What Is The Theme Of The Gift Of The Magi
What Is The Theme Of The Gift Of The Magi - Emily Rogers has taught information evaluation and research skills as a school librarian for over seven years. He holds a bachelor's degree in English and French from Sewanee: The University of the South and a master's degree in library and information science from Louisiana State University.
Source: paperap.com
What Is The Theme Of The Gift Of The Magi
Francesca M. Marinaro received her PhD in English from the University of Florida and has been teaching English composition and literature since 2007. Jenna received her BA in English from Iowa State University in 2015 and taught at the secondary level for three years. In this activity, carefully answer the following discussion questions about "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.
Write at least 2-3 complete sentences for each question. Some questions have multiple components, so you must answer all parts of each question. Finally, whenever possible, include specific textual evidence in your answers to improve the quality of your answers and support your ideas. Jim and Della's financial situation is an important factor in the overall plot of the story.
If they were rich, they wouldn't have to sell their most valuable possessions to buy each other Christmas presents. That the characters gave up what was important to them is the most meaningful part of the story. Without this act of love and selflessness, the story would not have the impact it has today.
Discussion Questions
At the end of The Gift of the Magi, Della and Jim realize they can't use the gifts they bought for each other. Della bought Jim a watch chain and Jim sold it to buy a hairbrush. Della sells her hair to buy Jim's watch strap.
Source: www.marriner.ca
At the end, the narrator explains that their gift is the best because it shows how much they love each other. O. Henry is said to have based the character of Della on his wife Athol. When Henry and Athol were young and didn't have much money, Athol sold handkerchiefs to buy Henry a Christmas present.
The main theme of The Gift of the Magi is love. Della and Jim love each other so much that they sacrifice their most prized possessions to give each other Christmas presents. "The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry that tells the story of a young husband and wife who want to give each other meaningful Christmas gifts.
Constrained by tight budgets, couples are giving up something they hold dear to give themselves a gift. O. Henry is said to have written the entire story in a matter of hours after realizing he had missed the deadline. Some critics believe the story was inspired by his late wife Athol, who sold one of her handkerchiefs to buy a Christmas present when she was a child.
Plot Summary
The Gift of the Magi" is an example of social realism. The young couple at the center of the story don't have much money and can barely pay the bills. Realistic depictions of ordinary people struggling to make ends meet were a common theme in Victorian literature.
Like other Victorian works, "The Gift of the Magi" ends with a lesson or lesson for the reader. You must be a Study.com member to unlock this course. Create Account The Gift of the Magi is a famous short story by the American short story writer O. Henry, written by William Sydney Porter.
Source: image1.slideserve.com
The story first appeared in The New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905, and was later published in O. Henry's collection Four Millions on April 10, 1906. The story is about a young married couple, James and Della Dillingham, known as Jim. The couple has little money and lives in a modest apartment.
There are only two properties among them that they consider treasures. Jim's gold pocket watch that belonged to his father and grandfather, and Della's long shiny hair that reached almost to her knees. On Christmas Eve, Della finds she doesn't have enough time to buy Jim a Christmas present.
#34;The Gift Of The Magi": Setting
After paying all the bills, Della has $1.87 left for Jim's Christmas present. Desperate to find the perfect gift for him on a cold December day, she looks through shop windows to find something she can afford. She wants to buy Jim a chain of pocket watches, but they are all out of her price range.
Della runs home, lets her beautiful hair down, stands in front of the mirror and thinks admiringly. Suddenly inspired, she jumps up again and cuts her hair to sell. Della received $20.00 for selling her hair. That was enough money to buy the platinum chain I saw in the window for $21.00.
When Jim gets home from work, he stares at Della and tries to figure out what's different about her. She admits that she sells her hair to buy him presents. But before she could give it to him, Jim casually pulls a package out of his coat pocket and hands it to her.
Source: i.pinimg.com
Inside, Della discovers an expensive decorative hair comb that she has long admired, but is now completely useless because her hair has been cut. Hiding her tears, she jumped up and presented Jim with a watch chain. Jim shrugs, slumps back on the old sofa, puts his hands behind his head, and tells Della that he sold the watch to buy the comb.
#34;The Gift Of The Magi": Setting
The story ends by comparing Jim and Della's gifts to those given by the Magi or the Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus in the manger in the biblical Christmas story. The narrator concludes that Jim and Della are much wiser than the magicians because their gifts are gifts of love, and those who give with love and self-sacrifice are truly wise because they know the value of self-giving love.
As a member, you have unlimited access to more than 88,000 services. Classes in math, English, science, history and more. Also take mock exams, quizzes and personalized coaching to succeed. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. I think the teacher did the work for me with a wave of a magic wand.
It feels like a lifeline. The features, themes and irony of The Gift of the Magi make it an unforgettable and stimulating story. A serious and loving couple, Jim and Della are easily adored by readers. Universal themes such as love, poverty, sacrifice, stupidity and wisdom are easy to grasp despite the short text itself.
A final element that makes "The Gift of the Magi" memorable is O. Henry's use of irony, which provides two twists at the climax of the story. "Gift of the Magi" takes place on Christmas Eve in the early 20th century in an unnamed city, presumably New York.
the gift of the magi essay, last line gift of the magi, summary of the gift of the magi, the gift of the magi sparknotes, the gift of the magi analysis, the gift of the magi activities, gift of the magi theme statement, the gift of the magi plot