The gift of the magi character analysis. The Gift of the Magi Free Essay Example 2022-11-05

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The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by O. Henry in 1906. It tells the story of a young married couple named Jim and Della, who are struggling financially but deeply in love. Despite their lack of resources, they decide to buy each other Christmas gifts. The story's title refers to the gift-giving tradition of the magi, or wise men, who brought gifts to the baby Jesus in the Christian tradition.

At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Della and Jim, who live in a small, furnished apartment. They are described as being poor but happy, and they are deeply in love. Della is particularly concerned about buying Jim a Christmas gift, as she wants to show him how much she cares for him. However, she only has $1.87 to spend, which is not enough to buy anything substantial.

Despite her limited resources, Della decides to sell her long, beautiful hair to a wig maker in order to raise the money to buy Jim a chain for his prized possession, a gold watch. She knows how much the watch means to Jim, as it was a gift from his father and represents his family's history. Della is willing to make this sacrifice because she loves Jim and wants to show him how much he means to her.

Meanwhile, Jim is also struggling to find the perfect gift for Della. He ultimately decides to sell his watch in order to buy Della a set of combs for her long, beautiful hair. However, when he arrives home on Christmas Day, he discovers that Della has already sold her hair to buy him the chain for his watch.

The irony of the situation is that both Della and Jim have sacrificed their most prized possessions in order to buy each other gifts, but their gifts are now useless because they have lost the very things that the gifts were meant to enhance. Despite this, they are both happy with the gifts they have received because they understand that the love and thought behind the gifts is what truly matters.

Overall, the characters of Della and Jim in The Gift of the Magi are loving and selfless, willing to sacrifice their most prized possessions in order to show their love for each other. Their actions demonstrate the true meaning of Christmas and the value of love and selflessness over material possessions.

The Gift of the Magi Study Guide

the gift of the magi character analysis

Della in "The Gift of the Magi" sees the watch chain as more than just a gift. The main character is a little boy named Max, who has a wild imagination. He has two valuable possessions in his life, the most valuable by far being his wife the second a beautiful watch given to him by his father. Henry was a prolific short story writer who specialized in twist endingsā€”much like the popular 19th century French writer, Guy de Maupassant. The lady had been part of the middle class, living comfortably, and even had a maid and a cook.

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The Gift of the Magi Summary & Analysis

the gift of the magi character analysis

With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Forgiving someone gives them an opportunity to redeem themselves, and allows them to move on as well. But what could I doā€”oh! It is told in a wistful and sympathetic tone. As a reader, I thought he would not like her but turns out he also sacrificed his watch for her. Della was having only a dollar and eighty-seven cents as saving for buying a Christmas present for Jim.

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The Gift Of The Magi Short Story Analysis With Summary And Theme

the gift of the magi character analysis

During the dustbowl, families were struggling to be generous, because they were already having a hard time managing their own lives. Della and Jim are a young married couple who want to give each other special Christmas gifts. Jim looks at Della strangely, and Della does not know whether he is angry or surprised or something else. And the next day would be Christmas. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. By doing this they are expressing how much they care for each other and how they would do anything to make sure that each other feels happy without showing how much they sacrificed for this to happen.

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Jim Character Analysis in The Gift of the Magi

the gift of the magi character analysis

And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Della then gives Jim the watch chain, and Jim reveals that he has sold his watch to buy her combs. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Throughout the whole story she shows us this specific trait. Summary of "The Gift of the Magi" O.

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The Gift of the Magi Analysis

the gift of the magi character analysis

Tiffany must think of a way out of marrying one of the Feegles. In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Della and Jim could not really afford to buy each other something for Christmas, so they sacrificed the one thing they loved to get each other something. 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. Something fine and rare and sterlingā€”something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim. Rather than being upset, Jim just smiles and changes the subject.


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A Summary and Analysis of O. Henryā€™s ā€˜The Gift of the Magiā€™

the gift of the magi character analysis

Della has been carefully saving money in order to buy a Christmas gift for Jim, but she is dismayed to discover that she has only collected one dollar and eighty-seven cents. Henry is a sweet short story which focuses on the stress a young, underprivileged couple, Jim and Della, face during the holidays while on the hunt for gifts for one another. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. Then Della gives her gift to him to cheer him up. God bless Categories Tags. Della made such a courageous move, by removing what she thought made her pretty on the outside; she unleashed the beauty she had within.

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The Gift of the Magi Free Essay Example

the gift of the magi character analysis

Madame Sofronie owns the hair shop to which Della sells her hair. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. Walter, at times, feels inferior in the house full of women, as they continue to shut his ideas down causing him to feel jealous of those who have succeeded. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Similarly, Jim had purchased tortoiseshell combs with jeweled rims for Della. Meanwhile, her greed is proven by "Mathilde suffered endlessly, feeling she deserved to enjoy every delicacy and expensive luxury" de Maupassant and by her mind trip to a world where she's rich and lives a luxurious life in the fourth paragraph of the text "The Necklace".

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The Gift of the Magi Summary and Analysis

the gift of the magi character analysis

Della decides to sell her long, beautiful hair to buy her husband Jim a nice chain for his beloved watch. Unselfish love is the center of this piece, shown by how the wife and husband sell what they have and hold to so dearly to afford the other a Christmas gift. The author is trying her best to reassure her lover that she loves thee. Jim comes back to home on the daily routine time. They are the magi.


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Della Character Analysis in The Gift of the Magi

the gift of the magi character analysis

Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. Forgiveness is a large part of The First Stone, and within the story is a valuable lesson: By forgiving someone, you are allow both yourself and the other person to move on and grow, as well as allowing you to look back in an unbiased way. On Christmas Eve she finds that she has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents as savings to buy a gift for her husband, Jim. Title The Gift Of The Magi Author William Sydney Porter, known by his pin name O. Her most prized possession at the beginning of the story is her hair, which falls below her knee, but in her selflessness, she sells this in order to buy a proper watch chain for Jim. He needed a new overcoat and he was with out gloves.

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