What Is The Theme In The Gift Of The Magi
What Is The Theme In The Gift Of The Magi - Our editors will review your submission and decide whether to review the article. Our editors will review your submission and decide whether to review the article. The Gift of the Magi, a short story by O. Henry, was published in the New York Sunday World in 1905 and then collected in The Four Million (1906).
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What Is The Theme In The Gift Of The Magi
The story concerns James and Della Dillingham Young, a young couple who, despite their poverty, decide to give each other an elegant gift on Christmas Eve. Della trades her beautiful long hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim's antique gold watch. Meanwhile, Jim pawns his expensive watch to buy jeweled tortoiseshell combs for Della's precious locks.
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You will also receive a link in your email. Members will be asked to log in or create an account to claim their group membership. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial. Themes are basic ideas explored in a literary work and are often universal.
Something Went Wrong
The connection between poverty and shame is evident from the opening song, when Della humbly counts her savings. He shamefully noted that the sixty cents on the dollar and the eighty-seven cents he saved were in pennies, since pennies were the smallest denomination of money.
She described the confusion she felt when negotiating grocery prices, explaining that her cheeks burned during these interactions. Trying to barter food is a clear sign to her community that she is struggling financially. The cheap rental apartment in which Della and Jim live further emphasizes their poverty, as it is full of broken furniture, the mailbox is too small and the electric doorbell is broken.
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The couple don't even own the things in their home, and their few personal belongings are poisoned, leaving Dela with nothing to sell but her hair when she realizes she can't afford a gift for Jim. Adding to the couple's self-consciousness about their current situation is the fact that Jim was making a lot of money when they moved into the apartment.
The fact that Jim's full name on the mailbox, "James Dillingham Young," now appears to be a huge public symbol of their lost riches and shame. These symbols of physical poverty are juxtaposed with the abundance of affection between the couple to emphasize that what they lack in material wealth they make up for in love.
The Interconnectedness Of Poverty And Shame
Whatever shame they feel is not outweighed by their desire to please another. Della and Jim's love for each other can be seen through the story's small and large acts of generosity. Della pinches her pennies to save for the gift, even though she's embarrassed by the haggling.
Even though her hair means so much to her, Della sacrifices it to buy Jim the gift she believes he deserves. Likewise, Jim does not have gloves and a new winter coat. He was very proud of his watch as it was a family heirloom, but sold it to give Della a gift he couldn't afford.
Della and Jim hide their pride as they sell their personal possessions to buy each other more gifts. The selflessness required of them to make such great sacrifices comes from a place of deep love. Instead of resenting these sacrifices, Jim and Della gladly made them because they shared a sense of generosity.
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After Della's surgery, her generosity is evident as she is excited to pick out a gift for Jim and is thrilled to find a platinum chain. He can't wait to give his gift to her. When Jim finds out that the turtle combs he bought for Della are useless, he doesn't get angry, instead telling her that nothing he does to her hair will affect his feelings for Della.
The Interconnectedness Of Poverty And Shame
His reaction to the outdated platinum chain watch also shows his love for Della. He laughed at the irony of the situation and explained that he was selling a watch. This reveals their selflessness towards each other and emphasizes their strong bond. Henry's representation of Della's actions can be seen as both foolishness and wisdom.
On a surface level, Della's rash decision to cut her hair represents her impulsiveness. The words used to describe her leaving the house refer to the rush of movement as she puts on her coat and her skirts swirl as she flies out the door.
The barber shop scene continues the tone of impulsiveness as he runs up the stairs, puts on his pants upstairs, and asks if Madame Sofronie will buy his hair out of breath. Della ignores Madame Sofronie's brusque response to such a heavy emotional request suggests that Della will be caught.
The sound continued as Della spent the next two hours looking for a present for Jim. Della made another stupid money decision when she spent all the money she got from selling her hair and most of her savings on a platinum chain watch. At the heart of Della's impulsiveness, however, is love, which raises the moral question of whether acting out of love is foolish or wise.
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