THE WISE...

The short story, "The Gift of the Magi" written by O.Henry narrates the life of a couple who live in poverty with the least of needs and commodities. It´s the day before Christmas, and poor Della has only $ 1.87 to buy a gift for her husband Mr.James Dillingham Young/Jim. She is crying in sorrow laying at her bed when she decides to go to the hair salon and get her beautiful brown long hair cut off and sold. Della´s most valuable possession was her hair, it was as long until her knees, beautiful and brown. On the other hand, Jim´s most valuable possession was his gold watch, which he inherited from his grandfather and father. Once Della cut off and received the money for her hair she had $ 21.87. She roamed all over town searching a nice gift for Jim. Della finally bought him a fine chain to match his watch, so that he can look at it anytime he wants. She arrived home with her hair as short as it can get and feeling puzzled, she was afraid about what Jim would think about her with short hair and after what she had done. She was waiting near the door for Jim to step in. When he arrived, he stared at her strangely and did not say anything until Della explained her actions and started sobbing. He tendered her, and gave her a package. She opened it and found beautiful combs for her hair that she had so desired, nevertheless she could not use them with her short hair, she convincingly told Jim that her hair would grow fast. Then, she handed over to Jim the chain she bought him for his valued watch. However, he tells Della that both of them should put their gifts away for a while since he sold his watch to buy Della the combs.

The use of firm imagery in this story helps the reader visualize the character´s actions and the setting in that moment: 

So now Della´s beautiful hair fell about her, shining like a falling stream of brown water. It reached below her knee. It almost made itself into a dress for her. (3)


O. Henry is applying the use of a metaphor in this sentence representing Della´s hair with a stream of water, or personifying the hair into a nature´s element. O. Henry helps the reader visualize the beauty and greatness of Della´s hair falling down her knee, and making Della and her hair part of a single component. Meaning, inserting her hair within her making it part of her, and vice versa.

This story´s secondary protagonist is Jim, Della´s husband. There are many characteristics which reveal Jim´s good heart, kindness, wisdom, and love towards his wife. 

“I want you to understand me, Dell,” he said. “Nothing like a haircut could make me love you any less. But if you'll open that, you may know what I felt when I came in.” (5)


This reveals to us, the readers, that Jim is not a materialist or superficial. He goes beyond the surface and the obvious such as Della´s haircut. He loves Della dearly and is devoted to her no matter how she looks, and what she does. Jim would do anything for his Della and for her happiness, even if it means to take a bullet for her. However, it also reveals Jim´s hurting and surprise of all the money and effort he had put in the gift that Della won't be able to use in a long time.


This is such a heart-felt story which its message touches one´s heart and creates a different perspective of the meaning of love and material and superficial possessions. The message O. Henry tells the reader is that the wisest ones are the ones who give the most valuable gifts: love, appreciation, time, and union. Both of the characters sacrificed their most valuable possessions to buy a gift for the other. But at the end, they gave each other and demonstrated something that goes beyond the unimportant; love, happiness, and appreciation. These gifts are the wisest, given by the wisest.