Suddenly Della realizes that she could sell her hair for enough money to buy Jim a gold chain for his watch. Each of them has a prize possession: Jim’s is a gold watch that belonged to his father and his grandfather, and Della’s is her long, thick, luxuriant hair. The narrator focuses on Della as she tries to figure a way to find enough money to buy her husband a fine gift. Henry surprise ending.ĭella Dillingham Young and her husband, Jim, on the edge of poverty but deeply in love, wish to purchase Christmas gifts that will surprise and please the other. Not tragic, perhaps sentimental or a little didactic, it combines the themes of married love and selfl essness with the techniques of suspense and the O. “The Gift of the Magi,” touching as it does a common human cord, is one of those stories. Henry’s stories as first-rate literature, some of his many hundreds of tales have become classic. Henry’s The Gift of the MagiĪlthough many critics do not view O. She prays to God that Jim won't think she's ugly.Analysis of O.

What is the theme of this story? Connect with reality. I have to give from my own allowance so I have to sacrifice a little. I give to charity (tsedakah) every week at religious school because there are people who need things more than I do. How are the gifts in this story similar to the gift of the Magi? Giving is the best gift of all and often involves sacrifice. Who are the Magi? When Jim and Della gave gifts to each other, they thought only of the other person and not of themselves when they gave their gifts. How is Jim's selling his watch ironic? The Magi were the so-called three wise men from the east who traveled to Bethlehem, following a bright star, to present gifts to the infant Jesus. How is irony used in this story? Jim sells the thing that is most important to him to buy a gift for Della, but Della's gift requires the watch he sold. NEITHER ONE OF THEM CAN USE THEIR CHRISTMAS GIFTS. Jim gave up his prized possession, his gold watch, to buy combs for Della's hair. How is Jim's gift to Della ironic? Della gave up her prized possession, her long hair, to buy a fob chain for Jim's watch. She sacrificed her most important possession for Jim. This is ironic because Della has cut off all her hair and sold it to buy Jim a gift. Why is Della's gift capitalized? Irony is when you expect one thing to happen and the opposite happens. These combs were beautiful, expensive, and she never thought that she would ever possess them. What does Jim do in order to get money for Della's gift? Della's gift is capitalized because the combs that Jim bought her were special combs that she always wanted. What is Jim's gift to Della? Jim sells his gold watch. Jim gives Della hair combs to pull her long hair back as a Christmas gift.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry