The
Gift of the Magi is more than a nice Christmas story. It is a classic tale of sacrifice, irony, and wisdom gained. The
story takes place on the day before Christmas, when a newlywed husband and
wife long to
buy the perfect holiday gifts for one another. Unfortunately, they have very little money, but they are determined. Della makes the difficult decision to sacrifice something of great
value in order to raise the money to buy Jim a chain for his inherited gold pocket watch. Jim comes up with a similar solution so that he can buy a lovely set of ivory combs for his wife’s beautiful long hair.
The conclusion of the story is poignant and touching, as realization sets in as to what they have done. In their efforts to please one another, they have lost two of the most valuable objects they owned, yet in the process may have gained something of much greater value.
It is thought that this story reflects somewhat on the author’s own relationship with his wife as she struggled with
poor health, even while he fled the country to avoid arrest for bank embezzlement. In spite of his problems, he returned to be with her in her final days.
The Gift of the Magi is one of the most well-known
stories of O. Henry, a pen name for William Sydney Porter. A definitive master of the short story, his tales tell of love and loss, deception and truth, loyalty and betrayal. He breathes life into his characters, who are rich and poor, young and old, the best and the worst of humanity… Through believable conversation and vivid description, he tells amazing, witty, and appealing stories that are inevitably peppered with twists of fate, chance encounters, and unavoidable meetings with destiny.
Many editions of The Gift of the Magi have been published since it was written at the turn of the century, including children’s picture books. The story is most commonly ifound in various collected works of the author.
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