Literary Analysis of "The Gift of the Magi"

Literary Analysis of The Gift of the Magi The twists and turns of the plot as it unfolds within O. Henry 's “The Gift of the Magi” are what simply captivate the reader in such a short amount of pages. The story of Jim and Della on a cold Christmas Eve at the turn of 20th century America is centered around what is remarkably relevant to what many readers have experienced in their own lives; the inevitable stresses, sacrifices, and joys of the holiday season. Strapped for cash and wanting to give her beloved husband the most luxurious gift for Christmas to express her deep passion for him, we are immediately introduced to the initial situation at hand. With only a dollar and some change to spend on Jim, Della is forced into a situation where she must find a way to acquire the appropriate funds to spend on Jim 's gift, but how? This is what leads us to the major conflict of the short story. Though in a more traditional style, a story will introduce you to a situation and will then carry out events that eventually lead to a major conflict. Instead, in O. Henry 's unorthodox style of telling his story, the narrator puts the reader in the midst of an issue that must be resolved. It is said that the hardscrabble couple have only two things that are considered of any high value; Jim 's gold watch and Della 's luscious locks of hair, or “cascade of brown waters” (185) as her hair is referred to. With this in mind, Della decides, after lengthy tearful contemplation, that she must sell her hair and risk her beauty in exchange for the money to buy Jim 's gift. Though this decision has led to the solution of the original situation at hand of how Della will find money for her gift, it has ultimately led to the most considerable conflict of the story that is the question of whether or not Jim will appreciate her gift, or be upset at the cost of the gift. The most suspenseful part of the story comes during the rising action and complication within the scene where Della