Forgetting to do so herself, Marsha asks Mr. Dmitritch to check the lottery number, but having no faith in the lottery, Mr. Dmitritch decides to do so only to humor her. To his surprise, the series matches, but instead of checking the ticket number, they begin to fantasize the grandeur of possibly winning. Eventually however, their dreams and thoughts of each other, turn dark. With the intention of spiting his wife, Ivan finally checks the true ticket number, and to their disappointment, it doesn 't match. Crushed, they go back to their lives, but after dreaming of such lavishness, they no longer find the same contentment they once did. While, "The Gift of the Magi", shows how the happiness of our loved ones is worth more than self-indulgence through a couple 's selfless sacrifice, as illustrated in paragraph 33," 'Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered ', she went on with sudden serious sweetness, 'but nobody could ever count my love for you …show more content…
In, "The Gift of the Magi", Della is first in a state of despair over being unable to afford something special for Jim. However, refusing to wallow in despair, Della makes the bold decision to sell her most prized possession and begins a relentless search for a meaningful gift. Allowing her hair to be cut and sold for Jim reveals the selflessness of her character. Not only that, but it shows the extent of our capability for kindness without the expectation of a reward. Additionally, Della’s gift for Jim the demonstrates her thoughtful personality because she buys a platinum chain that perfectly pairs with Jim 's treasured gold watch. Jim 's character is also shown as unpretentious and loving because instead of the disgust Della feared, Jim stays true to his unflinching love when he sees her hair cut, and says, "I don 't think there 's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me love my girl any less"(O Henry pg. 4). Unlike Mr and Mrs. Young however, Mr. and Mrs. Dmitritch, weren’t in any such financial distress. As the story progresses, however, the glamour of an extravagance begins to corrupt and cloud their minds with malicious thoughts, as shown in paragraph 42,"And he looked at his wife, not with a smile now, but with hatred"(Chekhov, pg.52), demonstrating how destructive