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The Gift Of The Magi Short Story

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The Gift of the Magi In his short story “The Gift of the Magi”, O. Henry tells a story of love and sacrifice at Christmas. Would you sell something that is very special to you so that you could buy a gift for a loved one? That is exactly what the two main characters in this story did. Jim and Della Young each made sacrifices to show their love and devotion for the other. The setting for the story is a small New York apartment with shabby furnishings. The wife, Della Young, is counting the money she has saved for a Christmas present for her husband, Jim Young. Della counted and re-counted the money. It was Christmas Eve and $1.87 was all the money she could come up with. She had saved every penny she could from her grocery money. …show more content…

He drew a package from his pocket and laid it on the table. He told her that a haircut could not make him like her any less and that, when she unwrapped the package, she would understand why he was acting a little strange earlier. Della frantically started tearing at the paper and string. When she saw the beautiful set of combs he had bought her, she screamed with joy. That joy soon turned to hysterical crying and wailing when she realized she could not wear the combs in her short curly hair. She had yearned for the combs but never dreamed she would own them some day. Jim had not seen his gift yet. Della held the watch chain out to him in her open hand and asked to see his watch so she could put the chain on it. That is when Jim told Della that he sold the watch to get the money to buy her the combs. The story ends by comparing Jim and Della’s gifts to the gifts that the three wise men gave to the Baby Jesus in the manger. The author, O. Henry, concludes that Jim and Della are much wiser than the Magi (or three wise men) because those who give out of love and self-sacrifice are the wisest. The theme of the story is definitely that of love and generosity. A Kirkus Review dated October 15, 2013 has this to say about Jim and Della in the story: “They realize that their love for each other is their real gift that they must

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