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A six - word summary of the gift of the magi
A six - word summary of the gift of the magi
The analysis of "The Gift of the Magi
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The Gift of the Theme 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 …show more content…
Henry story, as in all of his other stories. In this case, the ironic turn out or situation can be described as the sense of sacrifice. All throughout the second half of the story, Della is contemplating whether Jim will like or not her without her hair or if he will like the gift. All the while, Jim had sold his watch, what Della had bought the gift for, to buy a gift for Della’s hair (of course what Della sold). “"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on.",” is what Jim says to Della when he realizes what had just happened, that they sold their treasures, for each other’s treasures. Now although their gifts have no use now, does not mean that they have no meaning. The irony reveals the true sacrifice that took place and intensifies its effect in a subtle
Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship is a prime example where a relationship based on materialism will ultimately fail as this is indicated when Gatsby describes Daisy’s “voice is full of money”. Gatsby’s description of Daisy’s features are based on materialistic thoughts as opposed to her personal qualities and characteristics as an individual. In addition, Daisy, a pragmatic and materialistic individual does not truly love
Sacrifice is a common motif in the work, and it allows the reader to visualize what is most meaningful to each of the characters. Hosseini’s use of Mariam’s sacrifice, along with those of the other characters, gives the reader a taste of what the characters value and how it shapes the meaning of the novel as a
Many of the short stories within the collection The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, can be compared and contrasted in regards to elements including theme, characters, and technique. In “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,” the character Mary Anne Bell appears to be apparently similar to the character Martha from “The Things They Carried,” in that both are young women who have relations with a soldier in the war. Though upon further analysis of Mary Anne, it appears she is far from alike to Martha. Rather, an unexpected parallel can be drawn between the characters Mary Anne and Elroy Berdahl, from “On the Rainy River,” in that both appear to be epitomes of masculinity. The peculiar connection between these characters developed by Tim O’Brien shines a light on the ambiguity of conventional gender roles of men and women.
The effects of love and sacrifice on one’s life can be shown through the character of Lucie Manette in the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The way Lucie applies warmth to her friends and family and sacrifices for them has a greater impact than anything else could possibly do. In fact, loving gestures have the power to do anything. They can brighten moods and ameliorate one’s day. Overall, Love is a powerful feeling. It can be defined in many ways, but is always an important emotion to have. Without it, humans are empty. It is a necessary part of living; with it, anything is possible.
In the opening lines of the tale there is a compulsion, representing internal conflict, indicated on the part of both the protagonist and his wife Faith:
Within Measure for Measure, the character of Angelo can be seen as a case study of will over moral nature. Angelo, a deputy, is given the Dukes authority to act in his behalf while the Duke is away. The story unfolds as Angelo uses the agency he's been given in ways that many men in authoritative positions have done. It is interesting to follow his line of thought and to realize that this is a man who is not unlike many others. The main conflict between Isabella and Angelo is a contemporary problem. Measure for Measure is a unique opportunity to investigate the personality types of the characters involved in the conflict, and the study of these complex characters can give meaningful insights into the nature of human emotion and action.
Though they were written thousands of years apart, Sappho’s “Fragment 16” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “Bridal Ballad” each show how infatuation can often be mistaken for true love. In order to do this, each author depicts a character who is tormented by regret. In “Fragment 16”, Sappho points out that power can often become synonymous with beauty. Sappho is quick to disagree with this notion, instead arguing that love trumps power every time when it comes to beauty. To prove her point, Sappho uses the story of Helen to show how a desire for true love can lead Helen to abandon all that she knows. Similarly, “Bridal Ballad” depicts a woman who has made the fatal mistake of assuming that love should come with marriage, not the other way around. By contrasting this woman’s husband with the man she
These may be materialistic items that are filling a gap in one’s life, or it could be emotional, spiritual feelings that someone is seeking. Materialistic and emotional desires are explored within these two short stories. Motivation is what compels both Mrs. Sommers and Ann to follow through with their plans. Without this drive and passion, individuals are unable to fully commit to their course of action. A Pair of Silk Stockings, represents how motivations can be used in many different ways. First, Mrs. Sommers motivation was to support her family. This shows how she was cautious for her actions and how they could positively affect other people. This made Mrs. Sommers “restless and wakeful with anticipation.” Once her motives changed into a personal desire, is when Mrs. Sommers lost sight in plan. The moment she “not move in the direction of the bargain counter,” was when her motivation began to work against her. Being able to own items that were of higher quality drove Mrs.Sommers to “hastily” spend her money. Although individuals will always face different initiatives when placed in alternative situations. In Ann’s perspective, her desire was not to obtain materialistic items, but more to have a spiritual connection. Ann was searching for something deeper with a greater meaning. When she didn’t find it within her husband, she looked for it in Steven. One of Ann’s motives was
It is said that “everything that shines isn't gold.” A difficult situation can result a vast illusion that is not what one thought it would be, which leads to disappointment and despair. Just like Guy De Maupassant stories, “The Necklace” and “The Jewel.” In the first story, the protagonist, Mathilde Loisel’s need for materialistic fulfillment causes her hard labor which ends her natural beauty. In the second story, the husband Monsieur Latin ends up living a dreadful life due to the passing of his wife and her admiration for jewels. “The Necklace” and “The Jewel” both share many similarities such as the unconditional love each husband haves toward their wife, the necessity each wife haves towards materialistic greed, the beautiful allurement
An example of O.Henry's use of irony is shown in the short story "The Gift of the Magi". In this story Jim and Dell were newlyweds. They were extremely poor, however they had an emense amount of love for each other. It was Christmas, and although they had decided not to exchange presents, each wanted to give the other a gift. Jim sold his beloved pocket watch so that he could buy combs for Dell to wear in her beautiful long hair. Dell cut her hair and sold it so that she could buy a chain and fob for Jim's pocket watch. As they exchanged the gifts and saw the price of the gift each had given, that which was most dear to them, they realized that they have gave up in order to show their love for each other was what was neccessary to complete the gift.
The “Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry is a short story that has an interesting theme.
The author’s use of symbolism in “The Gift of the Magi” helps the reader understand the theme of sacrifice. Della’s long hair represents the sacrifice she is willing to make because she is not hesitant to give up her most valued feature for someone she appreciated. When Jim walks in the door, Della explains her situation, “I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present” (pg 4). Della did not have sufficient funds to afford a gift yet she was still determined to gather money for Jim’s Christmas present. Leading her to make a large sacrifice for herself to benefit her loved one. This action proves that even though she did not have many prized possessions of her own, she does not hesitate
In the short story “The Gift of the Magi”, O.Henry uses different types of irony to demonstrate a particular theme of the story. The author uses two types of irony, dramatic and situational, to show the love that Della and Jim have for each other. There are different examples throughout the story that the author uses to indicate a certain theme in the story. One of these examples is when Della says, “I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn’t live through Christmas without giving you a present” (page 367) Della sells her most precious belonging in order to make Jim happy. She feels obligated to give Jim a present because of their love for each other. This is an example of situational irony because Jim bought Della combs to brush her
Sacrifice is an action that constitutes someone purposefully lessening their gains to further a different person. In literature just as in life, an individual’s values can effectively be deciphered when considering the sacrifices that they have made. In O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” Della sacrifices her most valuable attribute for a man that she loves. This sacrifice exemplifies her devotion to the man she loves and presents her with an internal struggle that she must ultimately conquer.
As seen in many stories throughout history, love and relationships have perpetually been complicated. The themes of tragic sacrifices in the relationships of Marc Antony and Cleopatra, King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and Layla and Majnun are continued in modern literature. Sacrifice is a theme that has, and forever will be prevalent in literature because it is an admirable deed, yet requires a perfect balance. Careful analysis of the relationships in the post-modern short stories Coda by Will Boast, How We Handle Pain by Evan James Roskos, and Okeechobee by Claudia Zuluaga, produces a rich understanding of the universal truth that relationships require not just sacrifice, but harmonious immolation.