Chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most

chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the
greatest treasures of their house (and) let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the
wisest . . . They are the magi” (in Clugston, 2010). So along with this very effective biblical
allusion, the author uses metaphor to compare Jim and Della to very magi themselves. And the
magi, too, were symbols in their time, symbolizing “the nations coming to Christ (which)
foreshadow(s) the end of the Gospel when the disciples are to carry the teaching of Jesus to all
the nations” (Russell, 2003, p. 117).
In conclusion, theme in fiction “is associated with something abstract, something broad:
The theme in a story is associated with an idea that lies behind the story. Every story narrows a
broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete. That’s
how theme is created. In other words, the theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind
the story” (Clugston, 2010). In “The Gift of the Magi,” the idea behind the story is that “things”
do not make us happy, but kindness and generosity toward others make us happy, and there is no
love like selfless love. In this case, the selfless love that Jim and Della have for one another truly
make them the magi.
Reference
Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education,
Inc. Retrieved from
Russell, L. M. (2003). Wise Woman Bearing Gifts. Cross Currents , 53(1), 116.
Tai-An, L. (2010). A Study of Metacognition on O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi". Asian Social
Science , 6(4), 49-54.