Symbolism in the Gift of the Magi by O Henry

¶ … Value of Sacrifice in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"

The short story by O. Henry entitled "The Gift of the Magi" is about Della and Jim, a very young couple who want to buy a Christmas gift for one another -- but neither has the money to afford it; so each sells his/her most prized possession: Della cuts off her hair and sells it, and Jim sells his watch. Ironically, the gifts that they buy one another are related to the most prized possessions each has sold: Jim buys combs for Della's hair and Della buys a watch-chain for his watch. O. Henry uses the symbol of the Magi -- the three Wise Men who visited the Christ child on the first Christmas day -- to explain the meaning of Jim and Della's sacrificing and gift-giving, which appears foolish at first glance. What O. Henry states is that their selling of their most precious gifts for the sake of the other was not foolish, but wise -- just like the very first Wise Men to give gifts in honor of the Christ child. The Christ child Himself serves as a symbol that is only gleaned by reading between the lines -- because it is the Christ Who grows up to sacrifice His own life for others, which makes the theme of sacrifice complete in the story.

The point-of-view of the story is the 3rd person omniscient narrator, who sees all and even includes commentary. It can be assumed that this is O. Henry's own personal assessment of this tale, as he is the writer. His own background is this: O. Henry was a short story writer who wrote many short pieces for publication and won a wide following -- but like Jim and Della he was often penniless because he was fired from his job at a bank where he was a careless bookkeeper and his pay for his stories, first from The Rolling Stone and then from the Houston Post was meager. Later he was indicted for embezzlement relating to the bank for which he had first worked, and he fled to escape charges after his bail was posted. He eventually returned and faced trial and spent time in prison as a result -- but he continued writing all the while. Henry had a knack for observing life and representing character and story so faithfully and authentically that he never had any problems cultivating a readership. His stories reflected something genteel, earnest, pure and innocent about American life that people liked. He died in 1910 (Martin, 2016).

If one can read some of O. Henry's life into the story it may be read in the genuine sincerity with which Jim and Della regard one another, for such is the same way that Henry regarded his craft: he cultivated it and was always faithful to it even if his other commitments in life were less effectual. The story itself rises and falls like Henry's own life: it begins with the rising action of Della fretting about what to do, how to make Jim's Christmas a happy one; the matter is complicated by her lack of funds -- she does not know how to acquire money for a gift. Then she hits upon the idea of selling her hair, so she cuts it off and it appears that a resolution to the dilemma has been delivered -- but there is a twist, for the real conflict has not even been revealed yet: it is this -- Jim has purchased a gift of combs for Della's hair and now she no longer has it; moreover, she has purchased a chain for his watch, which he no longer has. The climax appears to be a sad one -- but the two lovers are happy and content and Henry explains why: their gifts to one another are based in mutual love; each sacrificed something he/she both loved dearly that the other might be happy. This makes them both wise, according to Henry, and thus the reader is given a happy resolution to the climax (Henry, 1905).