Irony In The Gift Of The Magi

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The author of “The Gift of the Magi”, O. Henry, uses indirect characterization and situational irony to establish the theme of the story, true love is selfless. To begin, Henry indirectly characterizes Della as a very giving woman, holding true to the theme of selfless love, she is deeply in love with Jim despite their perilous financial situation. Sitting and sobbing in her shabby flat Della counts her money on Christmas Eve, a meager sum. Given her pathetic conditions, she feels as if “life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles “ (Henry, 1905, p.1). Next, Henry goes into detail describing her despair, decreasing wages, begging, and thinning. Although she endures many hardships, Della’s main concern is that “she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present” …show more content…
A person always prioritizes those that they truly love. For example, instead purchasing herself food with the $1.87, she elects to spend every cent of the money on a nice Christmas present for Jim. Della does this not because she is not starving, but because her love for him is selfless. Next, Della and Jim sacrifice their prized possessions for each other, an instance of situational irony that reinforces the theme of “The Gift of the Magi”, love is selfless. First, Della secretly sells her hair in order to afford a present for Jim, later spending hours searching for the ideal gift. Finally, at the time of the gift exchange, she receives an absolutely stunning set of combs from Jim, forcing her to reveal what she has done, “I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present” prompting him to inform her, “I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs” (Henry, 1905, p.1). Secretly selling their own prized possessions in order to buy a presents for each other, the couple realizes the connection they possess is much more precious than anything. Placing the joy of someone else above your own is an immaculate indicator of non
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