Literary Analysis of The Gift of the Magi - 1276 Words

Literary Analysis of The Gift of the Magi The twists and turns of the plot as it unfolds within O. Henry s â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† are what simply captivate the reader in such a short amount of pages. The story of Jim and Della on a cold Christmas Eve at the turn of 20th century America is centered around what is remarkably relevant to what many readers have experienced in their own lives; the inevitable stresses, sacrifices, and joys of the holiday season. Strapped for cash and wanting to give her beloved husband the most luxurious gift for Christmas to express her deep passion for him, we are immediately introduced to the initial situation at hand. With only a dollar and some change to spend on Jim, Della is forced into a situation†¦show more content†¦The conclusion to this story is the narrator s final paragraphs were he relates the couple to the Magi and praises Jim and Della of being the wisest givers of all, contrary to popular belief. The comparison O. Hen ry makes between the story of Jim and Della and that of the Magi is rather relevant as the Magi were the ones who are credited with being the origins of the â€Å"giving nature† of the Christmas season. In this story, we see a man and a woman so blinded by love that they are willing to make ultimate sacrifices for the happiness of the other. Similar to the Magi, Della and Tim put each other before themselves and through their generosity and considerable lengths they both went to achieve that generosity is something more admirable than any materialistic gift they could ever offer each other, thus making the uselessness of their gifts irrelevant. This story is a story that can touch any person that has had to gone through a heavy sacrifice or gave up something they so covet in order to enlighten someone else, especially during the holiday seasons. It is a short narrative that magnifies the intangible value of sentimentality and belittles the importance of physical offerings. Ji m and Della equally appreciate the efforts each other made to make the other happy, despiteShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of The Gift Of The Magi 1144 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Analysis of â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† is a story of true love and sacrifice for each other. The story takes place on Christmas Eve. Jim and Della Young are the main characters who are a poor couple that lived in an apartment for eight dollars a week. Jim recently had a pay cut at work and it made getting by hard. The young couple wanted to give each other the perfect Christmas gift to each other. To be able to afford the gifts, they sacrificed their most prizedRead MoreThe Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pagesstories among teens and adults is the tale of a poor, young couple struggling to find the perfect Christmas gifts for each other using their very limited means. They each manage to get what they think is the perfect gift for the other, but only accomplish this by selling a prized possession which effectively makes the new gifts impractical. This bittersweet narrative, â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† by O. Henry, illustrates the moral idea that a person, motivated by nothing but love for another, can possessRead MoreThe Gift of the Magi1377 Words   |  6 PagesLITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY THE GIFT OF THE MAGI The Gift of the Magi is one of the most popular short stories by O. Henry, a pen name for William Sydney Porter - a renowned American author. Originally published in 1906, in O. Henry’s second collection of short stories, The Gift of the Magi which displays all of the major O. Henry traits in abundance has given him credit for his genuine talent. It has been retold in various forms since then, especially at Christmas time. The storyRead MoreEssay on The Gift of the Magi4446 Words   |  18 Pages Many critics agree, â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† is, in all respects, an amazing and one of a kind story. One critic says, â€Å"Ironically, Fagin arrives at something utterly crucial to the success of The Gift of the Magi: that it has everything—an absorbing (if short) narrative drive and a twist ending that makes it wholly original† (Korb). Even renowned critic, Rena Korb, agrees; O.Henry did an excellent job with this story. Though O. Henry wrote many gr eat stories, one of his most famous, and favoriteRead MoreThe Gift Of The Magi1022 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscussing Marxist literary criticism Peter Barry states, â€Å"So instead of seeing authors as primarily autonomous ‘inspired’ individuals whose ‘genius’ and creative imagination enables them to bring forth original and time-less works of art, the Marxist sees them as constantly formed by their social contexts in ways which they themselves would usually not admit† (Barry 152). His claim is certainly evident through a careful analysis of O’Henry’s short story. The Gift of the Magi appears to be a bittersweetRead MoreThe Adjective5825 Words   |  24 Pageslooks rather stupid; - No, that boy looks foolish. 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. (O’Henry â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† p.26) -ed e.g. You should eat different types of food. Your diet should be well-balanced. Jane said that she likes blue-eyed boys with nice appearance and character. -ible e.g. Rose looks terrible after her staying in a hospital so longRead MoreText Analysis THE GREEN DOOR BY O’HENRY1504 Words   |  7 Pages Text Analysis THE GREEN DOOR BY O’HENRY The text under analysis is a story written by O’Henry. His real name is William Sidney Porter and O. Henry is his pen name. O. Henry is an American short-story writer of the late 19th century. He is a representative of realism, who wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City. Typical for O. Henrys stories is a twist of plot which turns on an ironic or coincidental [kÉ™uËÅ'É ªn(t)sÉ ªdent(É™)l]Read MoreThe Writing Style of the Last Leaf3443 Words   |  14 Pagesis the father of modern American short stories, who ranks with Chekhov and Maupassant, was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. As the initiator of contemporary short novelists, O’Henry plays an extremely important role in the literary world, especially in America. He is good at portraying minor characters. The sense of humor is the biggest characteristic of his short stories. He tends to make the end beyond all expectations, and he focus on the minor characters’ living conditionRead MoreTeaching Middle and High School Students Literature7100 Words   |  29 Pages c) Writing a Tall Tale d) Selections of Oral Tradition Literature III. Novel Studies a) Previewing the novel b) Defining and Understanding Elements of c) Character Analysis d) Problems and Solutions of the story IV. Historical Fiction a) Activating background/prior knowledge b) Setting a purpose for reading c) Writing about historical fiction Read MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 Pagesof a religious pilgrimage, while the conclusion implies that the return trip will be like the journey of the Magi, with Phoenix following a star (the marvelous windmill) to bring a gift to die child (medicine, also windmill). Moreover, theres the hunter who is, in part, a Santa Claus figure himself (he carries a big sack over his shoulder, he is always laughing, he brings Phoenix a gift of nickel). The richness of all this evocation of a Christianity−Christmas frame of a reference heightens the