The Gift of the Magi PDF
There are many stories in the world which keep their effectiveness, and The Gift of the Magi is one of them. It was written by O. Henry in 1905. This short story, containing two protagonists, is timeless. The story is about a couple who love each other and lead a poor life.
O. Heney has used simple language and gives a message of true love. True love does not need material things. It also highlights the spiritual message of Christmas.
Summary of the gift of the magi
The Gift of the Magi explores human feelings, love and sacrifice. The plot is around Jim’s husband and Della Young’s husband. They are leading a poor life. The story starts on Christmas evening, and Della is thinking about the gift she will give her husband. She has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents.
With this small amount, she was disappointed because this amount is not enough to buy a good gift. She looked at herself in the mirror as she had beautiful and long hair and started thinking that her hair assets would be enough to buy a good gift for her husband Jim.
She agrees to sacrifice her hair. She visits a hair salon and sells her hair for twenty dollars. Now Della has enough money to buy a good gift. She visits the shops and buys a chain watch. Jim also had a watch which was gifted by his grandfather, but it has become old.
When Jim returned home in the evening, he became curious to see Della in a hairless position. She is afraid of his attitude, and the reaction is totally different from what she had expected from him. Jim gives her a box, a nd Della wonders when she opens it and finds a set of beautiful hair combs.
These were the same combs that Della had seen many times in the shops. That time she had desired that one day she would buy it, but the price was high. Jim tells her that he has sold out his watch to buy combs for her. It was his ancestor’s watch, but he sacrificed it for Della’s happiness.
Now, at this time, both have money to buy gifts for each other, but unfortunately, gifts are useless. Della sold her hair to buy a chain watch, and Jim also sold his watch. Jim sells his watch to buy combs, but Della has no long hair to use them on. Now the story ends with a deep lesson that sacrifice and sincerity are the best gifts which we offer our beloved.
Character Analysis:
Della Young:
Della is the protagonist of the story. She is a young and beautiful wife of Jim. The sign of her beauty is her long hair. The character of Della is very emotional, and she is a loving woman. There is a deep sacrifice hidden in her nature when she sells her hair to buy a gift for her husband Jim.
Jim:
Jim is a serious and responsible husband. He works on a low salary and loves her wife from the heart and soul. His precious thing is a family watch, which is an asset for him. Jim’s role is patience and faithfulness. He decides to sell his watch to give to his wife. He does not show dismay when he sees Della hairless, but smiles and hugs Della.
Key themes and lessons
O. Henry elaborates on the feelings of love and sacrifice in the gift of the magic short story. We learn deeply about love and its importance through the plot.
Power of selfless love:
The main theme of this story is selfless. Della sells her beautiful hair to buy a watch chain for Jim. On the other hand, Jim sells his watch to buy combs for Della. Their sacrifice for each other reveals that true love does not appear by giving material gifts. True love is the name of sacrifice for others.
Meaning of wealth:
As we learn that Della and Jim both are leading poor lives. In material life, both are poor, but in the world of love, both are rich who sacrifice their beloved one for each other. The story tells us that real wealth is hidden in strong relationships.
Tragedy of sacrifice:
The sacrifice faces tragedy when their gifts become useless. Jim had no watch, and Della had no hair. The irony in the story gives an intellectual dimension. The expectation of both characters turns to their fate. They buy gifts by sacrificing their loved ones, but later become inoperable.