Preview

The Most Meaningful Gift. 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
404 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Most Meaningful Gift. 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry
The theme for 'The Gift of the Magi' is that love is more important than any material item. Della and Jim, the two main characters, demonstrated the theme. This theme also occurs in the 'real world.'

The theme in this short story has a deep meaning. One way to interpret the theme is that love will last a lifetime, and material gifts will not. Another interpretation is that people will always remember how much they love someone or how much someone loves them, but they will not necessarily remember a certain material gift. Also, many people can give more love than money can buy and it is often valued more.

This theme is demonstrated in this story in numerous ways. 'Don't make any mistake Dell; he said about me. I don't think there is anything in the way of a haircut or shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less.' (O. Henry p177.) Also, this theme is demonstrated at the end of the story. Della was upset that she did not have a gift for Jim, so she sold what she loved most to show her love for him. She sold her hair to buy a chain for Jim's watch, but it was ironic that Jim had sold his watch to buy combs for Della's hair. They each wanted to give a gift related to each other's most prized possession and they both were willing to sacrifice their most prized possession. Neither gift was useful at the time but it was a sign of their love.

This theme not only relates to this short story but it relates to life. For example, Mother Theresa gave her love for the world, but she was not rich. She had more to give in the way of love. Another example was a family who adopted many children, regardless of their handicaps, and loved them, which was something that money cannot buy. Finally, there are many people who volunteer their time and show their love is worth more than material things.

In conclusion, the definition of wealth means more than money; it also includes love and happiness. The theme, love is for more important than any material gift, is shown

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    I read How I Met My Husband by Alice Munro. This is a short story told in the first-person narrative. The theme of this story is a simple, but good one. The theme is love. Or to put it in broader terms, the theme could be described as while sometimes it may come from heartbreak, fate can bring is to the person we are meant to love forever.…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    of love and sacrifice. A heartfelt story was brought to us through the story “The Gift of the…

    • 1597 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    As previously mentioned, a recurring theme in the short story is the idea that humans solely find beauty and value in those things which are beneficial to us, and that this need (for people who are beneficial) is so strong and affects us so intricately that…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In "The Lottery" the theme of the story is the lack of love shown by the villagers…

    • 1413 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pieces of April

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Love is the emotional investment that pushes people to their limits. This is demonstrated in the film “Pieces of April”, when our protagonist April is pushed to do something for the sake of love, even though she dreaded every moment of it. She tries to prepare a Thanksgiving meal for her and her family with hopes to be reunited after years of negligence. Although she tries to conceal her exhilaration it is clear and obvious that she is eager for her family’s arrival. Her attempt at cooking a meal for her family and going through so much difficulty is not so literal. It represents the notion of how love can push people into doing impetuous things. The deficient love of a girl for her family can make her do so much. The relationship between April and her mother, Joy, resemble the relationship of Tiffany Chan and her mother from the short story "Of Kin and Kind". Both the mother and daughter relationship is very rigid and tense. Tiffany claims that her and her mother may be of the same blood but they are anything but alike, by declaring "We were kin, but less than kind". This quote can also reflect April’s view on her and her mother’s relationship. We all believe that our similarities brings us close and our difference separates us without knowing that the only thing still holding our ties is the love we have for each other. That love is what makes us forget the conflicts and disagreements we may have and reminds us that no matter how different we are, we learn to accept and love each other. Bobby, April’s boyfriend, also illustrates how love can give people unbelievable strength and make them overlook the concept of possible. He claims his mother lifted the car to save his life after they had been in an accident. He carries his belief and shows what a person can accomplish if they carry love within themselves, “When you have love you do things you never thought you could. She had a moment of unbelievable strength because she had love”. The power…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Love is a universal emotion. Everyone has felt love towards something or someone in their lives. Love can bring about joy and happiness, tears and fears, hate and anger, anxiety and stress. The emotional roller coaster of love goes on throughout people’s lives and it is given and received in many different ways. There is a saying “ Love makes the world go around”. It is true. Imagine if love were not an emotion. What would you feel towards your family members, loved ones, children or spouse? It is a difficult question to answer and shows that love is an essential component in human relationships. The many facets of love, play out in many stories in American Literature.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fiction and Point

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Also, Situation irony gave the story a bitter sweet perspective therefore given the author the fluidity to structure to the story of a love relationship expressing what people do in the name of love. From a third person stand point, the author gives us three themes: prosperity, unselfishness and love. The author expressed biblical names in reference to the three wise men…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Gift of the Magi” is centered on two main characters Jim and Della. It is a Christmas themed story in which a poor couple find themselves in a difficult situation when looking to buy presents for each other, when they find out them both have no money. Jim’s pride and joy is a golden watch and Della’s most prized possession is her hair. But when they both go to buy presents for each other they both sell their most prized possessions to buy gifts. When they show each other there presents they are shocked to find Della bought a chain for Jims watch, and Jim bought combs for Della’s hair!…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Compare and Contrast

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In life some people think all you need in life to survive and be happy is love, but others thinking that money is the answer to life’s problems. In the stories “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi” it portrays the lives of two main characters that deal with problems of their own. One dong it out of love, and the other for greed.…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The theme of the story is sticking together for survival as a family.I know this because when Miranda's family got sick with the flu she took care of them even though she was weak and she only had her older brother that was really weak too.I found this on page 301 it says “Thank Goodness Matt had enough strength left to help me pull Johnny first then Mom into the kitchen”. So, even when Matt was really weak and so was Miranda but more Matt she and him pulled the other people of the family even though he was still sick. So, the theme is sticking together for survival as a family.…

    • 252 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It helps create a bigger idea and clarity that love has many different definitions. One individual may interpret love in a way that is in opposition to another individual based on the experiences that one faces. This short story is able to touch upon the few of the many kinds of love. It suggests to the readers to be open-minded and to accept that love is a universal language. While most people who first read this short story would challenge that it is clear that the characters are not able to clearly define what love is, readers should remain impartial that this story accomplishes the many interpretations and ambiguity of…

    • 1799 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Love in the Time of Cholera

    • 4477 Words
    • 18 Pages

    themes • Love as an Emotional and Physical Plague; The Fear and Intolerance of Aging and Death; Suffering in the Name of Love…

    • 4477 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Love In The Giver

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The benefits and downfalls of love are shown in the Giver, a man whose vocation is to hold all the pain, happiness, and secrets…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The simplest gifts are the best ones; a thought spoken so often yet continues to remain true to this day, why this is the case is a difficult concept to grasp. After all humans by their very nature are complex beings & in the 21st century we are taught to toil over our work so we can splash our cash on the latest gadgets & gismos, gifts which are far from simple.`…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    perhaps - vera brittain

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The main themes of the poem are nature, time and the loss of a loved one. The beauty of nature is described throughout the poem but this is tinged with sad references to a love lost.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics