“The Gift of the Magi” is O. Henry’s short story that was initially published in 1905 and tells of a young newly-married couple struggling with having to buy each other Christmas gifts while having very little money to spend. Close to Christmas, Della discovers that she has less than $2 to spend on a present for her husband, Jim, and opts for selling her gorgeous hair for $20, and uses the money to purchase a platinum pocket watch chain for her husband. It eventually turns out that her husband was also struggling and sold his pocket watch to buy Della a set of ornate hair combs, which she won’t use for a long time because she cut her hair. Similarly, Jim would have no use for the watch chain. Situational irony is a well-known technique that the author uses to underline the unexpected outcome of the story. Also, symbolism is another tool used to comment on the value of gifts that the young couple gives one another.
Situational irony is a powerful literary tool that shapes O. Henry’s short story and its moral underpinnings. The irony of the story is that both husband and wife, Jim and Della, decide to part with their most valuable possessions. Jim’s pocket watch had sentimental value as it was passed in his family from one generation to another. Della’s hair is a symbol of her beauty, and both she and her husband were very proud of their beautiful hair. The contradiction between what the reader expects to occur at the end of the story is juxtaposed to what really happens, thus creating situational irony. The main assumption of the story is that Della’s sacrifice to sell her hair and purchase a beautiful watch chain would bring her great joy by witnessing her husband’s pleasure with a very expensive gift that would also hold sentimental value. The irony of the story is that there is no longer a watch that could be used with the chain, and there is no longer beautiful hair to brush with a set of luxurious combs.
The symbolism of O. Henry’s story should be considered from the perspective of the tangible things involved in the plot. For example, the watch that had been in Jim’s family for centuries is a symbolic representation of the family in which he grew up. The author writes, “Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim’s gold watch that had been his father’s and grandfather’s […] Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled his pocket watch every time he passes, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy” (O. Henry, 2009, p. 5). The description of the man’s prized watch signifies that he placed immense value on it and felt better himself from being the owner of such a luxurious item. As Jim leaves his family to make a new one with the woman he loves, and the symbolic tie to the family weakens, and so is the attachment to the watch that allows him to make the decision of selling it. Jim’s family is now Della, and no matter how valuable and sentimental the family watch is to him, its sacrifice is made to make the young wife happy.
The second prized possession of the Youngs was Della’s hair, which is described to be of great beauty: “Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out of the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty’s jewels and gifts” (O. Henry, 2009, p. 5). Della’s hair is a symbol of youth and beauty and is the most valuable thing of which she is proud because she and her husband are penniless. The young woman’s beautiful hair reaches down below her knees, which means that she must have begun growing it very young. Besides, the sentimental value that the young woman had toward her hair went in contrast with the hairdresser’s brusque evaluation of the locks’ dollar value. The decision to sell the hair is a symbolic representation of her acknowledging the fact that she is a woman and a wife and that some sacrifices will be inevitably made to make her husband happy.
“The Gift of the Magi” is a story of sacrifice and love, and the irony of which lies in giving up the most prized possessions to make the loved one happy, although the outcome turns out to be not as anticipated. The fact that Jim got Della tortoiseshell combs means that he did not expect his wife to sell her hair, which symbolizes her youth and beauty. The fact that Della purchased a platinum watch chain implies that she did not expect her husband to sell the watch, thus signifying his attachment and loyalty to his family.
Reference
O. Henry. (2009). The gift of the magi. The Floating Press.