O. Henry 's three stories, “A Retrieved Reformation,” “The Gift of the Magi,” and “The Last Leaf” demonstrates the talent of this writer. In all three of these stories, unique literary techniques are used to create plot twists and unexpected turns. A common literary technique used in O. Henry 's three stories is irony, which is used to create a humorous and surprising effect. In addition, O. Henry uses foreshadowing in all three stories in order to build suspense as the reader anticipates the…
Without any consideration or good will behind those gifts you give, they become meaningless. In O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” he shows us that sometimes your thoughts does truly count when you give gifts to the other person. When the story opens up to Delia, who is crying over “one dollar and eighty –seven cents” because “the next day would be Christmas.” (Henry) She has nothing…
WHAT CUSTOMERS LOOK FOR! The Magi was the name given to three kings, also referred to as the "three wise men" who visited the infant Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is folklore that they had a great knowledge of stars and people all over the world admired them as masters of astrology. All these three had great spiritual and symbolic value. It is said that the gold was a symbol of kingship, the frankincense was a symbol of spiritual excellence and the myrrh was…
Through many decisions and actions, “ The Gift of The Magi ” and “ I Am Offering This Poem ” are connected by the themes of money, sacrifice and love. Each of the main characters from these stories went through similar and different problems and were forced to sacrifice things to show their love. Money was also a big role in this. The reader can make an inference about the characters, due to their actions that money to them is no more than just an object. “ ‘before he takes a second look at me,…
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry is a great story which talks about sacrifices for your loved ones and one of the best cases of irony there is. It is one of those classic "Christmas stories" couples read during the holidays, and it might even make you think more carefully just what "love" means. You should read the wondrous story, because it demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas in three words: love, sacrifice, and gratefulness. One reason you should interpret the story is because of…
“ The Necklace” and “The Magi” shares the common theme Often people get gifts but after a while start to want something else. Despite this adage, some people actually love their gifts from other people. People might start to realize what they have and be grateful. “The Magi by O. Henry and “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant illustrates the theme, that happiness comes from within not just from the materials. Putting other people's feelings first could go wrong because you could give…
the Christian faith, the star symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem. The angel symbolizes the host of angels in the Nativity story. The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is the star that led the wise men, or magi, to Bethlehem and revealed the birth of Jesus. The magi followed the star, which stopped above the spot where Jesus was born. The angel symbolizes the host of angels, angel of the Lord, or heavenly host from the…
In the Gift of the Magi, the husband said "Let's put our Christmas gifts away and keep the a while. They're too nice to use now. I sold my watch to get the money to buy combs." This quote shows a plot twist because Della bought he husband a watch chain, but Jim sold the watch to buy combs for…
Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi (the Three Kings, named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) at the site of Jesus' birth, so it is also called El Día de los Reyes Magos ("Three Kings' Day") in Spanish-speaking countries such as Panama. The day also commemorates his divinity as manifested to the Magi, who brought him gifts. On this day Panamanian families awake to open the gifts left by the Three Kings, and families and friends gather for the celebrations. While the children play with…
1. The fourfold perspective is the impact of the newborn on four different societal groups, the Magi, Herod the Great, the chief priests, and a group of shepherds. To start, the child had a major impact on the Magi. According to David Prior, Magi were “men that had an interest in dreams, astrology, magic, books thought to contain mysterious references to the future, and the like” (pg. 18). The birth of Jesus had a major impact on these men because these men were pagan men that were guided to a…