The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Character List
- Della Dillingham Young. Up until the gift-giving climax, Della is the only fully realized character in the story. ...
- Jim Dillingham Young. As the “lord of the flat,” Jim is Della’s twenty-two year old husband who can barely afford their cheap, ramshackle apartment.
- Madame Sofronie. ...
Full Answer
Who does Magi refer to in gift of the Magi?
The title of the story”The Gift of Magi” is symbolic to the biblical reference to the three wise men or magi, who were present at the birth of baby Jesus so they could give their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and myrrh to the Baby Jesus. Though the gifts being simple in nature their carried a spiritual meaning rather than a material one.
Who is the protagonist in 'the gift of the Magi'?
In " The Gift of the Magi ," the main character of the story is Della, and, she is the main protagonist. O. Henry writes the story giving her perspective. He relates her feelings and her ...
What are character traits of della in the gift of the Magi?
Foremost, the reader knows him to be a kind and loving husband; Della thinks the world of him and would not have sacrificed her hair for him otherwise. O. Henry also portrays Jim as being hard-working to make ends meet for his family. The young man is tired and stressed with worry about providing for his young bride.
How is Magi pronounced in the gift of the Magi?
Pronunciation of gift of the magi with 1 audio pronunciations 1 rating rating ratings Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it.
Who is the characters of The Gift of the Magi?
There are three characters in the story "The Gift of the Magi": Della Dillingham Young, her husband Jim, and Madame Sofronie. Della and Jim are a young married couple who want to give each other special Christmas gifts. Mme. Sofronie is the owner of a hair shop where Della sells her hair to pay for a gift for Jim.
Who is main character in lesson the Gift of Magi?
The two main characters in "The Gift of the Magi" are Jim and Della Young, a young married couple without much money. Ironically, Della sells her hair to buy a watch chain for Jim's watch, and Jim sells his watch to buy a beautiful comb and brush set for Della's hair.
Who is the character in the story?
A character is any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work. Characters are essential to a good story, and it is the main characters that have the greatest effect on the plot or are the most affected by the events of the story.
What is the character sketch of Della?
She's described as young, affectionate, selfless, and somewhat hysterical, requiring Jim to comfort her when she's upset. She cares deeply for Jim, and the story revolves around her predicament of procuring a worthy Christmas present for him when she's only saved $1.87 throughout the year.
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Why does Jim sacrifice his watch?
In turn, Jim does his best to provide for Della, and he even willingly sacrifices his prized watch in order to buy Della a beautiful set of combs for her hair. Della compares Jim to the platinum watch chain by indicating that both possess “quietness and value.”.
What does Della do to Jim?
Della loves Jim deeply, and her selfless decision to sacrifice for hair in order to buy him a gift grants her, at least in the narrator’s eyes, a wisdom on par with the biblical Magi. For the Dillingham Youngs, misfortune and poverty are temporary states; though their gifts are functionally useless at present, Della knows ...
Why does Jim buy Della the combs?
Jim’s decision to sell his watch in order to buy Della the combs suggests that his love for her transcends their material circumstances. Rather than using the money he gets for selling the watch to buy something practical, like the new coat or gloves that he needs, Jim buys a purely ornamental gift solely because it will make Della happy. Furthermore, despite his initial surprise at finding Della’s hair gone, he is quick to reassure her that his love is not so fickle as to be deterred by a change in her appearance. His selfless intentions and unconditional affection mirror those of Della, and the good humor with which Jim greets the revelation that he and Della have cancelled out each other’s gifts reinforces the purity of their love.
What does Jim's decision to sell his watch in order to buy Della the combs suggest?
Jim’s decision to sell his watch in order to buy Della the combs suggests that his love for her transcends their material circumstances.
Who is Della's husband?
James “Jim” Dillingham Young is Della’s husband. Though he is only twenty-two years old, he is very thin and serious-looking, troubled by poverty and “burdened with a family.” In spite of his circumstances, however, he has a happy and loving relationship with his wife. Together, they have turned their eight-dollar-a-week apartment into a sanctuary of warmth and hope. Jim works long hours for minimal pay, but Della always greets him with an affectionate hug when he arrives home. In turn, Jim does his best to provide for Della, and he even willingly sacrifices his prized watch in order to buy Della a beautiful set of combs for her hair.
What is Della's point of view?
Della is the protagonist of the story, and the narrative follows her point of view. As such, readers are given access to her oftentimes tumultuous emotions, ranging from grief to joy to fear. Her “feminine change to hysterical tears and wails” in the aftermath of receiving the combs encapsulates her predilection for dramatics. However, though she is prone to outbursts of emotion, Della also proves to be both resourceful and optimistic. After lamenting her meager savings with which to purchase Jim’s gift, she arrives at the creative solution of selling her hair. The narrator also emphasizes her “bright and ardent spirit” as she presents Jim with his new watch chain, her smile undimmed by the realization that she cannot put her new combs to use just yet. Della loves Jim deeply, and her selfless decision to sacrifice for hair in order to buy him a gift grants her, at least in the narrator’s eyes, a wisdom on par with the biblical Magi. For the Dillingham Youngs, misfortune and poverty are temporary states; though their gifts are functionally useless at present, Della knows that her hair will someday grow back, representing the young couple’s shared hopes for their future.
Who are the main characters in the gift of the Magi?
In this lesson, we'll look at Jim and Della , the main characters in O. Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi'. We'll see what makes them so lovable and selfless, as evidenced by the Christmas gifts they buy for each other. Updated: 09/01/2020
What do Della and Jim buy each other for Christmas?
Let's review. In '' The Gift of the Magi ,'' a short story by O.Henry, Della and Jim are a newlywed couple who know what they want to buy each other for Christmas, but don't have enough money for that special gift. Della sells her long hair to buy Jim a watch chain, which she describes as possessing quietness and value, just like Jim. Meanwhile, Jim buys Della some hair combs. When he realizes that they've both sold their most valued possessions in order to buy each other a now useless gift, he is the first to laugh. ''Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them awhile,'' Jim says, indicating that the love and selflessness that he and Della share are the best gifts they could have given each other.
What does Della say about Jim?
We don't know as much about Jim, since we only see him briefly in ''The Gift of the Magi.'' But from Della's perspective, we learn that he is a wonderful man. They had visions of grandeur when he was earning $30 per week, but have started to lose faith in those visions now that Jim's income has dropped. When Della finds the watch chain, she describes it as possessing ''quietness and value,'' just like Jim.
What does Della worry about when she finds a present for Jim?
After happily finding a present for Jim, Della doesn't fret over her the loss of her hair. She only worries what Jim will think. Although she may seem a little silly spinning about, we quickly grow to love her for her selfless feelings for her husband.
Who wrote the book The Four Million?
Ch 2. The Four Million by O. Henry
Why does Della cry?
When Della falls into a crying fit, it isn't due to self-pity for their poor circumstances, but because she only has $1.87 to buy her husband a present. When Della realizes that she can sell her hair for money, she only allows ''a tear or two'' to splash ''on the worn red carpet.''
Della
Della is the first character who appears in the short story and the one whose perspective the narrator uses most of the time.
Outer characterization
Her outer characterization presents Della’s key feature and the element which becomes very important in the story – her hair:
Inner characterization
Della’s inner characterization initially reveals that she is distressed because of her poor financial situation and because she does not have enough money to buy her husband Jim a beautiful present: “Only $ 1.87 to buy a gift for Jim. Her Jim. She had had many happy hours planning something nice for him. Something nearly good enough.
What is the gift of the Magi?
For the gifts presented to Jesus, see Gifts of the Magi. For other uses, see The Gift of the Magi (disambiguation). " The Gift of the Magi " is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge ...
Who wrote the songs for the gift of the Magi?
The special features several original songs written by songwriter Paul Williams. An off-Broadway musical version entitled The Gifts of the Magi premiered at Lamb's Theatre in New York City in 1984. Written by Mark St. Germain and Randy Courts, the play is regularly produced in schools and regional theaters.
What is the name of the movie that was based on the story of the Magi?
The Gift of the Magi (2004) Raincoat (2004) For the First Time (2010) Love, a French movie, based some of its scenes on this story. Darovete na vlahvite (2013) directed by Ivan Abadjiev. The Gift of the Magi (2014) The Greek film directed by Ismene Daskarolis places it in the economic crisis of contemporary Greece.
What Christmas special did Ernie and Bert do?
In the 1978 Christmas special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, Ernie and Bert do a parody of "The Gift of the Magi". Ernie gives up his Rubber Duckie to buy Bert a cigar box to put his paperclip collection in, and Bert gives up his paperclip collection to get Ernie a soap dish to put his Rubber Duckie in.
What episode of Adventures in Odyssey is Madge and Guy?
Radio drama series Adventures in Odyssey features a comedic adaptation of this story in its episode "Gifts for Madge & Guy" (1987).
Where was the story of the Magi written?
It was allegedly written at Pete's Tavern on Irving Place in New York City. The story was initially published in The New York Sunday World under the title "Gifts of the Magi" on December 10, 1905. It was first published in book form in the O. Henry Anthology The Four Million in April 1906.
What episode does Amy Wong sell her hair to a wigmaker?
A parody appears in the 1999 Futurama episode " Xmas Story " , in which Zoidberg gives Amy Wong a set of combs, only for her to reveal that she sold her hair to a wigmaker in order to buy a set of combs for Hermes Conrad, who then reveals that he sold his hair to a wigmaker in order to buy a set of combs for Zoidberg.
What is the gift of Magi?
Verbal Irony. Dramatic Irony. Situational Irony. Allusions. Hyperbole. Metaphors, Personification, and Similes. The Gift of Magi is a short story written by an American short story writer, William Sydney Porter. He has written his literary works under the pen name of O’ Henry. This story was first published in 1905.
What is the meaning of the story "The Gift of Christmas"?
It is a sentimental tale of a financially upset couple. Both of them sold out their prized possessions in order to buy presents for each other for Christmas. In the end, their gifts become useless. This story is written in the 19th century highlighting the economic disturbance of those times.
What does Jim's gold watch represent?
Jim’s gold watch has passed down to him through generations. This expresses the sentiments of Jim’s ties to his family. Moreover, it also symbolizes his love for Della and the time he spent working to support the household.
Where does the story of the sailor take place?
However, the location and time period is not explicitly mentioned. But one can assume that the story is set in the early 1900s in New York.
Della
Della is the loving, warm, selfless, and occasionally hysterical heroine of the story. Della's...
Madame Sofronie
Madame Sofronie is the owner of a hair shop, which, we are told, sells "hair goods of all kinds"...
