The Gift of
the Magi

About the title:
"The Gift of the Magi" refers to the gifts the biblical wise men, or
magi, bestowed on the infant Jesus after his birth. In a broader
sense, the title of the story alludes to the wisest gift people can
give to each other to show love—the giving of oneself, rather
than something money can buy.

About the Author:
William Sydney Porter spent his childhood in North
Carolina, where he read voraciously and attended his
aunt’s elementary school. His uncle trained him to
become a pharmacist at nineteen. At twenty, he
moved to Texas to work on a sheep ranch. Soon
afterwards, he worked a number of jobs as a bank
teller, draftsman, and journalist, all while writing on
the side. Sometime after his first marriage to Athol
Estes, he began writing for the Houston Post, but he
was arrested soon afterwards for embezzling funds at
his previous bank position.

About the Author:
He escaped to Honduras, but returned to the United States when he
learned that Estes died from tuberculosis. Porter spent the next three
years in prison, where he wrote and published under various
pseudonyms, the most popular one being “O. Henry.” After his release
from prison, Porter moved to New York City where he wrote most of
his short stories. He died in 1910, at age forty-seven, from
complications that likely arose from his drinking.

Setting:

History
The setting of “Gift of the Magi” likely reflects O. Henry’s location at the time
in New York City. In 1906, New York was still a shipping city, bustling and
packed. There were no skyscrapers yet, and South Street was still an important
commercial district rather than the tourist attraction it would become by the
end of the century. The Williamsburg Bridge had been built just three years
earlier, and the Manhattan Bridge wouldn’t be built for another three years. O.
Henry occupied the city at this point during its transition, and he was
fascinated by all the people who inhabited New York, leading him to title his
second collection of stories The Four Million.

Point of View:
Third person omniscient, with a
focus on Della’s perspective.

Characters:
Jim Young
Young,
struggling
professional;
deeply devoted
to his marriage.
Madame
Safronie
Businesswoman
; profits from
others’
desperation.
Della Young
Young woman
with beautiful
hair; deeply
devoted to her
marriage.
Main Character Minor Character

Characters:
Della: Is a dynamic character because she grew
during the course of the story. She grew in the
story because at first all she wanted was to get
Jim a worthy present, so she was willing to
sacrifice her hair for him. Then later on, she
realizes that Jim would still love her no matter
what. She also realized that Jim sacrificed his
watch for her, so it showed her how much he
cared for her.

Jim: Is a dynamic character because he developed
during the story. Jim grew in the story because he
was so intent on buying something for Della that he
sacrificed his watch in order to the get a present that
she loves. It shows that Jim really cared for Della
because he sacrificed something in order to make her
happy. In the end, he realized that the gifts weren't
important anymore because they both sacrificed
something which meant they loved each other.

Plot:
Exposition

Plot:
Crisis
Della not having enough money to buy Jim a gift,
because of this she cuts her hair to make money so
she can afford a gift for him.

Plot:
Climax

Plot:
Resolution