CSP
The Gift of the Magi is a short story by O. Henry. It was published in 1905. It is about love and sacrifice. The story is about a poor couple, Jim and Della. They love each other deeply. They want to give each other special gifts. They have no money, so they make big sacrifices. The story teaches about true love and selflessness.
Theme:
The main theme is love and sacrifice. Jim and Della care more about each other than about material things. They both give up something precious to buy a gift for the other. This shows deep love. Another theme is selflessness. Both characters think of their partner’s happiness before their own. There is also irony in the story. The gifts they buy become useless, but their love remains strong.
Tone:
The tone is warm and affectionate. The writer talks about the couple’s love in a sweet way. There is also sadness because they lose their most valuable things. But in the end, there is a feeling of deep love and happiness. The writer’s tone is gentle and kind.
Mood:
The mood is both joyful and sad. In the beginning, Della is worried and upset because she does not have enough money. Then, there is excitement when she decides to sell her hair. Later, there is sadness when Jim and Della realize what they have done. But at the end, there is happiness because they understand the meaning of true love.
Setting or Background:
The story takes place in a small apartment. It is in the early 1900s. The apartment is simple and poor. It has little furniture. The couple does not have much money. It is also Christmas time. People buy gifts for their loved ones. The setting helps to show the love between Jim and Della despite their poverty.
Style & Structure:
The story is written in simple language. The sentences are short and easy to understand. The writer uses humor and irony. The structure is linear. It follows a simple pattern: introduction, problem, decision, action, and surprise ending. The narrator speaks directly to the reader. This makes the story feel personal and warm.
Characters:
- Della Young: She is a loving and devoted wife. She has long, beautiful hair. She sells her hair to buy a gift for Jim. She is emotional and caring.
- Jim Young: He is a hardworking husband. He loves Della deeply. He sells his watch to buy a gift for Della. He is kind and thoughtful.
- Madame Sofronie: She is the owner of the hair shop. She buys Della’s hair. She is a minor character, but she plays an important role.
Detailed Summary:
Della is a young woman who lives with her husband, Jim. They are poor, but they love each other deeply. It is Christmas Eve, and Della wants to buy a gift for Jim. She only has $1.87. She is very sad because she wants to give him something special. She looks in the mirror and gets an idea.
Della has long, beautiful hair. It is her most precious possession. She decides to sell it. She goes to a hair shop and sells her hair for $20. With this money, she buys a platinum chain for Jim’s watch. She is happy because she knows Jim will love it.
When she returns home, she begins to worry. She wonders if Jim will still think she is beautiful without her hair. She waits nervously for him. Jim comes home and looks at Della. He has a strange expression on his face. He is not angry, but he is surprised. He tells Della that he sold his watch to buy her a gift.
Jim gives Della her gift. It is a set of beautiful combs for her long hair. But now, she has no hair to use them. Della gives Jim the watch chain, but he no longer has the watch. Both gifts are now useless. But they smile at each other. They realize that their love is more important than any gift.
The narrator says that Jim and Della are like the Magi. The Magi were wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus. Jim and Della gave the greatest gift: love and sacrifice.
Figures of Speech or Literary Devices:
- Irony: The biggest irony is that both sell their most valuable things to buy gifts that become useless. This makes the story surprising.
- Symbolism: Della’s hair and Jim’s watch symbolize their love. They give them up for each other.
- Metaphor: The narrator compares Jim and Della to the Magi. This shows their wisdom in love.
- Alliteration: The story has words with the same beginning sounds, like “sobs, sniffles, and smiles.” This makes the language musical.
- Hyperbole: The narrator says that Della’s hair would make the Queen of Sheba jealous. This is an exaggeration to show how beautiful her hair is.
Important Quotations:
- “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.” This shows Della’s poverty and how little she has to buy a gift.
- “Will you buy my hair?” asked Della. “I buy hair,” said Madame Sofronie. “Take your hat off and let’s have a sight at the looks of it.” This is the moment when Della decides to sacrifice her hair.
- “Jim, darling,” she cried, “don’t look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present.” This shows Della’s love and why she sold her hair.
- “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.” This compares Jim and Della’s love to the wisdom of the Magi.
- “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.” This explains the moral of the story: love is more important than material things.
The Gift of the Magi is a beautiful story about love and sacrifice. It teaches that true love is about giving. Jim and Della give up their most precious things for each other. Even though their gifts become useless, their love becomes stronger. The story has deep meaning, simple words, and a touching ending. It reminds us that love is the greatest gift of all.