The Gift of the Magi

• Written by O. Henri (William Sydney Porter)
• Characters:
  • Della
  • Mr. James Dillingham Young (Jim)
  • Mrs Sofronie
• Theme: Giving generously and selflessly

Summary of the Story

This story, by O. Henri, is about generosity and selfless giving when it comes to giving gifts to your loved ones. There is a young wife named Della who wants to give a special gift to her husband, Jim, on the Christmas Day. She has been saving a little money from her household shopping for months, and the total amount she has on the day before the Christmas day is just one dollar and eighty-seven cents. It is not enough money to buy any good gift in the market. This makes her cry. Then, she remembers her most precious possession, her beautiful long hair. She goes out, sells the hair to Mrs Sofronie, the hair dealer, and earns twenty dollars. With the money she has now, she buys a gold watch chain for her husband’s most valued possession, a gold watch.

In the evening when Jim comes home from his work, he is surprised to see his wife with her hair cut off. Della pleads her husband not to worry, for her hair will grow very fast. She tells him that she has bought a beautiful Christmas gift for him selling her hair. But Jim is still sad. He has also bought a precious gift for Della. He shows it to her. It is the combs – the very combs Della has liked and longed for a long time. Without hair, what is the use of combs now? This has made Jim sad. Della now understands the reason for her husband’s sadness, but then again tries to assure him that her hair will grow very fast.Della shows her gift too. A shining gold chain. She asks Jim to give her his watch so that they can see how the watch and the chain look together. Jim tells Della that he sold the watch to get the money to buy the combs for her. The story ends here.

Della shows her gift too. A shining gold chain. She asks Jim to give her his watch so that they can see how the watch and the chain look together. Jim tells Della that he sold the watch to get the money to buy the combs for her. The story ends here.

But then, the writer makes a comment on the story. He explains the meaning of the title “The Gift of the Magi.” He informs that the magi were the wise men who brought gifts to the newborn Christ-child, and they were the first to give Christmas gifts. Being wise, their gifts were wise too. But in the story of Della and Jim, they seem to be unwise for each sold the most valuable thing s/he owned in order to buy a gift for the other. But before the readers can judge them unwise, the writer says that of all the people who give Christmas gifts, Della and Jim are the wisest ones, for they gave generously and selflessly, which is the essence of God’s gift of Christ-child to the world. Hence, Della and Jim are the true magi.