Love: Love is the central theme in The Gift of Magi. Living in abject poverty, Jim and Della sell their most prized possessions in order to afford Christmas gifts for one another. Their actions demonstrate their willingness to sacrifice material goods for their love.
What are the themes in The Gift of Magi?
The main themes in “The Gift of the Magi” are generosity, love, and wealth . Generosity: Generosity drives both Jim and Della, who, despite living in poverty, want to give each other meaningful gifts.
What is the main meaning of the gift of magi?
“The Gift of the Magi” is about a young couple who sacrifice everything they have of value to give each other the best Christmas present . ... The gifts the magi gave to Jesus must have been wise too (as the narrator of “The Gift of the Magi” suggests at the end of the story).
What is the theme of The Gift of the Magi quizlet?
The theme of the story is love and sacrifice . In the story, each character shows love towards one another by sacrificing what they had for each other. This shows that the best gift is not an item, but true love.
Which theme is best expressed in The Gift of the Magi?
Which theme is best expressed in “The Gift of the Magi”? True love is thoughtful and considerate .
What is the theme of a story?
The term theme can be defined as the underlying meaning of a story. It is the message the writer is trying to convey through the story . Often the theme of a story is a broad message about life. The theme of a story is important because a story's theme is part of the reason why the author wrote the story.
What's the meaning of theme in literature?
A literary theme is the main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a novel, short story, or other literary work . The theme of a story can be conveyed using characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination of all of these elements.
What does the platinum chain symbolize in The Gift of the Magi?
Chain. Like the combs, the watch chain is a symbol of the wife's love for her husband . She has just as much emotional attachment to her hair as he did to his watch. Yet she gave it up willingly to purchase the one thing she thought would bring her husband happiness.
What is the symbolism behind the three gifts of the Magi?
The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth , frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. This dates back to Origen in Contra Celsum: “gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God.”
What is the theme of the story quizlet?
A theme is a message about life or human nature that is developed in a story . In most stories, the theme is not stated directly, but must be inferred by readers.
Do you agree that love and sacrifice is the theme of the story The Gift of the Magi Why?
When they revealed their gifts for each other they could not help but cry because both of them realized that they are so in love that they are ready to sacrifice everything they had for the happiness of their better halves . That's why love and sacrifice is the main theme of the story.
What could best serve as the theme of a story about holiday gift giving?
Which could best serve as the theme of a story about holiday gift giving? The value of a gift is not in its price, but rather in its sentiment. Giving homemade gifts is better than giving store bought gifts. Miriam painted a picture of the ocean to gift to her brother for Hanukkah.
What theme do Della actions in this sentence best suggest?
What theme do Della's actions in this sentence best suggest? Sacrifice is more important than true love. Sacrifice for a loved one is not always easy. Sacrifice is part of a life lived to the very fullest.
How are Della and Jim the wisest of all who give and receive gifts?
The narrator then says they are “the wisest” of all who give and receive gifts. ... They are the wisest because they bought each other expensive gifts to show that they love each other a lot.
Why do you think the story compares Jim and Della to the Magi?
The narrator might refer as Della and Jim as the Magi because they both get thoughtful and wise gifts to each other like the Magi gave thoughtful and wise gifts to Jesus . ... Their sacrifices for each other made them wise, therefor are compared to the three wise men.
Whats is a theme?
In contemporary literary studies, a theme is a central topic, subject, or message within a narrative . ... The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an idea or point that is central to a story, which can often be summed in a single word (for example, love, death, betrayal).
What is a theme example?
Theme Definition
The theme of a story or poem will be explored through elements like characters, plot, settings, conflict, and even word choice and literary devices. Theme describes the central idea(s) that a piece of writing explores. ... Justice , for example, is a theme that shows up in a lot of classical works.
How do you decide what the theme of a story is?
- Seek Universal Themes. ...
- Choose a Theme That Sticks With Your Reader. ...
- Start With Another Story Element. ...
- Create an Outline. ...
- Weave Your Theme Throughout the Narrative. ...
- Include Multiple Themes. ...
- Don't Limit Yourself.
How do you find a theme?
the idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject—the writer's view of the world or a revelation about human nature. To identify the theme, be sure that you've first identified the story's plot , the way the story uses characterization, and the primary conflict in the story.
What is the theme of this poem?
Theme is the lesson about life or statement about human nature that the poem expresses. To determine theme, start by figuring out the main idea. Then keep looking around the poem for details such as the structure, sounds, word choice, and any poetic devices.
How do you describe a theme in literature?
- Establish Objective Facts First.
- Start Asking Why.
- Ask More Specific Questions.
- Accept a Wide Range of Answers.
- Connect Themes to Real-World Scenarios.
What does James watch signify to him?
Jim's gold watch Symbol Analysis. Jim's watch holds sentimental value for him as well, having been passed down from generation to generation. ... The gold in the watch can also symbolize several things, including purity, money (which the couple lacks), inner value, and permanence.
What is the irony of the story The Gift of the Magi?
In the “Gift of the Magi,” dramatic irony occurs when Della opens the gift from Jim, a set of tortoise shell combs, and briefly forgets that her hair isn't long enough to wear them . Dramatic irony may also occur if a reader guesses in advance that Jim sold his watch to buy the coveted combs.
What is the climax of the gift of Magi?
The climax is when they both get the gifts that they bought for one another . ... The falling action is when they both put away their gifts, celebrate Christmas together, and eat. The rising action is when Della has $1.87 to buy Jim a Christmas present.
What is the purpose of frankincense and myrrh?
In TCM, frankincense and myrrh are both traditional remedies for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis . They often appear in the same prescription in the form of drug pairs. They usually have stronger synergistic effects than single medicines.
What are examples of themes quizlet?
- Courage. These stories have characters. ...
- Hope. Believe in something.
- Peace. The opposite of violence.
- Loyalty. Stand by your friend in good and bad times.
- Friendship. These stories have characters. ...
- Perseverance. These stories have characters. ...
- Dedication. Don't give up.
- Remembrance.
Why is it ironic that Jim buys combs for Della's hair?
Jim gives Della hair combs to pull her long hair back as a Christmas gift. ... This is ironic because Della has cut off all her hair and sold it to buy Jim a gift. She sacrificed her most important possession for Jim.
What message is O'Henry trying to convey about wealth in The Gift of the Magi?
By O. Henry
The main characters are very poor – this is repeatedly emphasized – and yet the story suggests that their love for each other makes them very rich . It is that love, which motivates them to give up the only things of monetary (or personal) value they have to buy presents for each other.
What does the Gift of Magi teach about sacrifice?
The lesson of “The Gift of the Magi” is that a sacrifice is valuable if it is in the service of something greater . When that sacrifice is someone's life, it is up to us to make sure the greater good is achieved. The story reminds us that the most valuable gifts come from love.
As a literary device, theme refers to the central, deeper meaning of a written work. Writers typically will convey the theme of their work, and allow the reader to perceive and interpret it, rather than overtly or directly state the theme. ... Themes are often subject to the reader's perception and interpretation.
What inference can you draw about Della from the following passage?
What inference can you draw about Della from the following passage from “The Gift of the Magi”? “ 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.”
What is the significance of the gift that Jim and Della give to each other on Christmas and the title of the gift of Magi?
The gift which Jesus gave to the magi, and to the world, was love . It is this gift that Jim and Della give to one another, and without which any other gifts are meaningless. The title of O. Henry's story alludes to the popular story of the three “magi” or wise men who visited Baby Jesus soon after his birth.
What main problem does Della face in The Gift of the Magi?
What is Della's problem in the story? She doesn't have enough money to buy a present for Jim.
What is the significance of the gifts that Jim and Della give to each other on Christmas?
Answer: Jim and Della also are anxious to give valuable and precious gifts to each other in order to show how much they love one another . Because of the three magi bearing gifts for the baby Jesus, the tradition of gift giving has been passed down to Christians through the ages.
