Love and sacrifice in the love story “The Gift of The Magi” by O’Henry

Session 2019 to 2021

Submitted to: Mr Faisal

Jahangir

Submitted by: Amna

Safdar Roll no : Eng19-

009

MA English

Semester: 4th

Morning

Department OF English Language and

Literature University of The Punjab Gujranwala

Campus
 Abstract:

Henry wrote in his story a love story of husband and wife. The best
quality of this love story is sacrifice. The man and woman of this story are soul mates.
Actually, this story tells human values. This love story shows the price of love that is not just
responsibility but also believes in sacrificing a valuable thing for a person. The story teaches
us that love is the real valuable thing in life. Materialistic things are not important in life. True
and sincere feelings of love are important. This research paper will focus on love and
sacrifices.

Keywords;

Best quality, Soulmate, Sacrifice, Love, Sincere, Feeling, Knowledge, Wisdom, Experience.

Introduction;

O’Henry, pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, real William Sidney Porter was born
on September 11, 1862, Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. and died June 5, 1910, New York,
New York), American short-story writer whose stories idealized the place in particular the life
of common people in New York City.

His stories told the effect of coincidence on a character through humour, grim or ironic, and
often had surprise endings, a device that became identified with his name and cost him
critical favour when its vogue had passed. Love always has been sacrificed and is required if
you love someone or something. Many sacrifices can show affection and care that have
positive externalities such as, giving up luxuries, personal goals, or even physical sacrifices. A
financial problem a person could sacrifice the luxuries of their lives to sake another cause in
their life that they care for. Think of a time that you have given up a luxury for a finer cause in
your or another’s life.

These sacrifices are always special because we have done it for others. In the short story “The
Gift of The Magi” first appeared in The New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905, and was
later published in O. Henry’s collection “The Four Million” on April 10, 1906. This story is the
best and beautiful example of love and sacrifice. The story talks about a young married couple
known as Jim and Della. Jim and Della have very little money and live in a small home.
Between them, they have only two chattel that they consider their treasures; Jim’s gold watch
that held to Jim’s father and his grandfather, and Della’s long hair that falls almost to her knees.
It’s Christmas evening, and Della finds herself running out of time to buy Jim a Christmas
present. After paying all of the ills, she has left is 1 dollar 87 cents. Now, she wants to get a
chain for Jim’s golden watch. But she has no money. After a sudden inspiration, she rushes out
again and has hair cut to sell for $20.00. Then she buys the platinum chain for $ 21.00. When
he enters in home, he stares at Della. She says that she sold her hair to get a beautiful gift for
him. However, Jim casually pulls a package and hands it to her. Inside, Della discovers a pair of
costly beautiful hair combs that she had long admired, but are now completely useless since
she’s cut off her hair.

Hiding her tears, she jumps up and holds out her gift for Jim: the watch chain. Jim smiles put
his hands behind his head and tells Della flatly that he sold his watch to buy her combs. They
were costly combs, she understood and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them
without the least hope of chattel. And now, they were Della’s but the hair that should have
adorned the coveted embellishments were absent.. But she hugged them to her bosom, and
at length, she was able to look up with dim eyes and smiles and says: “My hair grows so
fast, Jim!” And then Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, “Oh, oh!” Jim had not
yet seen his beautiful present.

She griped it out to him impatiently upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to
flash with a contemplation of her brilliant and avid psyche. “Isn’t it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all
over town to find it. You’ll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your
watch. I want to see how it looks on it.” Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch
and put his hands under the back of his head, and smiled. “Dell,” said he, “let’s put our
Christmas presents away and keep them a while. They’re too nice to use just at present. I sold
the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops
on.”(Hansen 762 -763) Thus we can see that both the spouses sacrificed their greatest
possessions only for the sake of love. Both were obsessed with the feeling of love. And the
love ever asks for sacrifice.
 Literature Review:-
“The Gift of The Magi” is a short story written by O’ Henry. He tells the feelings of both lovers
for each other. In this story he wants to tell how the feelings of love demand sacrifice.

It means to be intensely loyal and associated to someone or something. The fundamental

meaning of love is to feel more than liking someone. It is a connection that two persons
share. There are a few things you need to avoid when building a new relationship like being
too demanding. Love is a theory and is a set of ideas originating with the belief that is subject
to sacrifices. Love is a universal feeling. No one has ever felt love and everyone has endured
sacrifices of their own. Love always has been sacrificed and is required if you love someone
or something.

Many sacrifices can show attachment and heed that have positive externalities such as,
giving up Individual comfort, or even physical sacrifices. In the rouse of maybe a pecuniaryl
headache of a man could sacrifice the luxuries of their lives to benefit another cause in their
life that they care [Link] international journal of Multicultural Literature (2019) wrote
on the interpretation of O’ Henry’s short stories “The Gift of The Magi” using a Linguistic

approach. Cohen The journal, not medicine and philosophy (1999) wrote an article on selling
bits and pieces of humans to make babies in “The Gift of The Magi”

Fadhillah (2016) wrote on the analysis of the process of translating a short story “ The Gift of
The Magi” from English to Indonesian.

Apollo 2005 [Link] makes the rediscovery of his exquisite Adoration of the Magi. So
exciting for, as David explains, it was made by Flaxman himself, perhaps as a gift for his wife.
Lee 2021 ideals, [Link] wrote David Conte’s” The Gift of The Magi’ educational value in
American opera.

Zafarovana – EPRA international journal of Research and 2021 [Link] talked about
the usage of irony in O’ Henry‘s short story “The Gift of The Magi”.

Shakbez (2014) wrote an article on the dynamic of money and marriage in guy De
Maupassant’s “ The Necklace” and O’Henry’s “ The Gift of The Magi”

H LIU , YLI-journal of Qiqihar junior teacher’s College (2011) en [Link] can.

A case study of Zhang jinghao’s collection of translation “The Gift of The Magi”

Bilal Academic research international (2012) wrote his work on discourse analysis of “The Gift
of The Magi”.

Hockenberry currents in theology and Mission (2008) [Link] wrote on intercultural

meditation and theology.

Tofan (2018) wrote on types on syntactic transformation in sentences by ( using The Gift of The
Magi by O ‘Henry.

Zala and Joshi talked about the theme of love in O’ Henry’s short stories in references to a
service of love in “ The Gift of The Magi”.

Corvo (2011) wrote, “ The Gift of The Magi” can attachment altruism and hope be
mobilized in treating domestic violence?

K Wu journal of Minnan Normal University Philosophy (2019) worked on the importance of

the Identification principle in the process of Literature translation taking the rendering of “The
Gift of The Magi” as an example.

LiN (2008) talked about narrative point of view and suspense in “The Gift of The Magi”
 Butovsky, 1988 said, “The Gift of The Magi” based on the story by O’Henry classics in
photostories.

Chen wrote on cross-cultural communication thematic progression Theory and discourse

translation a case study of “ The Gift of The Magi”

Kun wrote on the interpretation of language art in “ The Gift of The Magi” (2019)
conference on culture and language in Atlantis [Link]

MA Journal of Lanzhou Institute of Education (2010) wrote on probing into the plot of “The
Gift of The Magi”.

Lawin wrote on a study of the use of irony highlighted by fictional elements in the short
story” The Gift of The Magi” by O’ Henry.

Wolifinbarger (1990) wrote on the love story “The Gift of The Magi” as situational and
individual effects on gift symbolism.

AYU analysis figurative language used short story entitled “ The Gift of The Magi” written
by O’Henry.

Taylor and Francis(1998), wrote of “The Gift of The Magi” giving the image the case of the
adoration of the Magi.

Lisa (2018) discussed an analysis of language style found in the short story “The Gift of The
Magi”

Null (1971) wrote on tagmentic analysis on “ The Gift of The Magi”

Aulia and Suyudi – journal of language and Literature (2020) analysis of the finite verb
phrases in the short stories “The Gift of The Magi” and cosmopolite in the café by O’ Henry

Kueffner-(2006) proved it in “The Gift of The Magi” as a story of giving.

Ling journal of Bengbu University (2015) talked about the functions of “and” in “The Gift of
The Magi” under relevance Theory.
 Ming-li (2015) analyzing O’ Henry’s device “The Gift of The Magi”.

Zainuddin English Education: English journal (2018) wrote an analysis of cohesion in short story
“The Gift of The Magi”

He has written different short stories around about [Link] wanted to show common
culture of America.

He told the Hollowness of society. His tales mostly linked with common people. His stories
always have an unexpected end. He wrote about common people. His stories took place in
New York City deals with ordinary people. These stories are known for their wit wordplay,
warm characterization, and a clever twist ending. These are much playful and optimistic. He
was a profile writer who turned out over 250 short stories between 1899 and 1910. His
stories have been widely read and enjoyed throughout the world.

“The Four Million’’ (1906) stands as a perfect example of mastery of a sentimental story with a
surprise ending (Wilton Eckley 125) “The Last Leaf” is a story that has a psychological impact
on the reader. It is also a story about death and life . The intensity of love and friendship
between Jimmy and Bob in “After Twenty Years” is a story of two friends. Before parting to
become something in a big bad world, made a promise to see each other again after twenty
years. And it only for the sake of love and friendship. The reader can see their promises keep
them alive .
 In my topic “The Gift of Magi” both husband and wife are poor but they are very rich by
their intense love. Their love and sacrifice for each other make them rare. The writer creates
their world in a small home. Della’s self-sacrifice of her beautiful brown hair shows her love
for her husband. People do not know how to love they just think about love. Our care for
each other shows our love and it is our duty.

Theoretical Framework:

Nozick’s “ Union Theory & the Problem of Self-Sacrifice”. According

to the Union Theory of love, the defining characteristic of romantic love is the union of two
individuals into a “we” that shares values, interests, and beliefs.

According to him, the Union Theory, the “we” set up in a union has one well-being, so that
any change in the soundness of one member directly impacts the well-being of the other. It
follows from this that a lover cannot sacrifice for their interests for the good of their beloved
because, in doing so, both lover and beloved suffer a loss. Moreover, any good gained by the
beloved is also gained by the lover. So, in claiming that the wellbeing of both persons of a
“we” is fused into a single one Nozick’s Union Theory makes non-egoistic self-sacrifice
insuperable. However, romantic lovers often do sacrifice their well-being for the sake of their
beloved.
So, the Union Theory must be modified to account for self-sacrifice if it is to be an adequate
descriptive theory of romantic love. He tells the paradox of self-sacrifice by modifying his
conception of a “we” as having the same interests and well-being to have shared interests
and different, but overlapping, wellbeing. This position answers the paradox of self-sacrifice
by making it possible for each member of the union to care for the other as well as with the
other.

His account of the Union Theory asserts that the defining feature of romantic love
relationships is the formation of a new joint identity, a “we”, by the union of two individuals.
From the perspective of the lovers, this union constitutes a new psychological entity. Each
lover relates to this third entity as a new joint identity that shares interests, desires, goals,
and beliefs. Caring for your beloved is one of the central features of any love relationship.
Romantic partners often care for each other’s well-being by sacrificing their interests to
further the interests of their beloved.

In giving up their interest, the lover suffers a loss to their wellbeing while the beloved is made
better off. Since romantic partners share well-being in his version of the Union Theory, when
a lover gives up his interest for the sake of their beloved, they both become worse off.
Furthermore, any benefit the beloved receives as a result of their lover’s sacrifice is shared
with the lover, making any act of self-sacrifice a paradoxically egoistic one.

So, his theory makes it impossible for lovers to care for one another in the way that lovers
often do. However, there is no conceptually necessary reason why the well-being of both
members of a union must be merged into single well-being. In fact, the intractable problem of
self-sacrifice that arises with the adoption of this model of wellbeing gives us good reason to
abandon the model entirely. The solution to the paradox of self-sacrifice then involves
rejecting the direct impact model of wellbeing in favor of an indirect model.

Since his conception of a joint identity includes the claim that a “we” shares wellbeing, his
concept of joint identity will also have to be modified. Below such a reconceptualization of
joint identity, as well as response to potential objections to this modified Union Theory. If the
direct effect model of well-being is to be refused to allow for self-sacrifice in a coalition, then
I need to be clear about in what sense a union still establish a joint identity.

First, a union is a joint oneness in morality of how the lovers view themselves and their
relationship develop the analogy extensively enough. Two business firms that have been
trading with one another may develop their assets in such a way as to become more
specialized, and in doing so, they conform their assets to better fit the objectives and assets
of the other firm. A couple that knows that love is the sacrifice and compromises laughing
with each other in the sun. “Love is sacrifice” .It is a kind of relationship wisdom you here in
power. But sacrificing your happiness for others is part of being in love.

Method:
 Qualitative

Data Collection:

There are different methods of data collection etc:

i.e. interviews, observation, questionnaire and textual data .In this research textual data are
collected for analysis from the short story “ The Gift of The Magi”

Objective:

To find out the Love demands sacrifice in O Henry’s short story “The gift of magi”

Research questions:

(1)Does love demand sacrifice?

(2) What was the wisdom in selling the most valuable thing?

(3) Does hope come with love?

Data Analysis:

Joseph Denials said there is no rank without sacrifice.

Napoleon also said the achievement is usually born of great sacrifice it is the never result of
selfishness. According to Rick Warren, it about sacrificing, serving, surrending, and even
suffering for others.

Dada Vaswani said true love is selfless it is prepared to sacrifice.

 In this short “The Gift of The Magi” by O’ Henry we can find our answer love demands
sacrifice but we have to prove it as Elisabeth Elliot said:

“It is impossible to love deeply without sacrifice”

This short “The Gift of The Magi” by O’ Henry likely took place just before Christmas in the
early 1900 century. This story about husband and wife. The man and woman not only husband
and wife but also had a deep connection of pure love between both of them.

According to Rumi:

“ Love is a bridge between you and everything”

Most of the action is the cheap apartment of the wife and her husband.

Della had only a dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy a gift for her husband as Christmas
presents, which just not enough. She was upset as Henry tells her condition, she counted it
three times. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There
was nothing to do but fall on the bed and cried” Now she thought everything had cost
more than she had expected. It always happened like that. Only a dollar and eighty-seven cents
to buy a gift for Jim. But she thought she had time to do something for her husband.

Now she smiled as an American philosopher Novak said:

“ Feeling of happiness,

love is the willingness to sacrifice”

 She had long beautiful hair which liked a stream of brown water. Her husband felt very proud
about two things which they owned . One thing. Was Jim’s gold watch . It had once owned to
his father. The other thing is Dell’s hair. She knew her long hair was more beautiful than
any queen’s jewels and gift. So, now Della decided to sell her hair for her husband’s gift.

As she said to Mrs. Sofroine :

“ Will you buy my hair”

She replied yes Mrs. Sofroine told the price of her beautiful hair only twenty dollars. Della did
not ask any further questions and replied give me quickly. Because she knew as Charlotte
Perkins, G commented:

“ Love grows by service”

She gave physical sacrifice for her husband just to make his Christmas event.

According to C welz(2018),

“ Self sacrifice as a gift

For love”

After talking twenty dollars. She was going to one shop to another shop for Jim’s suitable gift.
At last, she found a gold chain that was simple and beautiful for his watch, she bought and paid
twenty-one dollars for it. She bought it because Jim had no chain for his watch. When she came
back home, she started to hide that sad marked that she had done.
As O’Henry said in texual lines love always gives sad marks when added together can leave
deep marks, it is never easy to cover these marks.

She looked like a young schoolboy. She prayer please God, make Jim think I‘m still pretty”
Now Jim entered needed a new jacket and also had nothing to cover his cold hands. His eyes
looked strangely at Della and there Was an expression in them she could not understand it
filled her with fear. It was not anger. He simply looked at her with that strange expression on
his face.

She went near to him and said cried don’t look at me like that she had her haiir
cut off and sold it . Because she could not live through Christmas without giving him a
beautiful gift. And also talked about her hair growth.

As Della said:

“My hair will grow again”

We can find here hope because,

“ with love hope comes”

When Jim talked about hair and said she told him she cut her hair.

She replied:

“I sold it for [Link]

 Maybe the hairs of my head could be counted

But no one could never count my love for you”

From inside the coat, he brought something and threw it upon the table and said to her he
brought something special for her.

When she pulled the paper then a cry of joy, and then a change to tears. The gift was a pair of
combs with jewels perfect for her beautiful hair Della had seen these combs in a shop window
and loved them for a long time.

When she asked Him about his gold watch he smiled and replied he sold it to buy the gift that
he gave to her.

Henry talked about a Young couple as he said:

. “ And here I have you .The story of two children who were not wise, Each sold the
most valuable thing owned in order to buy a gift for other. But let me speak the last word
to the wise of these days of all who give gifts these two were the wisest”.

Conclusion:
 “In this short story The Gift of The Magi” by O’Henry we can see they are poor but in actual
they are reached because they handle the situation on the fire love that has to need sacrifice. It
makes them wise because they don’t teach or learn it is their own experience .Man has to
sacrifice his value able thing to prove his love.

As Louie, G said:

“ Every great thing

requires a great sacrifice”

In this story ‘The Gift of Magi’. He includes many things in this story such as working-
class characters, real-life people, the sacrifice of love, devotion, and incredulous ending.

In this story, the Husband and wife (Jim and Della) have precious things.. They sacrifice their
belongings for sake of expressing true and pure love on Christmas Eve, ultimately their actions
have a intense similarity with Magi, and therefore they also come to be called Magi. Exchanging
gifts are very ordinary around the world on special occasions, these gifts show generosity and
care for one another. Generosity comes with the act of sacrifice.

Research gap:

 So, I have found that love is a passion we can’t learn or teach but we feel it by our own
experience.

 It is a sound of selflessness because we can’t love two persons at the same time.
 It is a wisdom that has a spiritual awakening.
 With love comes hope.
 One thing we never get enough is love and only one thing we never give enough of
is love.
References;

 Apollo “ Rediscovery of his exquisite Adoration of the Magi” [Link].(2005)

 AYU “analysis figurative language used short story (2009)
 Aulia and Suyudi”analysis of the finite verb phrases in the short story (The Gift of The
Magi) (2020)
 Bilal Academic “discourse analysis” this story, in research international (2012)
 Butovsky “proved this story as classic in photostories (1988)
 Chen “analysis a case study of The gift of The Magi in Theory and discourse translation.

 Cohen “wrote on his work selling bits and pieces of humans to make babies in “The Gift
of The Magi” in The journal, (1999)
 Corvo “analysis it domestic violence”(2011)
 Fadhillah “ analysis of the process of translating this story from English to Indonesian
(2016)

 Hockenbery “worked on intercultural mediation on Epiphany” in theology and Mission

Questia .Com (2008) K WU “worked on the importance of the identification principle in
the process of Literature translation taking the rendering this story” in Journal of
Minnan Normal University of Philosophy (2019) KUN “analysis the interpretation of
language art in “The Gift of The Magi”.

 Kueffner” said “ it is a story of giving”(2006) Lee” talks about the educational value in
 American opera of “The Gift of The Magi”in Illinois wrote on David Conte’s”(2021)
 LIN “analysis the narrative point of view and suspense in his Article (2008)
 Lawin “highlighted the irony by The Gift of The Magi) in Device (2015)
 Lisa “analysis of the language style (2018)
 MA journals “analysis probing into use of fictional elements this story “The Gift of The
Magi”
 Ming-li “analysis O’Henry’s story (The the plot of “The Gift of The Magi” in Lanzhou
institute of Education (2010)
 Null “analysis it as tagmentic story”(1971).
 Shakbez analysis “the dynamic of money and marriage” in guy De Maupassaint’s (2014).
 Sushma ”analysis the Linguistic approach”(2019).

 Tofan”analysis the transformation in the sentence of “The Gift of The Magi”(2018).

 Taylor and Francis “showed the giving image of adoration of the Magi”(1998).
Wolifinbarger” told the situational and individual effects (1990).
 Zainuddin ”analysis the chesion in the story “The Gift of The Magi”(2018)
 Zala and Joshi” discussed the theme and give the reference to a service”.