On the eve of Christmas, a young married couple - Jim and Della Dillingham - discover that they do not have enough money to buy holiday gifts for each other. Della decides to sell her luxurious chestnut locks (part of the “treasures that were the subject of their common pride”) and buy her husband a platinum chain for his gold watch (the second “treasure”).
In the evening, Jim comes home with a gift for his wife. The young people open the packages, and it turns out that Jim sold his watch to buy an expensive set of combs that Della had long dreamed of. But this does not spoil the holiday of two loving hearts. The Magi, those who brought gifts to the baby in the manger, were, as you know, wise, amazingly wise people. They started the fashion for making Christmas gifts. And since they were wise, their gifts were wise, perhaps even with a stipulated right of exchange in case of unsuitability. And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures. But let it be said for the edification of the sages of our day that of all the donors these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise. Everywhere and everywhere. They are the Magi.
[edit]
Interesting Facts
The story is a reference to biblical stories- the main characters are compared to the wise men who came to the newborn Jesus; it is said that “if the Queen of Sheba lived in the house opposite, Della, after washing her hair, would certainly dry her loose hair at the window - especially in order to make all the outfits and decorations of her Majesty fade,” and King Solomon himself would envy Jim’s watch . Apparently, such comparisons mean that if all the legendary kings had a lot of material treasures, then the Dillingham family has no less spiritual wealth.
Much is built on contrast - the house married couple old, sir, surrounding reality also not very bright. However, Jim and Della seem to “color” the world with their love, and the reader does not get a gloomy, uncomfortable feeling.
Episode 9 of Season 11 of The Simpsons is titled "Grift of the Magi", which is one of the many allusions to the story.
In the Futurama episode Xmas Story, the characters buy each other hair combs for Christmas, selling their hair in the process.
In 2010, in New York, to support Russian-speaking writers from all over the world, literary prize named after O. Henry “The Gifts of the Magi.” The guideline for encouraging authors is O. Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi” and the formula: love + voluntary sacrifice + unexpected outcome.
According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound,” - this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking of something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something at least a little worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” – she whispered, hearing Jim’s footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most prized possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also ardently wanted to do the most best gift your beloved to make her dream come true. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..."
The ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
O. Henry only in last paragraph the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains the author’s digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up a treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to give him (or her) the greatest pleasure on a holiday, is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
- Human soul, her suffering and torment, pangs of conscience, moral decline, and the spiritual rebirth of man have always interested F. M. Dostoevsky. In his works there are many characters endowed with a truly reverent and sensitive heart, people who are kind by nature, but for one reason or another find themselves at the moral bottom, have lost respect for themselves as individuals, or have sunk their soul into morally. Some of these heroes never rise to the same level, but become real […]
- The long-awaited one has arrived New year's night. A night that has been awaited since the very beginning of the year. After all, many after celebrating New Year, they begin to wait for the next one, because New Year's Eve is filled with love for loved ones, faith in a better tomorrow, and hopes. So we gathered as a family for festive table. And at such moments, I involuntarily begin to remember everything that I have experienced this year. This is also my first solo bike ride, something I’ve been dreaming about for several years, but couldn’t accomplish. This is also the first independent [...]
- Creative person due to her emotionality, she is not at all protected from the realities of life, and Tsvetaeva’s biography is proof of this. Poetess Tsvetaeva Marina Ivanovna was born in Moscow on September 26, 1892. Her mother was a talented pianist and came from a Polish-German family, her father was a famous philologist and art critic, at the time of her daughter’s birth he was a professor at Moscow University, later he became the director Rumyantsev Museum and founded the Museum of Fine Arts. Previously, the poetess’s childhood took place in [...]
- At the literature lesson we got acquainted with the work of N.V. Gogol " Dead Souls" This poem gained great popularity. The work was repeatedly filmed both in the Soviet Union and in modern Russia. Also, the names of the main characters have become symbolic: Plyushkin is a symbol of stinginess and storage of unnecessary things, Sobakevich is an uncouth person, Manilovism is immersion in dreams that have no connection with reality. Some phrases have become catchphrases. The main character of the poem is Chichikov. […]
- In the work of early Gorky there is a combination of romanticism and realism. The writer criticized " lead abominations» Russian life. In the stories “Chelkash”, “The Orlov Spouses”, “Once Upon a Time in Autumn”, “Konovalov”, “Malva”, he created images of “tramps”, people broken by the existing system in the state. The writer continued this line in the play “At the Bottom.” In the story “Chelkash,” Gorky shows two heroes, Chelkash and Gavrila, and the clash of their views on life. Chelkash is a tramp and a thief, but at the same time he despises property and […]
- The revival of the name of Maxim Gorky after reconsidering the place of his work in Russian literature and renaming everything that bore the name of this writer must definitely happen. It seems that the most famous play from Gorky’s dramatic heritage, “At the Lower Depths,” will play a significant role in this. The genre of drama itself presupposes the relevance of the work in a society where there are many unresolved social problems, where people know what it’s like to spend the night and be homeless. M. Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” is defined as a socio-philosophical drama. […]
- The poem “Mtsyri” was written absolutely in the spirit of M.Yu. Lermontov and reflects the main theme of the author’s entire work: romantic and rebellious moods, wanderings, the search for truth and meaning, the eternal desire for something new and exciting. Mtsyri is a young monk who attempted to escape from service and begin a free life. It is important to note that he did not flee because he was treated poorly or had to live in unfavorable conditions. Quite the contrary, the monks saved him when he was still a boy, […]
- The poetic creativity of Anna Akhmatova originates in the brilliant Silver Age Russian literature. This relatively short period gave rise to a whole galaxy brilliant artists, including, for the first time in Russian literature, the great women poets A. Akhmatova and M. Tsvetaeva. Akhmatova did not recognize the definition of “poetess” in relation to herself, this word seemed derogatory to her, she was precisely a “poet” along with others. Akhmatova belonged to the Acmeist camp, but largely only because the head and theoretician […]
- N.V. Gogol is not in the top 10 of my favorite writers. Maybe because a lot has been read about him as a person, about a person with character flaws, illnesses, and numerous interpersonal conflicts. All these biographical data have nothing to do with creativity, however, they greatly influence my personal perception. And yet Gogol should be given his due. His works are classics. They are like the tablets of Moses, created from solid stone, endowed with writing and […]
- Even in ancient times, people perfectly understood the power and meaning of words in human life. You may be familiar with the famous philosophical parable of the three “sieves” of Socrates. An acquaintance came to the famous ancient Greek sage who wanted to tell him about one of his friends. And then Socrates asked to “sift” his story through three “sieves”: truth, goodness and benefit. It turned out that the news that Socrates' acquaintance brought was not entirely truthful, bad and would not bring any benefit. Then the eminent philosopher asked him why he […]
- “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is surprisingly wise and wonderful work, a talented and patriotic description of extremely important for Russia historical events. It is probably impossible to comprehend the full depth of the “Word”. Rereading it again and again, each time we discover something new, previously unnoticed wisdom or a subtle hint of a hidden thought in poetry. High spirituality, the deepest understanding of the psychology of the people and their life, the filigree skill of the author put “The Tale of Igor’s Host” on a par with the greatest […]
- Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel “We” was written in 1921 and became an attempt to capture the cyclical nature of history, to find similar things in the past and future, to see today through the reflection of thoughts about it. The author turns to a fundamentally new genre form of the dystopian novel in order to show the mechanisms of time and history. At the beginning of the century, the ideal of a happy world began to become reality and appeared in a totalitarian-technical embodiment. One of the determining factors for E. Zamyatin’s creativity is […]
- Throughout its entire creative activity Bunin created poetic works. Bunin's original, unique in artistic style lyrics cannot be confused with the poems of other authors. In individual artistic style the writer reflects his worldview. Bunin in his poems responded to difficult questions being. His lyrics are multifaceted and deep in philosophical questions of understanding the meaning of life. The poet expressed the mood of confusion, disappointment and at the same time knew how to fill his […]
- Central event novel "War and Peace" - Patriotic War 1812, which stirred up the entire Russian people, showed the whole world its power and strength, brought forward simple Russian heroes and a brilliant commander, and at the same time revealed the true essence of each specific person. Tolstoy in his work depicts war as a realist writer: in hard work, blood, suffering, death. Here is a picture of the campaign before the battle: “Prince Andrei looked with contempt at these endless, interfering teams, carts, […]
- The comedy in five acts by Russia's greatest satirical author is, of course, iconic for all literature. Nikolai Vasilievich finished one of his greatest works in 1835. Gogol himself said that this was his first creation written with a specific purpose. What was the main thing the author wanted to convey? Yes, he wanted to show our country without embellishment, all the vices and wormholes social order Russia, which still characterize our Motherland. “The Inspector General” is immortal, of course, [...]
- This rather traditional theme worried such poets as Horace, Byron, Zhukovsky, Derzhavin and others. Pushkin used the best achievements of world and Russian literature in his poetry. This was most clearly manifested in the theme of the poet and poetry. This issue is already addressed in the first published poem, “To a Poet Friend” (1814). The poet talks about the sorrows that befall poets, who...are praised by everyone, fed only by magazines; The wheel of fortune rolls past them... Their life is a series of sorrows, [...]
- Work by A. S. Pushkin “ Captain's daughter"can be fully called historical, because it clearly and clearly conveys specific historical facts, the color of the era, the customs and way of life of the people who inhabited Russia. It is interesting that Pushkin shows the events taking place through the eyes of an eyewitness who himself took a direct part in them. Reading the story, we seem to find ourselves in that era with all its realities of life. The main character of the story, Peter Grinev, does not just state the facts, but has his own personal opinion, […]
- The most important thing in a person’s life is to understand oneself, to find one’s inner harmony. To do this, you need to figure out why I don’t like some people, while I adore others. How does this happen? Why do I consider some of them mine? best friends, and some are just good friends? Why is there disappointment in your loved ones? There are people who completely irritate me and I can’t stand them. I have a lot of acquaintances and friends. I'm friends with some kindergarten. And it’s wonderful when there’s something to chat about, when [...]
- Topic little man touched upon N.V. in their works. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, A.S. Pushkin. These heroes evoked pity and compassion. After all, they became like this because of difficult life circumstances and the disdainful attitude of others. At A.P. Chekhov's image of a little man is significantly different. Heroes like Vanka from work of the same name or the coachman Jonah from the story “Tosca” evoke sincere sympathy. They have no one to share their troubles with. These are very lonely, small people. Writer […]
- In life, people often say things that are not what they mean. In literary theory, this implicit, hidden meaning, which does not coincide with the direct meaning of the phrase, is called “subtext”. IN prose works conveying this semantic effect is quite easy with the help of an omniscient author-narrator. For example, in the novel by N.G. Chernyshevsky “What to do?” (chapter 2, VI) lively mother Marya Alekseevna Rozalskaya addresses her daughter Vera: “My friend, Verochka, why are you sitting there like a beech? You are now with Dmitry Sergeevich (home […]
Composition
According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound,” - this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking of something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something at least a little worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” – she whispered, hearing Jim’s footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most prized possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also fervently wanted to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..." The ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains the author’s digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up a treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to give him (or her) the greatest pleasure on a holiday, is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
Creativity of O. Henry - powerful source goodness and humanity. His short stories captivate, delight, delight, amuse and captivate the reader, awaken in his soul a whole world of good feelings, instill optimism and hope. One of the best New York short stories by O. Henry is “The Gift of the Magi.” A young family lives in a large New York house - Jim and Della. They are very poor, but they love each other passionately. Before Christmas, they decide to sacrifice the most precious things they have to give each other gifts.
Jim and Della know how to be happy, living in a poor apartment on twenty dollars a week. The heroes love each other so much that they are able to sacrifice without hesitation the most precious thing they had: Della - her luxurious hair, which could “make all the jewelry and outfits of her Majesty” (the Queen of Sheba) fade, and Jim - his family gold watch, Having seen which, King Solomon would have “torn his beard out of envy.” Love for another overpowered love for some material values. Although it seems to me that the love of Jim and Della is so strong and real that it is also tangible - this love shines through all the lines of the story.
This story did not spoil the lovers' Christmas holiday at all, because they received as a gift another proof of each other's love and were very happy.
At first glance, it seems that the short story is almost anecdotal, but it can hardly be called funny or cheerful; there is a bitter taste in it. But, on the other hand, this funny mishap with gifts is a real fairy tale Christmas story that shows best qualities ordinary people: selflessness of their love, sacrifice, spiritual generosity. The novella, like the Christmas star followed by the wise men two millennia ago, radiates the light of hope.
* “Of all those who offer and accept gifts, only those like them are truly wise,” writes O. Henry. - Everywhere and everywhere. They are the Magi."
Jim and Della have genuine spiritual generosity, they know how to love and sacrifice for the sake of this love what is dear to them.
Left a reply Guest
On the eve of Christmas, a young married couple - Jim and Della Dillingham - discover that they do not have enough money to buy holiday gifts for each other. Della decides to sell her luxurious chestnut locks (part of the “treasures that were the subject of their common pride”) and buy her husband a platinum chain for his gold watch (the second “treasure”).
In the evening, Jim comes home with a gift for his wife. The young people open the packages, and it turns out that Jim sold his watch to buy an expensive set of combs that Della had long dreamed of. But this does not spoil the holiday of two loving hearts. The Magi, those who brought gifts to the baby in the manger, were, as you know, wise, amazingly wise people. They started the fashion for making Christmas gifts. And since they were wise, their gifts were wise, perhaps even with a stipulated right of exchange in case of unsuitability. And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other. But let it be said for the edification of the sages of our day that of all the donors these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise. Everywhere and everywhere. They are the Magi.
[edit]
Interesting Facts
The story is a reference to biblical stories - the main characters are compared to the wise men who came to the newborn Jesus; it is said that “if the Queen of Sheba lived in the house opposite, Della, after washing her hair, would certainly dry her loose hair at the window - especially in order to make all the outfits and decorations of her Majesty fade,” and King Solomon himself would envy Jim’s watch . Apparently, such comparisons mean that if all the legendary kings had a lot of material treasures, then the Dillingham family has no less spiritual wealth.
Much is built on contrast - the couple’s house is old, gray, the surrounding reality is also not very bright. However, Jim and Della seem to “color” the world with their love, and the reader does not get a gloomy, uncomfortable feeling.
Episode 9 of Season 11 of The Simpsons is titled "Grift of the Magi", which is one of the many allusions to the story.
In the Futurama episode Xmas Story, the characters buy each other hair combs for Christmas, selling their hair in the process.
In 2010, the O. Henry “Gifts of the Magi” literary award was established in New York to support Russian-speaking writers from all over the world. The guideline for encouraging authors is O. Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi” and the formula: love + voluntary sacrifice + unexpected outcome.