“The Gift of the Magi” is a Christmas story by the 19th-century American writer O. Henry, a master of miniature laconic narration. The main characters of the story, Della and Jim, are married and, without a doubt, part with the most expensive things to make each other gifts for Christmas. The main characters live in a cheap apartment, and their income is low. Still, the touching love of a young couple works wonders because the smile of a loved one is more expensive than any gold watch or luxurious hair.
The main symbols of the story are tortoiseshell hair combs and a platinum chain for a pocket watch – the symbols of sacrifice and devotion. Gifts are unnecessary: there is no luxurious hair that could be decorated with tortoiseshell combs, and there is no watch that could be hung on a chain. Nevertheless, these gifts are priceless, Jim and Dell gave each other love, spiritual closeness, mutual understanding, and devotion. The story’s symbols embody real human feelings and values, sincere love, and willingness to make sacrifices. O. Henry (1992) writes about the two main characters in this way: “of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the wisest. Everywhere they are the wise ones” (p. 5). These people turned out to be above everything petty and vain. Their gifts turned out to be more important and more valuable than the gifts of the Magi.
If someone were writing the story of my life, a bird would definitely be the present in this story. I believe that an essential attribute of a full-fledged life is freedom and independence. If people depend on someone’s opinion and rely on someone’s words so much that they lose their voice, then this is not life but existence. We are the creators of our destiny and future, and our life is in our hands. We are free to choose the direction we want and go there with our wings spread wide. A bird soaring freely in the sky would become a symbol of my life, a symbol of fearlessness and the desire for uncontrollability.
Reference
Henry, O. (1992). The Gift of the magi and other short stories. Dover Publications.