O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi

William Sydney Porter adopted the pen name O. Henry after being released from prison on embezzlement charges. The ex-convict soon rose to literary renown with a series of short stories "often marked by wry humor and a surprise ending" (If 2004, 1). In The Gift of the Magi, perhaps the most famous of O. Henry's short stories, we see both wry humor and one of his biggest surprise endings. The plot revolves around a couple of newlyweds who are poor and facing a dismal Christmas. They both genuinely love each other and would like to spoil one another, but each laments their inability to purchase something nice for the other one. The two possessions Della and Jim do admire are her beautiful, long hair and his gold watch. As Christmas approaches and they realize the $20 per week they subsist on will not allow for any luxurious presents, unbeknownst to each other Della cuts off and sells her hair to acquire a fob chain for Jim's watch and he sells his watch to buy beautiful combs for Della's hair. However, O. Henry (2004) reminds us of the gift of the magi and maintains, "On a last word to the wise of these days let is be said that of all who give gifts these two were wisest" (4).

The setting seems extremely real, primarily because O. Henry was used to extreme poverty and he portrays the setting from the perspective of one who knows such conditions. Della must save a few scant pennies by "bulldozing the grocer and butcher" while having only her "shabby

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Category: Literature - O