Core Conflict of the story-
The core conflict is poverty. Both Jim and Della have to make great personal sacrifices to buy each
other a Christmas present.
Main themes in the story "The Gift of the Magi"-
Two aspects of one theme that run together in this story are sacrifice and love. Jim and Della already
possess the greatest gifts they can ever possess: they have each other's love, a love that is willing to
sacrifice for that love.
They are compared to the Magi, who knelt at the manger where the infant Jesus lay and brought gifts to
honor him. But they knew, the Magi, that their gifts were small insignificant tokens compared to what
this infant child would give to them.
They honored him, just as Della and Jim honor each other by sacrificing their prize possessions to buy
the other a worthy gift for Christmas. It is the sacrifice involved in this process that is at the heart of
the theme--unselfish love, which is rare and should be cherished.
Literary Techniques
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- Fall '14
- Jim, Sacrifice, small insignificant tokens, great personal sacrifices, storyThe core conflict
