What does money mean to you?In the Gift of the magi money buys happiness.Such as selling something of your’s to buy for another.In the story the necklace telling the truth can go along ways.Such as buying something new to replace something that didn’t cost as much.Money does buy you happiness because in the gift of the magi Della sell all her hair so she could buy Jim a gift.Also Jim sells his watch so he would be able to buy Della a gift.When in the necklace Madam's husband gives her the money to buy a nice dress that she likes. In the Gift of the magi money is important to buying love from one another.Della states “I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn’t live through Christmas without giving you a present.”Della got Jim a chain
Although the Sesame Street video and the story versions of "The Gift of the Magi" were both different, there were some similarities between them. One difference was the relationships between the characters in both versions. In, the video Bert and Ernie are best friends living together. But, in the story Della and Jim are husband and wife. Another difference is the gifts the characters got and what they traded for it. On the video Bert trades his paperclip collection for a soap dish intended for Ernie's rubber duck. Also, Ernie traded his rubber ducky for a empty cigar box intended for Bert's paperclip collection. However, in the story Della trades her hair for a Fob that was intended for Jim pocket watch, which was nicknamed "The Watch." While,
Money was tough for people to come by. As Dobie says, “Money sure can buy nice stuff can’t it? Boy, if you had the dough you sure could fix up a swell house. (Bell, 309) Money could do so much for person. Often times there was not enough money to buy meat or pay the bills. Money would come in on paydays and often that would be the only day when the family had money. Like when Francka sar...
which explains well how she had a finite amount of money and thought material wealth was more important than happiness. If she only knew before that she would spend the next decade working off her debt, she would have never asked for the necklace and she would have had a happy life. Furthermore, wealth isn’t the only thing that brings happiness to life. With an easy explanation, it explains how having material possessions doesn’t matter, because the moments we have are more valuable.
Even though the brother and sister value money differently in “Love”, at the end of the day, the relationship the two have with each other is more important that the money. The theme of love is portrayed through the brother in the story. It is apparent that he loves and cares for his sister very much. In the opening of the piece, it states, “The wanting to give is only learned through the learning to love” (243) and this statement is personified though the brother. He dreamed of finally getting the gold ring at the Flying Horses but when he finally gets it, he gives it up. He loves his sister and valued her happiness so much he gave up his own happiness. Early on, the nephew seems selfish because he spends all of his money so quickly. The nephew’s display of love and kindness at the end proves how mature this boy actually is. The boy was able to understand love in a very mature way and values love over money. In the end, the two realize that money doesn’t buy or prove happiness or love. It is our actions that prove
“Gift of the Magi” is a short story about a man and a woman who care deeply for each other. Around Christmas, each person wanted to get the other an extravagant present for their prized possession. The
money. Della sells her hair to buy a watch chain for Jim. Jim sells his watch to buy an
The “Gift of the Magi”, by O. Henry, is a short story that unfolds in an unanticipated and remarkable way that gently tugs the reader in which makes them want to continue reading. The story is about two characters named Della and Jim. For Christmas, Della cuts her hair to sell for money to buy Jim a chain for his watch while Jim sells his watch to buy Della some fancy combs. They both couldn’t use each other's gifts properly by reason of them sacrificing what they loved likewise finding delight in giving - what is foolish in the head, may be wise for the heart.
1. When and where was the story written or told? What historical, social, or cultural background might be needed to understand or explain what the story is about?
America is a land filled with strong nationalism; however, there was once a time where one living in America could not say that he was an American. The colonists in the New World did have nationalism, but it was for a land across the sea. In Robert Frost’s poem “The Gift Outright”, there is set forth a stanza concerning the history of America and how this nation came to be. Through his use of personification and other stylistic choices, Frost efficiently communicates and explores the forming of a nation and, thus, the creation of nationalism.
Many critics agree, “The Gift of the Magi” is, in all respects, an amazing and one of a kind story. One critic says, “Ironically, Fagin arrives at something utterly crucial to the success of 'The Gift of the Magi': that it has everything—an absorbing (if short) narrative drive and a twist ending that makes it wholly original” (Korb). Even renowned critic, Rena Korb, agrees; O.Henry did an excellent job with this story. Though O. Henry wrote many great stories, one of his most famous, and favorite, stories of all time is “The Gift of the Magi.” “The gift of the Magi” is a classic about a couple who sacrifices their happiness for the other. It is one of Henry’s most popular stories by far; even being remade many times. Such a popular story must have a powerful base with which to explain its message. That message is incorporated quite well into a few major themes; though, many different themes were used in this story. These themes ranged from materialism, generosity and love to more subtle undertones like selflessness and poverty. Of course, the most prominent is materialism; though, Henry goes to great lengths to show such a complex theme to his audience. He uses excellent literary devices like setting, conflict, creative syntax, and even figurative language all to his advantage. O. Henry uses many different, complex, literary elements to portray these different themes in “The Gift of the Magi.”
The Necklace also displays distinctive realism in the use of socioeconomic influences which are essential to the plot. The major conflict in the story would be absent and the theme would not be obtainable without Mathilde Loisel’s insecurity about her own socioeconomic reputation. An example of Loisel’s self-deprivation nature is presented when she realizes she does not have a necklace, she says “I shall look absolutely no one. I would almost rather not go to the party” (Maupassant, sec. 3). Another example of the self-conflict caused by social pressure is Loisel’s immediate attempt to replace the necklace and her reluctance to speak to her friend Madame Forestier about the necklace for ten whole years. If she were not conflicted by societal pressures she might have avoided the whole situation altogether. The Necklace establishes a realistic difference in value between the necklaces and proposed clothing. Her husband proposes flowers which were valued 10 franks so in any case if she had chosen the flowers there would have been an insignificant economic loss. Her decision not to tell her friend about the necklace ends up costing her seven times the worth of the original. The roses symbolize the simpler things in life to the theme of the story. Mathilde Loisel’s withered appearance at the end
In the short story “The Necklace”, the main character, Loisel, is a woman who dreams of greater things in her life. She is married to a poor clerk who tries his best to make her happy no matter what. In an attempt to try to bring happiness to his wife, he manages to get two invitations to a very classy ball, but even in light of this Loisel is still unhappy. Even when she gets a new dress she is still unhappy. This lasts until her husband suggests she borrows some jewelry from a friend, and upon doing so she is finally happy. Once the ball is over, and they reach home, Loisel has the horrible realization that she has lost the necklace, and after ten years of hard labor and suffering, they pay off debts incurred to get a replacement. The central idea of this story is how something small can have a life changing effect on our and others life’s. This idea is presented through internal and external conflicts, third person omniscient point of view, and the round-dynamic character of Loisel. The third person limited omniscient point-of-view is prevalent throughout this short story in the way that the author lets the reader only see into the main character’s thoughts. Loisel is revealed to the reader as being unhappy with her life and wishing for fancier things. “She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.” (de Maupassant 887) When her husband tries to fancy things up, “she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry which peopled the walls…” (de Maupassant 887) As the story goes on her point of view changes, as she “now knew the horrible existence of the needy. She took her part, moreover all of a sudden, with heroism.” (de Maupassant 891) Having the accountability to know that the “dreadful debt must be paid.” (de Maupassant 891 ) This point-of-view is used to help the reader gain more insight to how Loisel’s whole mindset is changed throughout her struggle to pay off their debts. Maupassant only reveals the thoughts and feelings of these this main character leaving all the others as flat characters. Loisel is a round-dynamic character in that Maupassant shows how she thought she was born in the wrong “station”. “She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was as unhappy as though she had really fallen from her proper station.
As I did research on how others interpreted the story, the same conclusion would pop up. The necklace was used as a symbol of higher class of wealth. We use symbolic items to try and fit into societies belief of “fancy”. The deeper meaning is within the true value of the necklace. It is a fake just as she is! She is trying to be something she is not and ends up losing the necklace which holds a false value as well. This is why a person should not take everything as it
It is a known fact of life that true love is hard to find in this day and age; one could say it is more plausible to find a needle in a haystack. True, sincere love, when found, is a real test to humanity. O.Henry, the author of the short story “The Gift of The Magi”, has written a masterpiece about a young couple who give everything they have for each other in order to show the great magnitude of their love. Della and James Young live in a poor suburb of New York where the young couple resides in a shabby apartment. They do not have much to give; however, it is Christmas Eve, so both are searching for a gift for the other. Both Della and James sacrifice their most valued gifts in order to please the other. O.Henry
One must be willing to make sacrifices, knowing that the outcome will overcome the loss. Sacrifice, a main theme used in O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”, shows a ubiquitous love connection between the two characters: Della and Jim Dillingham Young. A prodigious story, this work explains how a wife/girlfriend (Della) goes about giving her love (Jim) a gift that matches his stature, which Della thinks is remarkably high. She gives up her most prized possession, her beautifully long hair, to afford a gift she thought was great enough to be owned by Jim. As she purchases a gift to compliment his most prized possession, a watch, Jim has sold his watch to afford enough money to buy something that would laud Della’s hair. When the time comes to reveal each other’s presents, they realize the immense irony of what has occurred, that they have given up their treasures for the other’s treasure. Sacrifice plays one if not the biggest role in the story, accentuated by O. Henry’s uses of