We created The Gift of the Magi Study Guide for this story to benefit teachers and students. Henry's 1906 short story collection The Four Million. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2017 All rights reserved. It was subsequently published as The Gift of the Magi in O. “The Gift of the Magi” was part of The Four Million, his second short story collection, when it appeared more than 115 years ago. William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) used his pen name, O. The magi were three men that traveled from far away lands in order. Henry’s prose, and the delicacy of his imagination. Henry has three distinct Biblical allusions - the magi, King Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. The single-minded devotion-their profound and profligate endearment-of Jim and Della illuminates the power of O. The magi, as you know, were wise menwonderfully wise menwho brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. You want to be one of them despite their shabby flat and the narrow strictures of a tiny income and the endless prospect of a lesser cut of chops frying in the pan on the back of the tiny stove. James Dillingham Young unselfconsciously give a master class in young love. Henry piece, with achingly real characters slip-sliding through lives shackled by just a touch too much hardship and garlanded with magnificently understated and oh-so-richly-expressed love, such love as never recedes or withers….

Henry fan, you know the whole story of Della and Jim, the two foolish children who sold a beloved gold pocket watch and an entrancing fall of brown hair to buy innocently painful Christmas gifts for each other…even if you’re not an O. ”And here I h ave lamely relat ed to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.”įrom “The Gift of the Magi” in The Four Millionīy O. …achingly real characters, and such love…

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