The gift of the magi essay. "The Gift of the Magi" Analysis Essay Example 2022-10-18
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"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry that tells the story of a young married couple, Della and Jim, who are deeply in love but struggling financially. Despite their lack of wealth, they decide to buy each other Christmas gifts, with Della selling her beautiful long hair to buy Jim a chain for his watch and Jim selling his watch to buy Della combs for her hair.
The story is a heartwarming tale of love and sacrifice, as both Della and Jim are willing to give up their most prized possessions in order to show their love for each other. The theme of the story is the true meaning of giving, as the couple demonstrates that the greatest gifts are those that are given selflessly and with love.
One of the most striking aspects of "The Gift of the Magi" is the way it portrays the relationship between Della and Jim. Despite their financial struggles, their love for each other is unwavering and they are willing to do whatever it takes to make each other happy. This is exemplified by the sacrifices they make in order to give each other gifts, which shows the depth of their love and commitment to each other.
In addition to its depiction of love and sacrifice, "The Gift of the Magi" also highlights the importance of appreciation and gratitude. Despite the fact that their gifts are essentially useless due to the sacrifices they made, Della and Jim are overjoyed by the thought and effort put into them. This demonstrates that it is not the material value of a gift that matters, but rather the thought and love behind it.
Overall, "The Gift of the Magi" is a beautiful and timeless tale that serves as a reminder of the power of love and selflessness. It shows that the greatest gifts are those that are given with a pure and selfless heart, and that appreciation and gratitude are crucial in any relationship.
The Gift of the Magi: Narritive Essay
However, both accounts are rendered suspect by the actual illustration on which they place such emphasis. There is a round table strewn with enough objects even to belie the caption. Henry's readers wanted to read about regular people. Elements of repetition are quite apparent in Porter's urban short stories, for he draws recurringly upon a number of basic plot patterns and character types. Study Guide for O. Her aunt was a poor actress and had stored her worthless jewelry all together in her closet.
Free The Gift of the Magi Essay Examples and Topic Ideas on GraduateWay
Della then faces internal conflict as she tries to come up with ways to get more money. Following which, Chevalet cheats his readers, for it turns out that the sale of the hair but not of the watch and all that followed was just an ''awful dream'' of Dulvina's. With her short hair, the strong authorial voice notes that she "looks wonderfully like a truant schoolboy," while she quite calmly accepts that she now resembles a "Coney Island chorus girl. Both of them strives to buy each other a present for Christmas; however, because they are always in short of money buying a gift is sure to be expensive. Apart from the theme of affection, the story is concerned about the concepts of poverty and wealth. Irony, the opposite of what is expected is one way to make a story interesting.
A discussion of comparing and contrasting must include two different versions but the same meaning. The most precious thing she has is her long shining brown hair. She learned that her husband sold his watch too, in order to buy a present for her; a bejeweled comb for her hair. Henry was the standard by which other short stories were evaluated. Her first thought to get money by cutting her hair was a reference to not only tradition but of feminine roles. The necklace is actually worth a large sum of money.
The fact that Jim has sold the watch which has been in his family for years and chose to sacrifice the tradition of passing along the watch is ironic. Sacrificing their most precious things to make the other one happy, Della and Jim show that love is more important for them than any material possessions. In this story, Della's most prized possession was her hair, while Jim's was his gold pocket watch. For as a constant and predictable pattern, formula is inherent to the cycle of human existence, and it also characterizes the earliest forms of literature most people learn—myths, fairy tales, songs, etc. But a popular artist like Porter is an essential creative force behind his products; his shaping hand is always apparent, and his presence within his work helps to establish the rapport so important to the popular artist. However, they are rich in a different way.
It is important that readers become involved with the story in the first few lines, for the success of the story, through the surprise ending, truly hinges on its brevity. Without setting, all the other literary elements would collapse like a domino effect. There is an extreme poverty in the story. Thus, the story conveys the idea of a relationship, which should be pursued by everyone. Henry points out… Gift of the Magi Essay Example In the short story, The Gift of the Magi written by O. Henry, whose Christmas story he was to illustrate for the World.
Much better stories of poverty have been written, much more faithful and poignant, and the great appreciative public does not even remember them. As the story carries on, O. . But both of them have no money to buy the other a gift. The story is about a young couple who are in love with each other. His plot patterns are formulaic within the context of his own works, for he uses a number of patterns repeatedly; they are also formulaic in their relationship to more standard universal models.
Since the characters are compassionate, caring and loving, they can show their love and sacrifice to the reader and at the same time, effectively getting the theme across to the reader. In "The Gift of the Magi" O. It is then found that the husband did the same thing together combs for her hair. Porter repeatedly uses these patterns, or some variation of them, in his stories. Unlike "elite" or "high" art, which springs from individual and aesthetic motives, or folk art, which tends to be anonymous and utilitarian, popular art purposely appeals to the masses, while displaying the unmistakable touch of a single creator.
The Gift of the Magi Essay: Summary & Analysis of the Story by O. Henry
Henry tells Smith to "draw a picture of a good-looking girl in a flat with a fellow just coming in the door. Though it describes how flustered Dell becomes from her actions, she must suck it up just for her husband. After she looks at it in the mirror, she dresses up and goes to Madame Sofronie, a hairdresser. Though his work is constantly being reassessed, it is now generally agreed that O. Jim, on the other hand, sells the watch that he inherited from the grandfather to get Della, his wife, expensive combs made of pure tortoiseshell Wilson, 1997.
