The Gift of the Magi

By O. Henry

Who was “O. Henry”?

“O. Henry” was the pen name (or pseudonym) of William Sydney Porter

Lived 1862 – 1910

American

Had many jobs, including pharmacist, artist, banker and journalist

Who was “O. Henry”?

Was arrested for embezzlement and served time in prison

Wrote hundreds of stories and is famous for his “twist endings”

The plot of “Gift of the Magi” has been repeated hundreds of times in literature and movies

ComprehensionGrammar

Vocabulary

InferenceMeanings that the author does NOT

tell us directly – we must guess, or figure them out

To infer something is to guess something is true

FlashbacksThe author takes us BACK in time

ForeshadowingThe author gives a hint or a clue about what WILL HAPPEN

IronyRelated to sarcasm

Something is said or something happens that is the OPPOSITE of the writer’s meaning or mood

Tone

The mood or feeling a writer creates

Characterization

The way a writer shows personality of the characters

Figurative Language

Simile or metaphor

The story begins …Notice that the narrator speaks directly

to the readers

The tone is very formal and difficult

It is SO difficult that it seems like a joke – it IS a joke

The formal tone contrasts with the shabby, poor apartment

Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied.

Paraphrase:

All year she has tried to save every penny possible by arguing with salespeople. She has felt embarrassed about it.

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Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.

Human life has three parts: crying, sniffling, and smiling. Most of life is sniffling (in between

crying and smiling).

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In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring.

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In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring.

Inference:

The apartment is cheap and poorly built; the couple is poor

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The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of “Dillingham” looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D.

The young couple used a more formal name when they made more money, but now they make less. The formal name seems too fancy now.

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ToneShe stood by the window and looked out dully at a grey cat walking a grey fence in a grey backyard.

Notice the repeated word “grey.” What mood does this create?

… just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

Inference: Della loves and admires Jim very much

There was a pier-glass …

A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks.

You can look at pieces of your reflection and figure out what you look like – but you can’t see yourself all at once.

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Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds.

She has an idea, but is frightened or disturbed

The Queen of Sheba … King SolomonO. Henry refers to ancient (maybe imaginary) and very wealthy people to show how proud Della and Jim feel – though they are poor

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.

Foreshadowing

(Why does O. Henry emphasize how beautiful her hair is?)

Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet. Inference:

She almost changes her mind; she feels very sad

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CharacterizationDella’s movements are rapid and she cries a little (for the second time in the story). What personality does this young woman have?

Della “clutters out” (moves quickly) and goes to a shop called “Hair Goods.” She runs upstairs to the shop. Notice that her movements are described as being rapid, hurried, quick.

Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the “Sofronie.” “Sofronie” was considered an exotic, luxurious name

Inference: The shopkeeper looks the OPPOSITE of exotic and luxurious

Characterization“Give it to me quick,” said Della.

Why does Della want to do this “quick”? What personality does this show?

Figurative LanguageOh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings.

Metaphor: The hours passed like pink butterflies

It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation – as all good things should do.

The chain shows its high value by its simplicity.

The best things don’t need decoration.

Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

Even though his watch is so valuable and he feels proud of it, he doesn’t want others to see that he can’t afford a real chain, so he hides the watch.

When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason.

Della calmed down when she got home. She began thinking logically again.

“Please, God, make him think I am still pretty.”

Inference: Jim’s opinion is VERY important to her

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When Jim comes home, he stares at her without expression. He is shocked, but not angry or sad.

“You say your hair is gone?” he said, with an air almost of idiocy.

Jim’s brain seems to be broken

“You say your hair is gone?” he said, with an air almost of idiocy.

Foreshadowing:

Why is this so hard for him to believe?

The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them.

We need to understand that “the magi” in the Christian story brought the most valuable gifts ever. Being correct is NOT the most valuable gift.

… necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.

Della is crying, which means Jim must make her feel better

… but the tresses which should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

The hair which should have made the jewelry even more beautiful is gone.

(Why is the word “adornment” repeated?)

Figurative LanguageAnd then Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, “Oh, oh!”

Simile: Della moves like a cat that was burned – in other words, FAST!

Charaterization

Jim … put his hands under the back of his head and smiled. “… And now suppose you put the chops on.”

What do we learn about Jim’s personality from this reaction?

And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle …

In a clumsy way, I have told you the boring story …

… of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.

… of two foolish young people who gave up the things they loved the most for each other.

But, he says, Della and Jim are the wisest of everyone who gives gifts.

IronyThe ending is perfectly ironic: the

circumstances have given each character exactly the wrong thing. Unlike the Saki story, however, the characters themselves have created the situation.

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