The Gift of the Magi. Della, being slender, had mastered the art. “The Gift of the Magi” is a Christmas story, and it functions as a parable about both the nature of love and the true meaning of generosity. The mendicancy squad were police forces who arrested homeless people and beggars. The Gift of the Magi by O Henry. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. With the help of my dictionary I was able to enjoy it and had to smile at the end :-) Set in UK The Heavenly Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - 3* The story was nice and interesting but didn't grab my interest. Della wriggled off the table and went for him. Jim's card also tends to characterize him as an ambitious man with refined tastes. The story is known worldwide, and numerous versions of it have been created. O’ Henry has tactfully interwoven the theme of inner and outer beauty. This is also a piece of dramatic irony. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. The moral of the story is that physical possessions, however valuable they may be, are of little value in the grand scheme of things. He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves. Della, being slender, had mastered the art. Sofronie. O. Henry's description of Jim's calling card near the letter-box and the electric button is an adroit way of providing the reader with the full names of both main characters in his story. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on. The plot and its twist ending are well-known, and the ending is generally considered an example of comic irony. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name “Mr. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry, presented by classic-tales.net - YouTube. I just had to do it. People would go shopping at specialty food stores that sold specific items. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face. This page was last edited on 29 March 2021, at 15:50. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! The Gift Of The Magi. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. Everywhere they are wisest. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. She asked him a series of difficult questions, and when he answered all of them correctly, she was so impressed that she showered him with gold and jewels. Since the next day is Christmas, this alludes to the story of the birth of Jesus in the Bible. They are the magi. The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by the noted American author O. Henry. The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry The Gift of the Magi is a short story, written by O. Henry (a pen name for William Sydney Porter), about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. “Beggar description” is an outdated term that means unable to be described. It also symbolizes the sadness Della feels as Christmas approaches, because she doesn’t feel as though it will be joyful unless she can find the perfect gift for her husband. But what could I do—oh! The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. The love between the couple is far more valuable to both of them than any material goods. It was subsequently published as The Gift of the Magi in O. Henry's 1906 short story collection The Four Million. O. Henry uses alliteration here to enhance the euphony of the audible reading of the story. 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. In 1906, New York was still a shipping city, bustling and packed. This is where the theme of the story becomes abundantly clear: the unconditional love of this couple holds more value than any gift ever could. He is known for his wit, wordplay, and twist endings. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. Both of them have their unusual treasures that fill them with special pride. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. For Christmas, they each make a sacrifice to purchase a gift for the other, with ironic results. Each sold the most valuable thing he owned in order to buy a gift for I hunted all over town to find it. ‘The Gift of the Magi’ is one of the famous short stories by O. Henry. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. My hair grows awfully fast. Beauty. The “magi” is a reference to the biblical Magi who brought gifts to Jesus when he was born. A furnished flat at $8 per week. The Queen of Sheba, a wealthy queen from the Old Testament, ruled an ancient kingdom in the region of modern-day Ethiopia. Jim was never late. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Rising Action. Della does not have a lot of time to go shopping for Jim, and now that she has cut her hair, she wants to leave quickly to find him the perfect present before he gets home for work. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. Being wise, their gifts were doubtless wise ones. And the next day would be Christmas. O. Henry may be hinting that Della is expecting a baby because up to this point in the story, there has been no mention of children. This is another example of a Biblical allusion in the story. “Don't make any mistake, Dell,” he said, “about me. This is Della explaining to Jim that nothing matters more to her than her love for him. Della has only $1.87 to buy her husband a gift, which is not enough. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad. Major Inciting Conflict. “Cut it off and sold it,” said Della. Della sells her beautiful hair in order to buy a nice watch chain for Jim’s beloved heirloom watch. This article is about the short story. "The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Here is O. Henry's surprise ending. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry 1 Page 2 of 5. fairly accurate conception of his looks. “Jim, darling,” she cried, “don't look at me that way. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. He enfolded his Della. They were the first to . “The Gift of the Magi… And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each … King Solomon of Israel, a rich king from the Old Testament, was visited by the Queen of Sheba because she wanted to test his wisdom. Be good to me, for it went for you. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of “Dillingham” looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called “Jim” and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. Directed by Marc Daniels. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. The plot and its twist ending are well-known, and the ending is generally considered an example of comic irony. This construction begins the story with basic narrative tension. Three times Della counted it. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. And here I have told you the story of two children who were not wise. In this case, Della hopes that the watch will be valuable because of its sensible use, not its flashiness. It depicts an interesting episode in the life of Jim and Della – a loving couple living happily together. In this case, O. Henry is explaining to the reader that the apartment is not so horrible that it can’t be lived in; however, it’s not so lovely as to deserve a lengthy description. The magi were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit. The story first appeared … With the help of my dictionary I was able to enjoy it and had to smile at the end :-) Set in UK The Heavenly Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - 3* The story was nice and interesting but didn't grab my interest. Being wise, their … Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims—just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They invented the art of giving Christmas gifts. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry - 5* I loved this short story sooooooooo muchI rated it 5* despite the old English language I struggled with in the beginning. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” It seems like Jim’s love for Della may not have been what she thought because he seems so distraught by her cut hair. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. For there lay The Combs—the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Copy link. This Biblical allusion is not surprising considering how the title of the story itself is a Biblical allusion. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. The other was Della's hair. They know each other perfectly and seem to be completely in tune with one another. The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. It was first published in book form in the O. Henry Anthology The Four Million in April 1906. Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. A musical version of O. Henry's famous Christmas story. The Gift of the Magi is a well-known short story by American short story writer O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter. Three times Della counted it. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. Jim gives Della her present-- a set of ornamental combs, which she will be unable to use until her hair grows back out. "The Gift of the Magi" Plot Diagram Example Exposition. Della and Jim, a poor couple, struggle to buy Christmas gifts for each other. Jim has not been able to replace it with a new card because he cannot afford to pay for it. It's Christmas Eve, boy. It was allegedly written at Pete's Tavern[2] on Irving Place in New York City. That was all. “It's sold, I tell you—sold and gone, too. This line creates a “ticking clock,” for the reader to pay attention to as the story unravels. Being wise, their … Then, to show his gratitude, King Solomon granted her everything she desired. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. O. Henry’s repetitive use of the word “grey” in this sentence intensifies the drab imagery of the story. With Jim Backus, Debby Boone, Peter Graves, John Rubinstein. In this paper I will be explaining all of the elements in this short story and those elements are plot, arrangement, point of view, narrator, character and settings. The biblical Magi are often referred to as the three wisemen or the three kings. “Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it.”. Summary of "The Gift of the Magi". These gifts established the Christian tradition of gift-giving on Christmas Day. Della is a very devoted housewife and Della has given Jim everything she has. 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