Foreshadowing In The Gift Of The Magi

Love is a universal feeling that everyone on this earth has for someone or something. We all love something in this world and there’s no denying it. Love makes us stronger and wiser together than by being alone. This is one of the main reasons why Jim and Della Dillingham Young are so passionate for each other in O. Henry’s short story, “The Gift of the Magi”. As the holidays are quickly approaching, Della is forced to find the perfect gift for her husband by any means necessary, the readers come to realize the theme of the story is that true love for someone is shown when you are willing to give up all you have for him or her. Henry conveys this theme through his use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and situational irony. To show just how

Early in the story, we see that, “There were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.” As mentioned, Jim and Della’s most prized possessions are Della’s long bronze tresses and Jim’s antique pocket watch. This description of the couple’s love and sentimental attachment to these items, gives readers a strong sense of loss for these items. Due to Della having such a strong desire to get Jim the world’s best Christmas gift and no earnings to her name to pay for such an extravagant present, readers may assume that Della would possibly give up something sentimental to her to purchase a brand-new fob chain to go along with his favorite watch passed down from generation to generation. This simple act of foreshadowing can give readers a whole new look on the story while reading for the first time. Until we see Della flutter out her run-down New York apartment to buy Jim’s present do readers figure out that the only way she was able to buy the Platinum fob chain is by selling her long locks, as foreshadowed

Henry uses these symbols to give a more deeper and significant meaning to the thoughts and ideas expressed in the short story. In one instance, “The Magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger,” Della and Jim were not literally being described as wise, but more in a sense of being the true wise young couple who realized that thinking and living for each other and not just themselves, is what builds such a strong connection for them. The term wise is used to describe the couple’s selflessness and good morals used during a financially tough holiday season. Jim and Della easily could have bought each other very inexpensive and impromptu gifts for Christmas without putting great thought into said gift, but instead they spent time searching and scavenging store after store for the perfect gift. The fact that Jim actually wanted to sell his family’s antique pocket watch that holds a strong connection to his heritage, shows how deeply in love he is with Della to be willing to part with such an amazing piece of history. Furthermore, the pocket watch represents Jim’s ties to the family he grew up with—the family he leaves in order to make a new family with Della, his true love. The same idea goes for his wife Della. She gave up her beautiful locks of deep brown hair that she held a strong sentimental bond to so she could purchase Jim’s fob