“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry Essay Sample free essay sample

â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† ( 1906 ) remains one of the most recognizable and often anthologized narratives in American literature. In its clip the narrative was highly popular. both commercially and critically. and O. Henry was called the â€Å"Yankee Maupaussant. † Today the narrative is considered juvenilia and has non garnered much serious critical attending. â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† ab initio appeared in one of O. Henry’s best-known aggregation of narratives. The Four Million. which was published in 1906. Plot and Major Fictional charactersOn Christmas Eve. a immature married adult female named Della has cut and sold her long. beautiful hair to gain the remainder of the money she needs for her husband’s Christmas nowadays: a Pt concatenation for his cherished ticker. When her hubby. Jim. returns to their flat. he is shocked to see her hair gone ; he has sold his ticker to purchase her a brace of tortoise-shell combs for her long hair. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† by O. Henry Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Touched by his contemplation. Della assures him that her hair will turn back and she gives him the ticker concatenation. When he sees the gift. he fondly tells her that he has sold his precious ticker to purchase her the combs for her hair. The narrative concludes with an all-knowing storyteller praising the forfeit and love of the immature twosome. Major SubjectsCritics have noted the sarcasm of the immature twosome giving their most treasured possessions—Della’s hair and Jim’s watch—in order to purchase each other gifts related to those same ownerships. Poverty is besides a outstanding subject. as Della saved her money for months to purchase the Pt ticker concatenation. but she still had to cut and sell her beautiful hair. The descriptions of the environments and the couple’s vesture besides underscore the need of the characters in the narrative. As O. Henry was categorized as a realist. â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† has been perceived as an reliable. anecdotal expression at low-class American life near the bend of the century. The narrative is besides thought to represent the author’s involvement in the elements of surprise and trick terminations. as the impact of the common forfeit is non revealed until the decision of the narrative. Critical ReceptionUpon its publication in The Four Million. â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† caught the attending of the American populace every bit good as referees. It was often mentioned as a premier illustration of O. Henry’s work and has appeared in several anthologies of American short narratives. Yet the narrative has largely failed to pull serious critical analysis. There has been some argument as to the beginning of â€Å"The Gift of the Magi. † and a recent critic. John A. Rea. has determined where the plotline for the narrative originated. Many observers consider the narrative more of an anecdote. devoid of complex characters and subjects. Recently â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† has been classified and republished as a narrative for kids. Despite the deficiency of considerable critical attending. most literary bookmans still see it one of the best Yule narratives of all time written.