In "The Gift of the Magi," Della's hair symbolizes her beauty and femininity, while Jim's watch represents his family legacy and the value he places on time and memories. Both items are deeply personal and significant to their owners, highlighting their love and sacrifice for each other. When Della sells her hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim's watch and Jim sells his watch to buy a comb for Della's hair, their actions emphasize the theme of selfless love and the irony of their sacrifices. Ultimately, their gifts, though rendered useless, underscore the depth of their affection and willingness to prioritize each other’s happiness.
Pride
He sells his pocket watch .
To show that he is poor
Symbolism is used in "The Gift of The Magi," as Dellas hair and Jims watch. Her hair and his watch are their most prized possessions in this story. They both use these items to symoblise another thing; love. They sold their prized posessions to get enough money to afford the gift they wanted to get each other for the upcoming holiday, Christmas. Symbolism is not the only literary element that O. Henry used in this story. Irony is another key element in, "The Gift of The Magi." Irony and coincidence go hand in hand for this story. The irony is that Della sold her hair to get enough money to buy Jim, his gift (the platinum fob chain for his watch). While Jim sold his watch to get money to afford his gift to Della (turquoise combs and hair accesories for her hair). They realize what they've done at the end of the story, and it becomes clear to them that it doesn't matter about the gifts they get for eachother, but the fact that they have eachother. The greatest value they have; is eachother.
Symbolism is used in "The Gift of The Magi," as Dellas hair and Jims watch. Her hair and his watch are their most prized possessions in this story. They both use these items to symoblise another thing; love. They sold their prized posessions to get enough money to afford the gift they wanted to get each other for the upcoming holiday, Christmas. Symbolism is not the only literary element that O. Henry used in this story. Irony is another key element in, "The Gift of The Magi." Irony and coincidence go hand in hand for this story. The irony is that Della sold her hair to get enough money to buy Jim, his gift (the platinum fob chain for his watch). While Jim sold his watch to get money to afford his gift to Della (turquoise combs and hair accesories for her hair). They realize what they've done at the end of the story, and it becomes clear to them that it doesn't matter about the gifts they get for eachother, but the fact that they have eachother. The greatest value they have; is eachother.
Jim and Della loved each other so much that they sacrificed their most prized possessions for each other. Della sold her hair to get Jim a watch chain. Jim sold his watch to get Della combs for her hair. This is related in the Gift of the Magi.
jims weekly salary has been cut significantly
Giving a man a watch for his birthday can symbolize the gift of time, commitment, and respect for his punctuality or style. It could also indicate a desire for the man to think of the gift-giver frequently.
If "The Gift of the Magi" were told from Jim's perspective, the focus would likely be on his internal struggle and sacrifice to buy a gift for Della. We might gain insight into his feelings of guilt at selling his watch and the effort he put into finding the perfect gift. Overall, the story would emphasize Jim's immense love and devotion to Della.
Jim's watch symbolizes his most prized possession and the sacrifice he is willing to make for the person he loves. By selling his watch to buy a gift for Della, he shows his selfless nature and deep commitment to their relationship. In the end, both Jim and Della realize that their love and the sacrifices they made are more valuable than any material possession.
A watch or a gift card
Gray feathers most commonly symbolize neutrality and peace. Gray feathers can also symbolize good fortune if attached to a gift or package.