The gift of the Magi

Introduction:

The Gift of the Magi is a well-known tale by American short story writer O. Henry (the penname ofWilliam Sydney Porter). The story first appeared in The New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905 and was later published in O. Henry's collection The Four Million on April 10, 1905.

The O' Henry Twist:         O' Henry is famous for surprise endings or "twists" in his stories.

Plot Summary

.......On the day before Christmas, Della has only $1.87 in savings with which to buy a gift for her husband, James Dillingham Young. Flopping down on the couch of their apartment, she cries—howls, actually.
.......She had squeezed every spare penny out of household expenses, and still there was not enough for the wonderful present she dreamed of getting for Jim. Times are tough. Jim’s salary, formerly $30 a week, is now only $20 a week.
.......Suddenly, Della gets an idea. Whirling about the room, she lets down her hair. It is one of two prized possessions between her and Jim, the other being the gold pocket watch handed down to him from his father. A moment later, Della goes down the street to Madame Sofronie’s shop, where the sign reads “Hair Goods of All Kinds.” There, Della sells her hair for $20.
.......After shopping for two hours, she finds just the right gift, a platinum fob chain to replace the old leather strap attached to his watch. It is simple and elegant, and it costs $21, leaving Della 87 cents. After returning home, she uses curling irons to give herself a new hairdo, puts coffee on, gets pork chops ready for frying, then prays that Jim will like her new look. It is seven o’clock. When he walks in, he stares at her. His gaze is long and unrelenting. Worried that he is displeased with her appearance, Della tells him that she sold her hair “because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present.” Jim seems bewildered.
.......“You’ve cut off your hair?”
......."Cut it off and sold it,"  Della says.
.......“You say your hair is gone?”
.......A moment later, he comes out of his “trance” and enfolds Della in his arms. Then he takes a package from his overcoat and tosses it onto a table. He tells his wife nothing she could do would make him love her any less. However, he adds, the package will explain why he reacted strangely upon seeing her. After opening the present, she cries out with joy, then bursts into tears. Her gift is a set of expensive, turtoise-shell combs she had long eyed in a shopwindow. To comfort him, she says, “My hair grows so fast, Jim!”
.......Then Della gives him his present. As the reader by now suspects and as the story confirms, Jim had sold his pocket watch to buy the combs.
.......However, like the three wise men of long ago, Della and Jim had given perfect gifts. After all, the narrator says, they “sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.” What they gave as presents was worth far more than the chain and the combs.

Setting

.......The action takes place in New York City in a very modest apartment and in a hair shop down the street from the apartment. Although Porter does not mention New York by name, he does refer to Coney Island, the city's most famous amusement park, located in the borough of Brooklyn. Porter lived in New York when he wrote and published the "The Gift of the Magi." 

Characters

Della Young: Pretty young woman who cuts off her beautiful long hair and sells it to buy a Christmas gift for her husband.
James Dillingham Young:Husband of Della. He sells his gold watch to buy a gift for Della. 
Madame Sofronie: Shop owner who buys Della's hair. 

NARRATOR /POINT OF VIEW

Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?

Third Person (Omniscient)

Technically, the story seems to be third person limited omniscient. It's told in the third-person, and only follows Della.

We know the narrator is really more like an omniscient being, though, because every so often he "zooms out" to make much more general pronouncements that fly way above the action of the story's characters. The most obvious of these is at the end, when he mentions "the magi" (to which Della and Jim are totally oblivious). But there are other places too, like when he zooms out from the weeping Della to describe the flat. There are also all those moments when he makes a more universal remark about "the way life is," such as, "Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating" (2).

Themes:

Love:

In the paragraph where we are introduced to Jim, the writer gives us the idea of Della’s exuberant affection for Jim when he says,

“Whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called ‘Jim’ and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good?”

When the narrator writes ” Which is all very good”, he hunts that there must be more in marriage and in some way Jim sums it up when he sees his gift from Della and says,

“They’re too nice to use just at present, I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs.”

This statement seems a natural commentary on the useless of gifts since then intended purpose has been chronically removed. However Jim’s remark is also a comment on the value of gifts. They are two nice only because of the money, they represent but also because of the sacrificial love, they represent self sacrifice is the name of love is the wisest gift.

Sacrifice:

The two main characters in “Gift Of Magi” are the husband and wife who give up their most precious possessions to be able to afford gifts for each other on Christmas Eve. The story is about sacrifice in love, and the story narrator assure us that in their willingness to give up all they have, they have proven themselves the wisest of all gift givers. It might remain unclear, though, exactly what their sacrifice has accomplished, or how it has affected them.

“Will you buy my hair” asked Della?

“Twenty Dollars,” said Madame, lifting the mass with a practiced hand, “Give it to me quick”, said Della.

These lines shows enthusiastic style of Della as she was very aggressive to buy the gift for Jim, and she is ready to sale her precious hair

“I sold the watch to get money to buy you combs”

The sacrifice is done by both partners and Jim has sold his only precious inheritance, to buy gift for Della.

The last lines of story greatly exemplify their spirit of love and sacrifice.

“But in the last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the Magi.”

Wealth and Poverty:

Poverty is the main theme in the story. However O’ Henry uses for fetched comparison to show poignant description of their poverty

“One dour and eighty-seven cents. That as well”

These lines quickly give the idea that this is not a lot of money. When narrator say “That was all” we get a better understanding of their poverty. When we witness Della’s embarrassment. She must haggle for every household purchase to save sixty cents worth of pennies and she is ashamed of the necessity and poverty it indicates.

“A furnished flat at $8 per week. It didn’t exactly beggar description. But it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad”

O’ Henry is describing true picture of their poverty, the situation of house and their living standards all depicts the condition of being living hand to mouth.

Henry Contrast the poverty of the young’s to the vast wealth and riches of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. He shares with readers the two small treasures of the household and contrasts the value of wealth that Solomon and Queen have. Yet despite the obvious poverty and meagerness of these treasures, Henry shows that what Jim and Della have is of more value than any priceless treasure locked up in a store house.

Generosity:

Major theme in the story is generosity clearly, anyone that focuses on the gift giving as major plot line must deal with concept of generosity deeper than superficial generosity of giving gift that comes easily. He is interested in generosity born out of a love so deep it transcends reason or wisdom, love, such as we see between Della and Jim.

Both Jim and Della sell their personal treasure in order to enhance the treasure of the other. Della sells her in order to buy a watch chain for Jim’s only valuable inheritance. Jim sells his watch in order to enhance Della’s crowning glory. The narrator comments on their actions by saying

“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 greater treasures of their house.”

The Three Magi

.......The Magi were the so-called three wise men from the east who traveled to Bethlehem, following a bright star, to present gifts to the infant Jesus. The term magi (singular, magus) comes from the Greek word magoi, a rendering of a Persian word for members of a priestly caste.

Three: A Magic Number

In "The Gift of the Magi," the number three figures prominently. Consider the following:

• The story has three characters: Della, Jim, and Madame Sophronie.
• Della counts her money three times (Paragraph 1).
• The were three magi: Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar.
• The magi offered three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• According to tradition, the magi were kings of Arabia, Persia, and India. 
• The story centers on three valuables: Jim's gold watch, Della's hair, and the love Jim and Della share

 

The Last leaf A Short Story By O’ Henry

Plot

In May of 1899, in a small Greenwich Village restaurant, Sue and Johnsy meet. They become friends and rent an apartment together to share expenses.
In November, Johnsy becomes ill with pneumonia. Her illness lingers. She becomes frail and loses hope of recovering. Outside her window is an old ivy vine on which only a few leaves remain. Johnsy has become so disheartened that she refuses to fight her way back to health and convinces herself that when the last leaf falls off the vine, she will die.
It is the day of "house calls" for doctors, and the doctor tells Sue that if Johnsy is to get well, she must get her mind on something other than her sickness. Sue is worried; she goes downstairs and reveals her fears to Mr. Behrman, a grizzled, unsuccessful artist who dreams of one day painting a masterpiece. Only one leaf remains on the vine now, and even Mr. Behrman is worried that tonight it will fall victim to the wind and rain.
The next morning, when Sue and Johnsy look out the window, the last leaf is still there. Johnsy thinks about her situation and convinces herself that fate caused the leaf to stay on the vine so that she would not die. With this change in attitude, Johnsy gradually gets well. The doctor comes and verifies Johnsy's recovery. The doctor also tells Sue that Mr. Behrman has pneumonia and is beyond help. He dies that same day.
Later that day, Sue discovers how Mr. Behrman became ill. She tells Johnsy that on the stormy night when the last leaf was about to fall, Mr. Behrman took a ladder, climbed the wall, and painted a true masterpiece--a picture of the last leaf on the brick wall.

Setting:

"The Last Leaf" by O. Henry is Greenwich Village in New York City. 

 into a new house in Greenwich Village. The weather portrayed is that of autumn, 

Themes:

Death and Dying:

Last leaf is a short story that entails the treasury of life and the existence of faith and hope. It need to the importance of living and how we deal with the hindrances we battle through our life story. It is a moving story across the traps that come across us in the most significant parts of our lives, the value of life is the centerpiece of story, where all the things go back and revolve…Apart of this story gives us a hint that God is the only one who knows that whether we ride on with life and chances or trail on and be drawn against the judgment, the melodramatic and picturesque setting of the story connects to the negative status of main character facing life and death subject matter.

Pessimism:

Johnsy the main character seems to be a very pessimistic person. She has lost the entire positive attitude in life due to her disease and she is waiting for her death.

“Your little lady has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind”

That is the first step of Jhonsy that she has made up her mind that she will die when the last leaf fall. That signifies the mental and psychological conditionn of her and is describing the theme of pessimistic.

“She was looking out of window and counting -counting backwards”

The psychological disturbances shown by O’ Henry in these lines as she is tired of waiting that when the last leaf falls, she will be near to death.

“When the last one falls I must go, too.”

Here in these lines Henry has showed extreme pessimism.

It is the last one, said Johnsy “I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind. It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time.”

These words literated by jonsy again show her desperate and chaotic state of mind. She has supposed the things which have no logic and waiting for her death, or waiting for the last leaf to fall.

Self-Sacrifice:

Mr. Behrman risks his life for Johnsy. He has sacrificed his own life, to give life to Johnsy the painting he made at the wall, shows his self sacrificing, kind and noble nature.

He himself catches the pneumonia and dies, but he didn’t let Johnsy to die.

With the character of Mr. Buhrmann, O’ Henry is showing the sacrificing mature of a man and it gives us a message that self sacrificing is a great deed and one has to  kind and gentle towards others. “Mr. Buhrmann died of pneumonia today in hospital.”

Hope:

Theme of hope is very nicely presented in this story. Doctor is a very optimistic person and he tries to make Johnsy realized that is she has made her mind that she will die when the last leaf fall that could be harmful for her. He told her that he can only provide her medicine and that is effective as 50 cent, the next situation is in her hand.

“I subtract 50 percent from the curative power of medicines.”

If you will get her to ask one question about the new writer styles in cloak sleeves I will promise you one-in-five chance for her, instead of”

So O’ Henry conveys message one never let go for hope and optimist approach in life. It is out state of mind which can bring worse or better for us in our lives

“Sadie, someday I hope to point the bay of Naples”

These lines show Johnsy’s desires and aspirations. It gives the picture of hope and this hope in life gives us the spirit of living in this world.

Love and Friendship:

In last leaf O’ Henry describes friendship and bondage between two friends. They care and love each other, and she supports Johnsy morally when she falls ill. She proves to be great support for Johnsy and she tries her level best to bring back Johnsy towards life and in the world of optimism.

“Dear, Dear!” said she, learning her won face down to the pillow ” think of me, if you won’t think of yourself. What would I do?”

These lines show the effective relationship between two friends. Mr. Behrman also shows great deal of love for these girls. Although he is bit careless person but he really cared for Johnsy and his love is shown by his painting for the sake of Johnsy’s life.

Characters-

 Behrman, Johnsy and Sue are artists


Behrman

Though the hero appears only once and speaks twice in the whole story but he, successfully reveals his affection to two young artists and his noble spirit.
Though he was hard in the outside, he was full of gentle feelings in heart, His love towards Johnsy and Sue was fraternal or fatherly affections. 

Johnsy 

She suffers from pneumonia in this story. Her wish for death and her dialogues reflect her disparity for life. She refuses to cooperate with Sue because of her illness.When Johnsy spies through the window and counts backward the ivy leaves, dialogues between she and Sue reflect her disparity for life and wish for death. Johnsy doesn’t answer Sue but goes on counting. She is still talking to Sue, her words has no direct relation with Sue’s question, which shows her state of mind, the blank mind. It’s a vivid description of a dying Johnsy.

Sue who is caring nursing, tolerating, through perseverance and gentleness shows her fondness for her weak friend. She does her duty as a concerned friend.