Flashcards for The Gift of the Magi

Della Dillingham Young

Della Dillingham Young is the female lead in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and serves as the story's emotional core.

character

Jim Dillingham Young

Jim Dillingham Young is Della's husband and one of the two main characters in O. Henry's cherished short story.

character

Madame Sofronie

Madame Sofronie is a minor yet crucial character in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi."

character

The Narrator

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," the Narrator acts as an all-knowing, intrusive storyteller whose warm, ironic voice shapes the reader's experience of the tale.

character

“And here I have lamely related 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.”

This closing line comes from the narrator of O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi (1905), who speaks directly to the reader in the last paragraphs.

Narrator

“Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail.”

This line comes at a pivotal moment in O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi" (1905).

Narrator (O. Henry) · N/A (single-chapter short story)

“For there lay The Combs—the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped for long in a Broadway window.”

This line comes near the climax of O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi (1905), narrated in the third person as Jim presents Della with her Christmas gift.

Third-person narrator

“But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.”

This closing line is delivered by the omniscient narrator in O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi (1905).

Omniscient Narrator

“Will you buy my hair? asked Della.”

In O. Henry's beloved short story The Gift of the Magi (1905), this significant line is delivered by Della Young to Madame Sofronie, the owner of a hair goods shop.

Della Young

“Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.”

This line comes at a pivotal moment in O. Henry's cherished short story "The Gift of the Magi" (1905), told from a third-person perspective.

Narrator (third-person) · N/A (single-chapter short story)

“One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.”

These lines introduce O. Henry's beloved short story "The Gift of the Magi" (1905), told from a third-person omniscient perspective as it reveals Della Dillingham Young's desperate financial struggles.

Narrator (third-person omniscient) · Opening paragraph

“She had a habit of saying little silent prayers about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: 'Please, God, make him think I am still pretty.'”

This line refers to Della in O. Henry's cherished short story The Gift of the Magi (1905).

Della (narrated about her) · N/A (single-chapter short story)

“O and here I have lamely related 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. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.”

This closing passage is delivered by the unnamed omniscient narrator in O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi (1905).

Omniscient Narrator · Final section

“The Magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger.”

This closing line is delivered by the omniscient narrator of O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi (1905), and it speaks directly to the reader in the final paragraphs.

Omniscient Narrator · N/A (single-chapter short story)

Della's Hair

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," Della's beautiful, flowing hair is her most treasured possession—the one thing that rises above her poverty.

Jim's Gold Watch

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," Jim's gold watch stands for inherited pride, material legacy, and the painful struggle between worldly value and love.

The Christmas Gifts

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," the Christmas gifts—Jim's sold watch chain and Della's purchased combs—highlight the complexity of selfless love.

The Magi

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," the Magi—the wise men from the Bible who brought gifts to baby Jesus—represent the ultimate selfless love and wisdom.

Metaphor

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," metaphor subtly influences our perception of both poverty and devotion.

Tone

O. Henry maintains a gently ironic tone throughout "The Gift of the Magi" that prevents sentiment from becoming overly sentimental.

Hyperbole

In "The Gift of the Magi," O. Henry uses hyperbole to transform the couple's poverty and their belongings into something almost mythical, amplifying the emotional stakes of their situation.

Irony

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," irony drives the entire structure of the story.

Allusion

O. Henry fills "The Gift of the Magi" with biblical references, especially in the story's closing lines, where the narrator calls Jim and Della "the wisest" of all gift-givers and refers to them as "the magi."

Foreshadowing

In "The Gift of the Magi," O. Henry weaves foreshadowing so subtly that its true significance only becomes clear in hindsight.

Situational Irony

Situational irony drives O. Henry's story, peaking in the final moments of Christmas Eve.

Symbolism

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," symbolism turns two everyday items — Della's hair and Jim's watch — into vessels of profound meaning.

Imagery

In "The Gift of the Magi," O. Henry uses sensory imagery to bring the couple's poverty and devotion to life in a way that feels immediate and personal.

parsimony

Extreme unwillingness to spend money; stinginess taken to an almost painful degree. Here it describes the miserly, cautious way every penny has been saved.

noun · Chapter 1

instigates

Brings about or sets something in motion, often used of a cause that triggers a chain of events. In this story it refers to what first sets off the action.

verb · Chapter 1

vestibule

A small entrance hall or lobby just inside the front door of a building, acting as a buffer between outside and the main rooms.

noun · Chapter 1

depreciate

To lose value or worth over time. Here it is used to describe how something precious might be considered less worthy by comparison.

verb · Chapter 1

coveted

Greatly desired, especially something belonging to someone else or something one has longed for intensely over a long period.

adjective · Chapter 1

meretricious

Falsely attractive; having a showy, cheap appeal that is superficially pleasing but ultimately without real value or worth.

adjective · Chapter 1

ravages

The severe and destructive effects caused by something, such as time or hardship, that leaves lasting damage or deterioration in its wake.

noun · Chapter 1

nimble

Quick and light in movement or action; agile and deft, especially with the hands or fingers when performing a delicate task.

adjective · Chapter 1

fob

A small ornamental attachment or chain connected to a pocket watch, used to pull it from the pocket and often decorative in nature.

noun · Chapter 1

cascade

A large, flowing mass of something falling or hanging loosely downward, here used to describe long hair falling in a rippling, waterfall-like wave.

noun · Chapter 1

chaste

Simple and unadorned in design; restrained and pure in style without unnecessary decoration or ornamentation.

adjective · Chapter 1

scrutiny

Close, careful, and critical examination or inspection of something, looking at every detail with great attention.

noun · Chapter 1

inconsequential

Of little or no importance; too trivial or minor to matter or have any meaningful effect on a situation.

adjective · Chapter 1

Magi

The wise men from the East in the biblical Christmas story who brought gifts to the infant Jesus; used here as a symbol of the origin of the tradition of giving gifts.

noun · Chapter 1

imputation

An accusation or suggestion that someone is guilty of something, or the attribution of a fault or wrongdoing to a person.

noun · Chapter 1