The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Gift of the Magi is a classic short story by O. Henry. It tells the story of a young couple, Jim and Della, who are deeply in love but have very little money. Della desperately wants to buy Jim a Christmas present, but she only has two dollars and eighty-seven cents to her name. She decides to sell her beautiful long hair to buy him a chain for his pocket watch. Meanwhile, Jim has sold his watch to buy Della a set of combs for her hair. On Christmas morning, they are both surprised and delighted by each other's gifts. The story is a touching reminder of the power of love and sacrifice.
By O. Henry · First published 1905 · Genre: Short Story, Romance, Fiction · 2,089 words
First lines
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
What this Textopian page supports
The Gift of the Magi is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: O. Henry
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Story, Romance, Fiction, Humor
- Length: 2,089 words
- Structure: 1 section, 67 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Gift of the Magi?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Short Story first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Holly Tree by Charles Dickens
- The Pet by Ellis Parker Butler
- John Charringtons Wedding by Edith Nesbit
- An Offer Of Marriage by Ambrose Bierce
- The Matchmaker by Saki
- No Wedding Bells For Him by P. G. Wodehouse
Genres
- Short Story — The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by O. Henry, making it the most relevant genre.
- Romance — The Gift of the Magi is a story of love and sacrifice between a husband and wife, making it a romantic story.
- Fiction — The Gift of the Magi is a work of fiction, as it is not based on real events or people.
- Humor — The Gift of the Magi contains humorous elements, such as the irony of the couple's gifts to each other.
Tags
love · sacrifice · irony · Christmas · gift · marriage · poverty · selflessness · short story · O. Henry · romance · humor