The author of the concise story, The Gift of the Magi, elegantly constructs a tale outlining the idea those who gift presents out of love and sacrifice are truly the wisest beings. The exposition of the story explains how a couple with a tight budget desperately longs for their spouse to experience an enjoyable Christmas. The plot follows the wife, Della, through her journey of selling her hair in order to afford a watch chain for her husband’s most prized possession. His gold watch, which had been passed down to him by his father was one of the two most valuable items the couple owned; the other being Della’s luscious hair, which was now gone.
Meanwhile, the husband, Jim, acquires a set of combs Della had admired multiple times in a shop window with the money he received from selling his watch. Both had purchased what were to be useless gifts for the other, however, the two received the greatest gift possible that day. Knowing the other cared about them enough to sacrifice what little they had to please the other on such a special occasion was enough to last a lifetime.
‘Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him.’ By mentioning this piece of information about Della’s thoughts, we are able to further understand the time and effort she embedded in this gift. The author forces his readers to consider his ideology by compelling us to perceive the pain Della is enduring because she wants to present an exceptional gift so badly, but isn’t able to unless she performs the ultimate sacrifice.
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In the closing paragraph, the author, O. Henry, connects his story to the biblical tale of how the three wise men presented gifts to baby Jesus in the manger. He states how “…of all who gave gifts these two were the wisest.”
In saying this, Henry applies his theme to communicate with his audience the importance of love and sacrifice. He explains using this quote how people, such as this couple, who offer gifts from the heart are able to attach a profound meaning to the present, similar to how talking to someone in person is more meaningful than through text. They not only gift the item, but they reveal to the other person how important they are in their life.
Henry urges his readers to further evaluate the presents we purchase for our friends and family and consider whether or not they contain a significant meaning.
