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The love and generosity in The Gift of the Magi- O.Henry
William Sydney Porter was the real name of the American short-story writer
О.Henry. Henry was very famous and popular in his day, and he is often referred to as the
father of the modern short story. He had a very inventive mind and made plots from the
most commonplace things. In rapid-moving prose, he developed his stories imaginatively
and skillfully, keeping readers wondering about the outcome, which was always a
surprise.
The Gift of the Magi is one of О Henry’s best-known works. It was first published
in a New York City newspaper in 1905. In 1906, it was published as part of The Four
Million, a collection of stories.
The Gift of the Magi is about a young married couple and how they deal with the
challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. The
central idea in this story is the love between Della and Jim and the sacrifices that they
make to please each other.
Della and her husband Jim live in a meager flat. They are very poor materially but
not poor spiritually. They are generous lovers and the love, care and sacrificed they show
to each other is beyond doubt and beyond limit. In order to buying gift for each other,
they sold their own treasures- Jim’s golden watch would be the envy of King Solomon.
and Della's hair said to be so gorgeous that it would inspire envy in the Queen of Sheba.
As the story opens, Della is counting her money, one dollar and eighty-seven
cents. That is all and sixty cents of it is in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time
by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheek burned
with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Della loves her
husband more than anything else in the whole world. Plus, she positively needs to buy
him the perfect Christmas present with $1.87. She stands by the window and crying. She
looked at her reflection in the glass and makes the decision to sell her hair. Through the
window she also sees a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. The “gray” was
likely a reflection Della’s situation, gloomy and depressing.
With 20 dollars from the sale of her plus her one dollar, Della buys a platinum fob
chain for Jim. It was like him, quietness and value. After buying chain, she hurries home
with 87 cents. She is afraid that Jim will not love her with short hair but happy with her
act of love. However, she don not realize that Jim has already sold his treasured watch to
buy a Christmas gift for her, a beautiful combs.
When Jim goes home, he does not seem to react well: he stares at Della and cannot
seem to process that her hair is gone. He is not angry with Della, so much as simply
shocked. When Della opens Jim's present to find the combs, we understand why Jim is so
shocked. He assures her he will love her no matter how she looks.
When he sees his gift from Della and says “They're too nice to use just at present.
I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs.” His statement seems a natural
commentary on the uselessness of the gifts since their intended purpose has been
ironically removed.
However, Jim’s remark is also a comment on the value of the gifts. They are too
nice not only because of the money they represent but also because of the sacrificial love
they represent. Self-sacrifice in the name of love is the greatest gift.
The coincidence of Della and Jim’s thoughts and actions is the irony of life in The
gift of the Magi. Jim and Della in the stories try to show their love, care. They sell their
personal treasure in order to enhance the treasure of the other. Della sells her hair in order
to buy a watch chain for Jim’s only valuable inheritance. Jim sells his watch in order to
enhance Della’s crowning glory. The narrator of the story comments on their actions by
saying “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 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.” Their gift of love and generosity turns to be
unacceptable to the other but they feel happy with their thoughts and actions.
The Gift of the Magi teaches the meaning of true love: Della and Jim love each
other more than they love themselves, for they are willing to sacrifice the object of which
they are proudest her hair and his watch in order to buy something which they hope
will please the other. For this reason O.Henry states that, paradoxically, "these two
foolish children in a flat" are the "wisest of all who give gifts," wiser than the Magi who
brought expensive gifts to the baby Jesus because they brought of themselves; they
gave of their hearts. Jim and Della are wise because they realize that their love is far more
important than any material gift.
. The love and generosity in The Gift of the Magi- O.Henry
William Sydney Porter was the real name of the American short-story writer
О.Henry.
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