The gift of the Magi

Irony Essay In the short story The Gift of Magi, written by O. Henry, you are introduced to Della. A young wife who is determined to buy her husband, Jim, a Christmas gift. However, when the families’ income was cut back, Della tried to make her $1.87, which was her total savings, enough to buy Jim a gift before Christmas. With Christmas being tomorrow, she tries to figure out what she is going to do. She sits on her couch clutching to what is all she has. Her small amount of savings reminds her that she doesn’t have enough to get him what she wanted. She wanted to get Jim something one of a kind, and wonderful, something sterling. Trying to figure out a plan, she stands up and wanders around the room. She passes a cheap hanging mirror on the wall. While she was looking in the reflection, she lets her hair out from being pulled up. Her beautiful brown hair falls like a waterfall just below her knees. While she was admiring her beauty she had a sudden realization to her money problem. She let a few tears stream down her cheek as she grabs her coat and runs out the door and down the street. Later that night, sitting on the corner of the table, she waited with an anxious feeling for Jim to return home. When she heard her husband’s footsteps draw nearer to the door, she said a little prayer. “Please God, make him think I am still pretty.” When Jim walks in he has a strange expression on his face when he sees his wife. “Jim, don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present.” Just hours before Jim came home, Della went to the store down the street and had her hair cut and sold for $20. With her $21.87 she bought him a platinum fob chain for his pocket watch that has been handed down for generations. Jim reaches in his coat pocket and pulls out a gift. “If you’ll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first.” To Della’s amazement it was