Everyone deserves a gift on the holidays. They are symbols of love, appreciation, and gratitude. The Gift of the Magi by O Henry talks about a couple who sacrifice their valued belongings to buy each other a nice Christmas gift. The story starts with a woman named Della reflecting sadly on how she would not have enough money to buy her husband Jim a good Christmas gift, seeing as she only had about two dollars. For this reason, she went to a barber who pays people money for their hair, and she cut off $20 worth of hair which made her look extremely embarrassing, and she feels conflicted on how Jim would feel, and if he would still find her pretty. Della ended up buying him a beautiful chain to match with his gold watch that was passed down for centuries. When her husband comes home, he looks at her, stunned. She felt nervous, thinking he found her ugly. Instead, he took out the gift he had for her, which was a set of luxurious combs that she had been wanting for quite some time. Jim reveals that he sold his gold watch in order to afford the combs. Both couples realize right then that both their gifts would not be used for quite some time. The real question here is; was it really worth it? I believe that ultimately, yes, it was worth it.
Both Della’s hair and Jim’s watch symbolize sacrifice, which is a fundamental aspect in a good relationship. What this means is that in a relationship, sacrifices must be made to make things work. Della sacrificed one of her most attractive aspects, that made her unique, that she personally valued very much. Jim sacrificed centuries of tradition and a family heritage that was very significant towards him. This proves that they truly care about each other more than most things in their lives, which clearly shows that their relationship is strengthening instead of being torn apart. This demonstrates their commitment to each other and their willingness to put the other person first. It also shows that they are willing to sacrifice something meaningful in order to make the other person happy, which is a true essence in a relationship. This kind of commitment is essential for any successful relationship and basically shows true love. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of putting in the effort to maintain a strong and healthy bond. This shows that these sacrifices were definitely worth it.
The willingness to give their own valued things up for this relationship leads to better trust. Trust basically means that they truly are able to rely on each other much better after this situation. This basically means that they will certainly trust each other and love each other more from now on, because they realize that gifts are not what makes a relationship stronger, it's what the gift signifies. Both gifts show that they love each other enough to get the other person what they truly want. This trust is essential for any relationship, as it allows them to rely on each other for support and comfort. It will also help them to make better decisions and work together more harmoniously. The initial irony of it makes them trust each other better because they know that they will both strive to get thoughtful gifts for the other, and Della realizes Jim does not love her any less simply because of her outer appearance. This proves that sacrificing some hair and a watch was worth it, because it improved the trust in their relationship.
Hair can be regrown, and watches can be remade, but nothing is more valuable than memories. This situation definitely created a memorable holiday for both of them. Seeing as Della and Jim are lower-class, they can’t afford very nice gifts on a daily basis. If they were able to, neither of them would have to give up anything important for a pleasant gift. However, the funny and coincidental situation will certainly make them laugh in a couple of years, and marks a Christmas in which both of them realize that they don't need expensive gifts to show their love for each other. It is the thought behind the gift that counts the most. Even if neither of them can use their gifts anytime soon, they might eventually use it, and the thoughtfulness behind both gifts are enough to make Della and Jim happy. This is what is most significant, and this shows that ultimately, sacrificing hair and a watch for this situation was definitely worth it.
In conclusion, The Gift of the Magi talks about Jim and Della who sacrifice things that are significant to them in order to get the other a nice Christmas present, that ironically ended up being useless to both of them. The moral of the story is to just talk it through, and that it's not the gift that matters, it’s the meaning behind the gift that truly impacts someone. I believe this story was overall very interesting to read and directs a clear message. To some, it’s rather sad, and to others, it’s funny, but all readers can agree that this story demonstrates a truly ironic ending. Although people have varied opinions on whether these sacrifices were worth it, we can all say that this story truly had a funny twist to it. I think if neither of the two had made a sacrifice, or only one of them had, the story would not be as good because of the simple fact that this would just be a regular Christmas with no sort of specialty to it, and a rather boring tale to tell. Overall, this story covered many themes, and it is definitely something worth rereading during the winter holidays.
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