The Gift of the Magi | Critical Overview
When O. Henry published ''The Gift of the Magi," his stories were popular with the reading public and critics alike. For the last ten years of his life, and for ten years or so after that, he was hailed as a master of the short story. Critics ranked him with Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Bret Harte, and his techniques were taught in creative writing courses.
Although O. Henry's characters are often regarded more as types than as unique individuals—vagabonds, shop girls, criminals, cowboys—critics find them likeable, and the writer's use of detail creates a sense...
[The entire page is 322 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about The Gift of the Magi at eNotes.
