Jim, however, had sold his watch to buy Della’s present.
‘Isn’t it perfect, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it’” (6). The narrator says, “The gold seemed to shine softly as if with her own warm and loving spirit. She’s overwhelmed both by the present and the fact that her hair is gone (5).ĭella excitedly hands Jim his present. She unwraps the gift to find a set of fine hair combs that she had admired many times in the store window but never hoped to own because of how expensive they were. To explain his strange reaction, Jim hands Della a package. He looks around the tiny apartment, trying to find her hair, while she pleads with him and assures him that her hair will grow back. Indeed, when Jim first sees her, he is shocked. Quietness and value-Jim and the chain both had quietness and value” (3).ĭella waits anxiously for Jim’s return that evening, afraid that he will no longer think that she’s pretty. Henry writes, “As soon as she saw it, she knew that Jim must have it. She finally finds a gold watch chain to match Jim’s watch. After her hair cut, Della shops for two hours, looking for the perfect gift for Jim. While Jim is at work, Della hurries to Mrs. She decides to cut her hair and sell it to buy Jim a present. As she is combing her hair in front of their narrow mirror, Della has an idea. The story begins on Christmas Eve with Della in deep despair because, despite careful months of saving and budgeting, she only has $1.87 to buy her husband a Christmas gift. These two prized possessions symbolize for both characters that they have more societal value than their current living situation suggests. Despite their poverty, Della and Jim have two treasured possessions: Jim’s gold watch and Della’s long, luxurious hair. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two-and with a family to take care of! He needed a new coat and he had nothing to cover his cold hands” (4). Henry writes of Jim: “He looked very thin and he was not smiling. In addition to living in a dilapidated apartment, Jim and Della don’t have adequate clothing for the winter. Perhaps you have seen the kind of looking-glass that is placed in $8 furnished rooms.
Mark webber actor gift of the magi windows#
He continues: “There was a looking-glass between the windows of the room. There was an electric bell, but it could not make a sound” (1). Henry highlights their financial struggles with descriptions of the apartment: “In the hall below was a letter-box too small to hold a letter. Jim’s salary has recently been reduced to $20 a week. James (Jim) Dillingham Young and his wife Della live in poverty.
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