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Use Of Irony In The Gift Of The Magi

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The Gift of Love
While “The Gift of the Magi,” seems to be a story about two people who foolishly gave up their prized possessions for one another, it is actually about making sacrifices for the ones you care about. Henry, uses irony, allusions, and tone to express that love should be more valuable than that of material substances.
Rather than loving your possessions, Henry emphasizes loving one another and having the will to do anything for each other by his use of situational irony. In the story Della had beautiful hair and to buy a gift for Jim, she “cut it off and sold it”; Jim did likewise and “sold the watch” to get her a gift. To highlight the use of irony both characters buy each other a gift for the other’s valued object, only to have that item already sold and gone but they only care that the other put in effort. Sacrificing their possessions proved to be unnecessary as they ironically received gifts pertaining to them. The outcome of this ironic exchange is the two content characters are still in love with each other and happy. …show more content…

After seeing Della’s cut hair he discusses what is more valuable and that most would give you the “wrong answer,” however the “magi brought valuable gifts,” but they know the true meaning is not in the cost. To convey his message that love is worth more than physical objects, the author compares the wrong answer to the right answer, through use of allusion. Alluding to the magi, the author is able to further his ideologies that love has more impact on your happiness. O’Henry is declaring the true gift is not the actual physical gift but is instead the pure selfless thoughtfulness put into

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