, despite her protestations, take many months to grow back fully) in order to purchase the gift the other one most desires. But with the story’s twist, they learn that their personal sacrifices – committed for their love of the other one – have been in vain.

But they are happy about this, not because of the gesture of buying the gift but the great cost that it has incurred for the other. Love, O. Henry seems to say, is about giving up that which you most treasure in order to show your beloved – whom you should love even more – the extent of your devotion.

In other words, what is remarkable about ‘The Gift of the Magi’ is that its moral seems to be not just ‘giving is better than receiving’ but ‘giving and losing is all that matters’, since what they receive is of no practical use to them.

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The Gift of the Magi - Study Guide

Which is the better gift, the comb or the pocket watch? O. Henry 's short story, The Gift of the Magi (1905) offers a memorable ironic twist. We hope our study guide is particularly useful for teachers and students to study irony and appreciate O. Henry's clever literary devices.

Read the story: The Gift of the Magi , Character Analysis & Summary , Genre & Literary Devices , Etymology of "Magi" , Quotes , Discussion Questions , Paired Readings , Useful Links , and Notes/Teacher Comments

Character Analysis & Summary

Della Dillingham - The young woman, married to Jim, whose prized possession was her long, beautiful hair.

Jim Dillingham - The young man, married to Della, whose prized possession was an old pocketwatch with a leather strap.

Plot Summary : Jim and Della Dillingham are a poor, young married couple who don't have enough money to buy Christmas gifts. Both sell their most prized possessions in order to pay for a gift for the other at Christmas time.

Genre & Literary Devices

While The Gift of the Magi certainly falls in the fictional short story genre, it employs what could be called a sub-genre of "dramatic irony."

Dramatic irony is where the reader learns a secret that the main character(s) don't know about yet. Without the other knowing, both traded their most valuable possessions (priceless) for a gift that could no longer be used by the other because that person gave up their own possession. We wish we could stop Della from selling her hair, or Jim from selling his watch, but we can't. That's what makes for an engaging storyline that keeps us hooked. We want to know how they'll react when they find out.

Literary Devices

Intimacy - O. Henry effectively employs a literary technique of creating intimacy with his reader, addressing us directly so we feel like we are in the same room with the main characters. Examples: "...already introduced to you as Della" "Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 Bat."

Self-deprecating - O. Henry makes fun of himself and his writing "Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present."

Similes - Comparing Della's hair, "rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters" and describing herself after the haircut: "[I] look like a Coney Island chorus girl." Describing Jim standing still, "as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail."

Biblical References

The Magi King Solomon Queen of Sheba

Primary Themes

Sacrifice Love

Comparative Themes

Yearning for what you can't have vs. receiving what you can't use Material happiness vs. spiritual or emotional happiness

Etymology of "Magi"

Magi is Latin, meaning skilled magicians, astrologers. Singular is "magus" which is the Persian root from Indo-Iranian "magh" which means powerful and rich, expressing ability. The Latins called them wise men, the Persians called them Magi. Also from the Greek "magos" (5th century BCE) which refers to the Persian priestly and learned class as portrayed in The Bible in The Gospel of Matthew

According to Ludolph of Saxony (died 1378): " The three pagan kings were called Magi not because they were magicians but because of the great science of astrology which was theirs. Those whom the Hebrews called scribes and the Greeks, philosophers, and the Latins, wise men, the Persians called Magi. And the reason that they were called kings is that in those days it was the custom for the philosophers and wise men to be rulers."

Explain what the following quotes mean and how they relate to the story:

"One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies."

"Whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called 'Jim' and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della."

"Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch eveyr time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy."

"So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her."

"'I buy hair,' said Madame. 'Taker yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it.'"

"As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both."

"Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"

"Eight dollars a week or a million a year—what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer."

"The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit."

"Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present."

"[The magi] invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication."

"But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest."

Discussion Questions

1. The opening line, "One dollar and eight-seven cents" (in 1905) is equivalent to how much in today's dollars? Here's an Inflation calculator Why is this amount both important and unimportant in the story?

2. Define irony and how O. Henry's employs it in the story.

4. Do Della's and Jim's reactions to their predicament giving up their most valued possesions for gifts that are now useless surprise you? Rather than be angry at eachother or sad, Jim suggests they put the presents away for awhile and says, "And now suppose you put the chops on." How do material possessions compare to their true love for one another?

5. Della coveted the hair combs without the least hope of possession, and now that they were hers, she couldn't use them. Think of a situation in your own life that might be defined as ironic.

6. Why did O. Henry choose this simile? "Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail."

7. Describe O. Henry's use of Biblical references (the magi, King Solomon, Queen Sheba) and his use of symbolism that Ella and Jim are the magi. Link to The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew

8. Compare the events of "The Adoration of the Magi" to O. Henry's story. Recommended reading: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 's poem, The Three Kings , particularly noting his lines: "They [the people] thought the Wise Men were men insane" and, after the kings presented their precious gifts: "And the mother wondered and bowed her head, and sat as still as a statue of stone; her heart was troubled yet comforted..."

9. Describe the meaning of "wise" in the story. What does "word to the wise" mean (still a commonly used idiom)?

10. What's the definition of a "meaningful gift"? Why do you think this story is particularly touching at Christmas?

11. Compare the elements of irony in Federigo's Falcon with The Gift of the Magi . Identify literary devices used by each author to engage his reader in the protagonists' plight.

12. Read O. Henry's story, The Last Leaf , compare its themes of sacrifice and irony with The Gift of the Magi .

Essay prompt #1 : Describe your own philosophy of gift giving (and receiving) and what makes for the most meaningful gifts. Relate your experiences to the story.

Essay prompt #2 : Think of an incident which you consider ironic in your own life (or relate a movie or story where irony is central to the plot). Why is irony so appealing to readers/viewers? Discuss how coming to terms or resolving the conundrum is important.

Paired Reading Suggestions

Compare The Gift of the Magi to other stories of the sub-genre "dramatic irony":

Federigo's Falcon The Last Leaf Caline The Ambitious Guest (this one is scary irony)

When comparing uses of dramatic irony, discuss plot, themes, the role of irony in engaging the reader, and contrasts that make each story unique.

Teachers : Challenge students to identify other stories they've read which contain dramatic irony, perhaps assign them to compose their own, to more fully appreciate the richness and appeal of irony in storytelling. It's both a pleasure for the audience and the writer!

Useful Links

Biography and Works by O. Henry

Is It Actually Ironic? 3 TED-Ed lessons on irony

Gift of the Magi Q & A

Storyboard That Plot Diagram for The Gift of the Magi

Complete List of Major and Minor Characters in the Bible

The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew

Inflation calculator: 1905 dollars in 2017

20 Great American Short Stories

Short Stories for High School

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Notes/Teacher Comments

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The Gift of the Magi

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

"Gift of the Magi" revolves around a young couple, Della and Jim , who lack a lot in the way of material possessions and external amusements. The beginning of the story focuses on their poverty—the shabby couch, the lack of mirror, the eight-dollar flat, the broken doorbell. Despite this, the narrator adds that Jim always arrives home to be “greatly hugged. Which is all very good.” Their poverty doesn’t seem to affect their cozy home…

Della’s main concern is that the money she’s saved by pinching pennies isn’t enough to buy Jim a worthy Christmas present. For her, the main obstacle that poverty poses to her happiness is its limitation of her expression of love.

After the twist ending, Jim sits back on the couch and smiles, even after it’s revealed that both their gifts are now useless. Because while the gift themselves have no purpose, the giving of the…

At the beginning of the story, Della and Jim have only two prized possessions—Della’s hair and Jim’s watch . In order to overcome their poverty and to give a good Christmas present to the other, each sacrifices the item that they value the most. The sacrifices turn out to have been made rather uselessly, since the gifts they buy can’t be used. One could argue that they ended the story in the same place they…

“Gift of the Magi” constantly contrasts the idea of inner beauty and value with outside appearances. The story begins, for example, with a description of bleak surroundings (“a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray background,” “shabby couch”) while hinting at a warm home life that brightens the exterior ( Jim arrives home “to be greatly hugged”). When Della examines the watch chain, she also compares its exterior appearance and actual value to…

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The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

By o. henry, the gift of the magi and other stories essay questions.

Explain the tone and style of the story’s narrator. How does the narrator construct or interact with the story’s themes and sequence of events? How might this style and role of narration differ from other third-person omniscient narrators?

The narrator maintains a wise, yet casual and colloquial, presence throughout "The Gift of the Magi." Hardly the “objective observer” associated with most conventional third-person omniscient narrators, the narrator often digresses from the story’s action to share their insights on characters or to communicate grand ruminations on love or life. For example, when Della attempts to style her hair, the narrator comments, “She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends—a mammoth task” (11). Here, the narrator expresses one of the story’s central themes: love can be a challenging or tumultuous “mammoth task” in addition to a rich source of meaning, fulfillment, and comfort. By referring to readers as “dear friends,” the narrator maintains a conversational atmosphere, mimicking the common expressions used in oral storytelling. Such direct addresses to the audience prompt the audience to become more engaged in the story’s events and pay heightened attention to the narrator’s proclamations.

Explain the significance of the story’s last three sentences, “Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the wisest. Everywhere they are the wisest. They are the magi” (16). Why does the narrator deem Della and Jim “the magi” and “the wisest”? How do the concluding lines characterize Della and Jim, and how does this tie to the story’s portrayal of gift-giving?

Della and Jim sacrifice their greatest possessions—their hair and their gold watch, respectively—to buy perfect Christmas gifts and thereby express their love for each other. These sacrifices ironically result in the couple offering each other two useless gifts: hair combs and a watch chain. However, while the gifts are practically worthless, they nonetheless embody the couple’s selflessness, generosity, and devotion to each other. As such, the narrator hails Della and Jim as “the wisest” of all gift-givers and receivers and compares them to the magi, the biblical figures who “invented the art of giving Christmas presents” (16). According to the narrator, the generosity of Della and Jim’s sacrifices illustrates the authentic spirit of gift-giving, the magi-invented “art” form rooted in selfless intentions and benevolence—rather than material value.

Explain how situational irony appears in the story’s ending. How does this irony impact the story’s depiction of love and gift-giving?

Situational irony punctuates two distinct moments in the end of the story. First, because we only follow Della’s quest to purchase a perfect Christmas present for Jim, we are shocked when Jim offers the expensive combs to her. The gift reveal becomes even more shocking when Della, and the readers, realize that she cannot use the combs on her short hair. This moment is thus rife with situational irony: we do not expect Jim to have such a costly present procured for Della, nor we expect Della's own sacrifice to negate the usefulness of the gift.

The situational irony of the gift-giving exchange grows when Jim admits that he sold his watch to afford the combs. This additional abrupt “twist” further defies readers’ and the couple’s expectations. Because Jim no longer owns a watch to attach the chain to, neither gift can be used for its intended purposes, thereby thwarting the couple's expectations. The situational irony unearths the pointlessness of the couple's sacrifice: if they hadn’t sacrificed their possessions, their gifts would have been practical and usable. However, this ironic “plot twist” nonetheless evokes the harmonious equilibrium of Della and Jim’s relationship: both marriage partners view Christmas presents as worthy means to practice unselfish generosity and, in turn, externalize their love for each other.

The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why did O. Henry choose this simile? "Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail."

I think it indicates that Jim was in shock, startled when he saw Della with her hair cut.

What story elements did the author use to develop the theme?

One important element in O. Henry's, The Gift of the Magi, is his use of allusion.... references to well-known people, places, events, or artistic works. When the narrator describes Della's hair and Jim's watch, he alludes to the Bible: "Had the...

Sevaral passages in the Story give subtle clues about jim.Identify at least three passages that reveal aspects of jim's character and exolain their significance

This is only a short-answer space but I can give you a general comment on Jim. Jim is a loving husband. We know this not because he gives up a possession he treasures in order to give his wife something she dearly wants, but because he is so...

Study Guide for The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

"The Gift of the Magi" and Other Stories study guide contains a biography of O. Henry, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories
• The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Summary
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Essays for The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

"The Gift of the Magi" and Other Stories essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of "The Gift of the Magi" and Other Stories by O. Henry.

• The Consequences of Capitalism: A Marxist Analysis of “The Gift of the Magi”
• Importance of Dialogue in O. Henry’s Short Story ‘‘The Gift of the Magi’’  

Lesson Plan for The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

• About the Author
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• Introduction to The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories
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Wikipedia Entries for The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

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Gift of the Magi Essay

love​ ​ each​ ​ other​ ​ dearly​ ​ but​ ​ are​ ​ very​ ​ poor.​ ​ Della​ ​ and​ ​ Jim​ ​ both​ ​ have​ ​ only​ ​ one​ ​ prize​ ​ possession​ ​ that they​ ​ treasure,​ ​ for​ ​ Della​ ​ it's​ ​ her​ ​ long​ ​ beautiful​ ​ hair​ ​ and​ ​ for​ ​ Jim​ ​ it's​ ​ his​ ​ pocket​ ​ watch​ ​ that​ ​ has​ ​ been passed​ ​ down​ ​ from​ ​ grandfather​ ​ to​ ​ father​ ​ to​ ​ Jim.​ ​ Both​ ​ of​ ​ them​ ​ want​ ​ to​ ​ buy​ ​ a​ ​ special​ ​ gift​ ​ for​ ​ each other​ ​ to​ ​ show​ ​ how​ ​ much​ ​ they​ ​ love​ ​ each​ ​ other,​ ​ but​ ​ in​ ​ the​ ​ process​ ​ they​ ​ both​ ​ end​ ​ up​ ​ selling​ ​ their greatest​ ​ treasure​ ​ in​ ​ which​ ​ they​ ​ end​ ​ up​ ​ with​ ​ the​ ​ presents​ ​ they​ ​ both​ ​ bought​ ​ each​ ​ other​ ​ to​ ​ be useless.​ ​ Della​ ​ and​ ​ Jim​ ​ are​ ​ foolish​ ​ kids​ ​ in​ ​ my​ ​ opinion. Della​ ​ and​ ​ Jim's​ ​ love​ ​ for​ ​ one​ ​ another​ ​ is​ ​ undeniable​ ​ so​ ​ why​ ​ did​ ​ they​ ​ need​ ​ to​ ​ spend​ ​ that money​ ​ items​ ​ they​ ​ both​ ​ didn't​ ​ need.​ ​ " One​ ​ dollar​ ​ and​ ​ eighty-seven​ ​ cents.​ ​ That​ ​ was​ ​ all.​ ​ And​ ​ 60​ ​ of it​ ​ was​ ​ in​ ​ pennies " ​ ​ (102).​ ​ Della​ ​ only​ ​ had​ ​ one​ ​ dollar​ ​ and​ ​ eighty-seven​ ​ cents​ ​ that​ ​ she​ ​ saved​ ​ up​ ​ for Jim's​ ​ Christmas​ ​ present.​ ​ The​ ​ reader​ ​ can​ ​ obviously​ ​ tell​ ​ that​ ​ Della​ ​ is​ ​ broke​ ​ in​ ​ the​ ​ first​ ​ sentence, later​ ​ on​ ​ in​ ​ the​ ​ book​ ​ it​ ​ tells​ ​ us​ ​ that​ ​ they​ ​ are​ ​ barely​ ​ making​ ​ ends​ ​ meet​ ​ as​ ​ it​ ​ is.​ ​ Being​ ​ so​ ​ poor,​ ​ Della decides​ ​ to​ ​ cut​ ​ her​ ​ wonderful​ ​ hair​ ​ that​ ​ she​ ​ cherished​ ​ dearly​ ​ to​ ​ pay​ ​ for​ ​ Jim's​ ​ gift,​ ​ Jim​ ​ does​ ​ the same​ ​ thing​ ​ but​ ​ instead​ ​ of​ ​ cutting​ ​ his​ ​ hair​ ​ he​ ​ sells​ ​ his​ ​ watch.​ ​ The​ ​ choice​ ​ they​ ​ make​ ​ is​ ​ difficult​ ​ and foolish,​ ​ if​ ​ Della​ ​ and​ ​ Jim​ ​ wanted​ ​ to​ ​ truly​ ​ show​ ​ how​ ​ much​ ​ they​ ​ love​ ​ each​ ​ other​ ​ then​ ​ they​ ​ should spend​ ​ the​ ​ money​ ​ elsewhere,​ ​ for​ ​ the​ ​ only​ ​ thing​ ​ they​ ​ need​ ​ is​ ​ eachother.

Related Papers

Jacob Van de Kerkhof

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (pen name for William Sydney Porter) is an iconic short story; it is a popular story for adaptation, and there are many versions other than the original one by Henry (The Sacrifice, I’ll not be Gangster, Love, For the First Time are notable film adaptations). The story was published on the 10th of December in the ‘New York Sunday World’ newspaper. After its publishing in the newspaper it was also published in Henry’s 1906 collection of short stories, ‘The Four Million’. The Gift of the Magi, in scholarly discourse, has fulfilled many purposes. In Gender Studies it is a popular story to relate to household roles and division. In Economics and Anthropology it forms a topic for discussion in the context of gift-giving. Even in Computer Studies, the Gift of the Magi is the name of an Analogy based coding software (see Ferguson, 1994). Stylistic analysis of the story is a less common practice, but there are some examples of analyses found in (primarily Chinese) journals, and are oftentimes focused on the creation of suspense in narration (see Ming-li, 2005; Xue-ping, 2008). This paper will endeavour to prove using a point of view analysis framework that O. Henry had the intention of giving a moral message to the readers of his story in the ‘New York Sunday World’ and did by so by changing the narrator.

It is a truism of Anglo-American law that there is a difference between gifts and bargains, between donative transfers and contractual exchanges. Donative transfers, it is said, carry out benevolent urges in the context, usually, of the family, whereas contractual exchanges carry out self-interested aims in the context, usually, of the market. Following this reasoning, gifts and bargains are subject to divergent legal requirements. With respect to gifts, where the primary legal goal is to effectuate donative intent, formalities are said to be required to put that intent beyond question. In contrast, with regard to contracts, where the primary legal goal is protection of expectations and security of transactions, consideration is said to be required to mark off those promises customarily understood, in a market economy, to be binding. There are, however, reasons to question the notion that there is a "fit" between the nature of gifts and bargains and the legal requirements applicable to them. First, it rests on assumptions about human behavior in giving and bargaining which are at odds with conventional views of the contexts in which such transfers are ordinarily said to arise. Despite the benevolent motives and family settings usually associated with gifts, the accepted justification of donative formality assumes that, in giving, people are fundamentally unreliable and deceitful. Despite the self-interested alms and arm's length relationships usually associated with bargains, the accepted justification of the consideration doctrine assumes that, in business, people are trusting and trustworthy. These justifications turn the world topsy-turvy. We are to be suspected when we give, relied on when we trade. Second, the notion of "fit" requires that gifts and bargains be truly different transactions. The now-accepted legal definition of a gift as a transfer without consideration is designed to assure that any particular transaction can be placed on one and only one side of the gift/bargain line. Yet there is nothing inevitable about this definition, which developed late in the life of the common law and which has never been used in the civil law. Indeed, the definition contrasts sharply with non-lawyers' understandings of gifts. Anthropological, sociological and psychological studies of gifts all suggest that gifts and bargains are alike exchanges, differing only in that bargains involve the exchange of commodities, while gifts may involve the exchange of noncommodities such as status, obligation, "psychic reward" or the like. The "purely" one-sided donative transfer is not part of the "reality" non-legal social scientists have studied. This essay argues that that the presumed dichotomy between gifts and bargains is less a reflection of real differences than it is a construct, depicting individuals whose urges to give are sharply differentiated from their urges to trade and a world in which self-interested gain is more important and more frequent than other-oriented beneficence. The essay questions the justifications which have traditionally been offered to explain the formalities of gift-giving, justifications which rely on the ritual, evidentiary, protective and channeling functions of form. It also questions whether it is accurate to define gifts as nonbargains. If gifts and contracts are alike exchanges, then the disparaging discussions of gifts in the contracts context may be read to reflect a view that market exchanges are more significant than other exchanges. This view ignores the possibility that not all wealth consists of commodities. In the end, the use of intent-defeating formalities in an area of law ostensibly committed to the effectuation of intent may express an underlying ambivalence about the true "worth" of gifts in a society organized around commodities markets.

Journal of Business Research

Mary McGrath , John Sherry

Humanising English Teaching

Bill Templer

This is a revised and expanded version of an earlier article (published 2014 in Bulgaria) on a classic Christmas story in American English fiction, and one of my favorites for learners aged 10 or older (including adults), O. Henry’s famous short story, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905). It adds elements of social justice pedagogy, references to the work of the Global Issues SIG in IATEFL, and a section on >Bethlehem today<. Published here: https://www.hltmag.co.uk/dec18/teaching-a-classic-american-short-story

Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education

jayashree P R E M K U M A R Shet

Pragmatics as defined by Kreidler (2009) is a study about people's "ability to derive meaning from specific kinds of speech situation" and also to arrive at 'an interpretation.The cooperative principle lays down norms for people to interact with one another. Mutual cooperation is a necessity among speakers. Building upon Gricean Maxims(1975) Fasold and Connor (2006) and Paltridge (2006) argue that the maxims rely on the addressee's assumption in making a sense of what the speakers say. The assumption which is made by the addressee/s should be rational and cooperative to create the effective communication. Usually people do not obey the maxims. They tend to violate, flout, infringe or opt out the maxims. This research focuses on the flouting of maxims by the main characters Jim and Della in O.Henry's The Gift of the Magi.

History of economic ideas

Nicola Giocoli

Peter Ashworth

Jack Hinton

The purpose of this article is to offer some new insights into the ‘gift vs. commodity’ debate. It examines the assumption that commodities and gifts represent two different realities, as first proposed by Marcel Mauss and later elaborated by Chriss Gregory and other anthropologists. It analyzes the conjecture that commodity-exchange is an exchange of alienable, impersonal and anonymous items, devoid of moral and social considerations or obligations, and therefore different from gift-exchange. A detailed analysis conducted along five basic dimensions that traditionally distinguish gift-exchange from commodity exchange reveals that contemporary marketing very often adds to commodity-exchange various elements that are traditionally attributed to gift-exchange only: market-exchange is not always impersonal, but can aim at creating certain types of social bonds and mutual obligations between exchange parties. The commodity, like the gift, can possess a quality of the giver, and manifest...

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