Setting: The Gift of the Magi takes place in a furnished flat in New

York City, the day before Christmas, December 24, 1906.

Characters/ Characterization:

Jim Dillingham- The husband of Della Dillingham. He is a hardworking

and reliable person who is good to his wife Della. He is a round and
dynamic character.

Della Dillingham- A loving wife whod do anything to please her

husband Jim. She is a round and dynamic character.

Madame Sofronie- She is the owner of hair shop that buys and sells
wig. She is a flat and static character.

Exposition: Tomorrow would be Christmas Day. Della wanted to get Jim

a gift for Christmas.

Rising Action: Della saved every extra penny, but after expenses she
only has $1.87. She had no money to buy Jim a gift. There was nothing
to do but fall on the bed and cry, so Della did it.

Climax: Della finished her crying and clean the marks of Its from her
face and Della makes the decision to cut her hair for money. Della got
$20 for hair and she bought chain for watch that cost $21.

Falling Action: Della held the watch chain in her hand and sat near the
door where Jim always entered. She often said little prayers quietly
about simple everyday things and when the door opened Jim is very
angry because Della cut her hair to buy Jim a chain for his watch.

Resolution: Jim had sold his watch to buy Della expensive combs for her
hair.
Point of view: Third Person Limited. The entire story the narrator is the
one describing the events and he also tells the reader how the
characters look and their home

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jimand no one else.
There was no other like it in any of thestores, and she had turned all of
them inside out. It was aplatinum fobchain simple and chaste in design,
properlyproclaiming its value by substance alone and not
bymeretriciousornamentationas all good things should do. Itwas
even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knewthat it must
be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness andvaluethe description applied
to both. Twenty-one dollarsthey took from her for it, and she hurried
home with the 87cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be
properlyanxious about the time in any company. Grand as the
watchwas, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of theold
leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

Theme: The theme of love is shown through the selfless actions of both Della and Jim. Each,
through a showing of love for the other, sells their most valuable possessions in order to
purchase Christmas gifts for their spouse. Della sells her hair in order to buy Jim a chain for his
watch on the other hand Jim sells his watch to buy an expensive combs for Della.

Conflict:

Man Vs Man First, there is a conflict of love. Both Jim and Della want to out do one another in
love. They want to express their love in a way that accurately shows the depth of their love for
one another. So, they both sell what they prize the most to express and show their love to one
another. Della sells her hair and gives to Jim a chain for his watch and Jim sells his watch to
give Della combs for her hair. In light of this, they sought to show their love in extravagant ways.

Man Vs. Society-Second ,

what made these acts of love difficult was that they
were poor. The open lines of the story shows their poverty, as Della
counts the pennies that she possessed and saved.
Lesson of the story: Love and Sacrifice. They love each other and they
are willing to sacrifice or sell their most prized possessions for their love ones.

Literary Criticism: For me, the story is very interesting to read. The story
of the gift of the magi is all about love. Della and Jim is a couple and
there are poor. If Im the author I suggest that in the beginning the only
gift that Della will give to Jim in a Christmas is not a chain of watch.
Della will give her loyalty and love to him. Della will save her money or
her $1.87 in her bank so that if she want to buy something she have a
money to buy it and also she have a long beautiful hair. In the end,
Della and Jim are happy in the Christmas Day.