Describe the characters Della and James Young in "The Gift of the Magi".

Jim and Della Young are compared to the magi in their giving one to another:

Jim and Delia have two possessions of which they are both proud. One is Jim's gold watch, which has been handed down from his grandfather. The other is Delia's hair, lustrous, shining, and falling past her knees. 

Della sells her hair to buy Jim a platinum chain for his watch. Jim sells his watch to buy Della fine combs for her hair. These two characters give unselfishly one to another. They prove an untarnished love. Although neither can use the gift that each bought one for the other, the sacrifice made for each gift goes beyond words in expression. 

Jim could not have ever expected Della to sacrifice her hair. She gave with a love that is expressed as similar to the giving of the magi to the Christ child. No greater expression of giving is there. Jim's giving is compared to the ultimate sacrifice which can be compared to the sacrificial giving of the magi to the precious Christ child.

O. Henry compared Jim's and Della's giving to the way the magi gave to the Christ child and rightly so. If the reader could learn to give so unselfishly, no one would be in need. Jim and Della are considered the perfect example of a couple who knows how to give one to the other:

The narrator explains that the wise men, or magi, brought gifts to the baby Jesus and so invented the giving of Christmas gifts. Because these men were wise, they no doubt gave wise gifts. Delia and Jim, the narrator asserts, have unwisely sacrificed their most precious possessions. Yet, because they gave from the heart, they are wise: "They are the magi."

Describe Jim and Della's characteristics in "The Gift of the Magi".

That Jim and Della are simple working class people is revealed in Della's speech: ""Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?" That they are young and in love is revealed by the biased limited third-person narrator: "Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family!" That they are foolish in material ways is clearly stated by the narrator: "two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other." That the narrator is representing their material foolishness as spiritual wisdom that reflects the wise sacrifices of the first Christmas Magi is made clear by O. Henry's didactic ending: "these two were the wisest."

Della is an emotional young woman who is maybe not yet twenty, since Jim is but twenty-two. She is demonstrative with her feelings and generous in her love. While she is foolish in her longings and desires for a better life, "her heart had simply craved and yearned over [the combs]," she seems to be wise in her spirit of giving (though if it weren't Christmas, her actions might not have the same effect). She is given to sobbing loudly and letting tears fall on the carpet, and she acts impetuously without thinking things through, such as not thinking about how to apportion the $20 gotten for from her hair to buy a gift and expand their budget.

Jim is a responsible working man, though very young and already with Della to provide for. He is as generously giving and sacrificial as she. He is philosophical about loss; he sat on the sofa with his hands behind his head and suggested they save the gifts for awhile. He bases his love for Della on deep qualities, not on superficialities. Jim seemingly similarly used the whole value received from his watch sale for Della's gift without thought to buying a lesser gift and to expanding their budget. Neither have foresight though both are praised by O. Henry as sacrificially giving and loving.

What are Della and Jim's character traits in "The Gift of the Magi"?

O. Henry carefully portrays both Della and Jim to be characters with whom the reader can identify and empathize. 

Della comes across as young and impetuous.  Her bold and quick decision to cut her hair reveals her to be hasty at making decisions.
Later, as she waits for Jim to return and prays that he will still find her attractive, the reader also finds that Della is eager to please and vulnerable.  She is loving, kind, and incredibly unselfish to give up her most valuable possession. 

The reader sees less of Jim, since he only makes his debut at the end of the story, but through his reaction to Della's hair and also Della's own thoughts of him, the reader can draw many conclusions about Jim's character.  Foremost, the reader knows him to be a kind and loving husband; Della thinks the world of him and would not have sacrificed her hair for him otherwise.  O. Henry also portrays Jim as being hard-working to make ends meet for his family.  The young man is tired and stressed with worry about providing for his young bride.  The detail that he has no gloves in the winter reveals that he too is unselfish, putting off his own comfort in order to help Della more, and of course, the sale of his valuable, heirloom watch shows that he is truly unselfish as well.

What characteristics do Della and Jim Young have in "The Gift of the Magi"?

It should also be noted that the one characteristic that unites both of them is the understanding of the true value of love. Jim and Della symbolise O. Henry’s vision of true love which crosses the boundary of materialism and enters a much larger locale where everything needs to be judged in terms of its aesthetic value. In the final section of the story O. Henry says: “everywhere they are wisest”, where the word “wisest” denotes that these two characters understand the true value of love not by the material value of the gifts which they receive, but by the aesthetic value of them. Materialistically the gifts will be valueless to both of them, but in terms of the representation of the value of love, the gifts would remain invaluable.

What characteristics do Della and Jim Young have in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Delia and Jim share similar characteristics, they are both loving and giving people.  Each is concerned with giving the other a special gift for Christmas.  

Jim wants to make his wife happy by giving her a gift that will really please her, and Delia wants to make her husband feel really special, so each makes a great sacrifice for the other. 

Their shared characteristics include:

"Quietness and value—the description applied to both."

"Delia again shows unselfishness, courage, and resilience." 

"He works hard, not returning home until seven o'clock, and is reliable"

"Jim reacts with gentle humor and the same kind of resilience Delia has shown."

In the story "The Gift of the Magi," what are the two characters Della and Jim like?

They are both selfless and giving.  They care more about each other and are willing to give up their most prized possessions to please the other.  However, they are either unlucky or are not very good planners--because they both ironically are unable to use the gifts they receive. 

In the story "The Gift of the Magi," what are the two characters Della and Jim like?

Delia and Jim are poor. They are a loving married couple who are each selfless individuals.  They each sacrifice their prize possessions in order to obtain money to buy the other a Christmas gift.

"She is a pretty, slender young woman. Her long brown hair, when she lets it down, cascades past her knees."

"Delia again shows unselfishness, courage, and resilience, reminding him that her hair grows quickly and that she loves him."

"Delia's husband, Jim, is a thin, serious young man, twenty-two years old. O. Henry tells the reader what Jim is like,"

"Quietness and value—the description applied to both." He works hard, not returning home until seven o'clock, and is reliable: ''Jim was never late.''

Can you give a brief character sketch of Jim and Della in the short story, "The Gift of the Magi"?

This is a good question. From the details of the short story, we can say a few things about Della and Jim.

Della was a frugal, careful, responsible person. We know this, because she saved every penny literally. We read this right in the beginning of the story.

"One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied."

Della also loved Jim very much. As we read the story, we realize that Della had beautiful hair and she gave up this hair to buy Jim a chain for his pocket watch. We can say that Della's love was manifested in her sacrificial giving.

When it comes to Jim's character, the short story does not say much. However, we can say that Jim was a responsible and reliable person. Della does make the comment that he was never late. Most importantly, he was equally a loving person, because he sold his prized possession, his watch, to buy combs for Della hair.

Why are Della and Jim compared to the Magi in "The Gift of the Magi"?

The Magi referenced in O. Henry's short story are the three Wise Men who brought gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh to the infant Jesus in the Biblical tale; this was a risky gesture, as it could have resulted in punishment by King Herod. Their travel and actions involved sacrifice and the act of selfless giving.  

Thus the narrator of this story compares Della and Jim to the Magi out of respect for their own personal sacrifices. Having no money to purchase each other Christmas gifts, Della had cut off her greatest treasure--her long, beautiful hair--in order to afford a chain for Jim's watch, and Jim had sold his most valued possession--the aforementioned watch--to buy tortoiseshell combs to adorn Della's hair. Much like the Magi honored Christ by falling before him with offerings of love, Della and Jim have done the same by showing no concern for their own desires or interests. They are focused only on the act of spreading love to each other. 

Why are Della and Jim compared to the Magi in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Della and Jim are compared to the Magi because, like the original three kings, this young woman and young man have sacrificed valuable and precious possessions of their own and given them willingly. All their acts are made from pure love and adoration.

O. Henry injects his authorial comment that Della and Jim "are the Magi" at the conclusion of the story after noting that

...two foolish children in a flat...most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.

At this point O. Henry draws parallels between the three wise men and the young Dillinghams as they all have unselfishly given away their most precious gifts. And yet, the author declares that the young couple are the wisest of them because they truly understand the meaning of love that asks for nothing in return. Indeed, they are "the Magi."  

Why are Della and Jim compared to the Magi in "The Gift of the Magi"?

The point that O. Henry makes about gift-giving in "The Gift of the Magi" is one that has been tritely summed up with the aphorism, "It's the thought that counts." In the cases of Jim and Della, the thought behind the gifts had to suffice because the gifts themselves ended up being useless. Della cut her long, beautiful hair, her most prized possession, so that she could afford to buy Jim a chain for his watch, which was his most prized possession. For his part, Jim pawned his watch so that he could buy the decorative combs that would look so lovely in Della's long hair—which now no longer exists. The ironic outcome that made the gifts useless nevertheless showcased the depth of the sacrifice behind the gifts. Della and Jim each gave up her or his most prized possession in order to secure a gift that would bring joy to the other.

In the final paragraph of the story, Henry compares Della and Jim to the Magi. He states that the Magi, or biblical Wise Men, began the tradition of giving Christmas gifts. He points out that although Jim and Della's way of giving gifts may seem foolish because of the unexpected outcome, in reality, it was as wise as anything done by the Wise Men because it showed a willingness to give despite great personal cost. When Henry writes, "And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house," he is using verbal irony. Their sacrifice was not unwise. On the contrary, they showed wisdom like that of the renowned Wise Men, the Magi.

How are Della and Jim compared to the Magi in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Della and Jim are compared to the Magi at the very end of this richly ironic story. Although they have traded their most precious possessions to buy a gift for the other that is, in a sense, useless, as Della cannot use the combs without her hair and Jim cannot use the watch chain without his watch, the narrator argues that they are actually incredibly rich because of the love that they have for each other, as has been displayed in their willingness to sacrifice what is dearest to them for the other.

Note what the final paragraph tells us about them:

But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. They are the Magi.

The Magi are normally held up as a symbol of the original spirit of Christmas gift-giving, and so by comparing Jim and Della to the Magi, O. Henry is arguing that in their choice of gifts, which the "wise" might consider to be "foolishness," they actually capture the original spirit of sacrificial gift-giving that we see in the story of the Magi. By holding their love for each other as more important than their own possessions, they show a true spirit of Christmas love that is a challenge to all of us when Christmas arrives in these materialistic times.

Why are Della and Jim considered to be the magi in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Jim and Della were materially poor. They lived in a small, poorly furnished apartment, wore ragged clothes that were worn out, and in general needed to save every penny possible. Luxuries were not in their budget.

A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout...On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat.

And yet, they sold their most prized possessions and used the money to buy each other a Christmas present. The income from the sacrifice of Della's hair and Jim's watch could have bought them new clothes or paid for the rental of a nicer apartment.

In demonstrating the depth of their love for each other, they demonstrated their understanding of what was truly important. By placing their devotion to the other above all worldly, materialistic considerations, they showed their wisdom in choosing what was truly important.

in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest.

Why is the love between Jim and Della compared to the Magi's gifts in "The Gift of the Magi"?

The simplistic answer is that both stories - of Jim and Delia finding gifts for each other and of the Wise Men bringing gifts for the baby Jesus - are about the true spirit of giving.  The Magi bring gifts of great value to honor the birth of Jesus, and Jim and Delia exchange gifts they were only able to purchase through the sacrifice of their most treasured possession (Delia's hair and Jim's watch).  Only great love would prompt such a sacrifice.  O. Henry compares this great love to the love of the Wise Men for the Messiah.

How are Della and Jim in "The Gift of the Magi" compared to the original Magi?

The Magi, or 3 Wise Men, brought gifts to the infant Jesus.  They traveled long distances to bring what were considered very precious gifts of exotic oils and spices.  These were things that only the very wealthy could afford and Mary and Joseph certainly were not wealthy.  Their gifts were meant to honor the baby who was called the Messiah.  In the short story by O'Henry, Della and Jim each sacrifice their prized possession to give a precious gift to the other.  Jim bought beautiful combs for Della to put in her crowning glory, her splendid hair.  To get the money for the combs, Jim sold his most valuable possession - his pocket watch.  Della bought Jim a beautiful chain on which Jim could put his pocket watch because she knew how much that watch meant to Jim.  To get the money to buy the watch chain as a Christmas gift for her husband, she cut off her hair and sold it.  The gifts showed self-sacrifice and thoughtfulness, just as the gifts the Magi brought Jesus showed the same.  To go even further with the comparison - the gifts brought by the Magi to the baby Jesus weren't gifts that were necessities, they were luxuries meant to show honor.  The gifts exchanged by Jim and Della were also not necessities but luxuries meant to show Jim and Della how much love each one had for the other.

Describe Jim and Della's apartment in "The Gift of the Magi."

Jim and Della are a young couple who have recently had a downturn in their financial fortunes. Jim's income has been cut by a third, from thirty to twenty dollars a week. As a result, the two have moved to a substandard furnished apartment. The door buzzer doesn't work, and the mail won't fit in the tiny mail slot.

The narrator mentions a "shabby" sofa and a poor-quality mirror that reflects in a badly distorted way. He says the apartment doesn't exactly "beggar" description, but notes that the word "beggar" could be accurately used in conjunction with it. The couple is paying eight dollars a week for it on a twenty-dollar-a-week income, so like many poor people, then and now, they are spending a disproportionate amount of their income (forty percent) to live in what seems to be a tenement slum.

With little actual description, O. Henry deftly paints the portrait of a young couple down on their luck, perhaps due to a recession that has made it difficult for Jim to find a decent paying job. If Jim is feeling bad about not getting ahead or not being able to provide well for Della, that would help explain her determination to try to buy him a nice gift to help him feel better about himself.

Describe Jim and Della's apartment in "The Gift of the Magi."

In O. Henry's classic short story "The Gift of the Magi," Jim and Della Young are depicted as a loving couple who live in poverty and struggle to make ends meet.

In the first paragraph of the story, O. Henry highlights their financial hardships by describing Della's difficulty saving a measly one dollar and eighty-seven cents, which is far from enough to purchase her husband a worthy Christmas present. After briefly introducing Della to the audience, O. Henry begins to develop the setting of the story by briefly describing the Youngs' impoverished home. The audience learns that the Youngs' apartment only costs eight dollars per week to rent and does not "beggar description," which means that it does not deserve a lengthy explanation. The reader can discern that there is not much inside the apartment that is worth describing.

Instead of giving an elaborate description of the apartment, O. Henry offers minimal information and leaves much to the reader's imagination. O. Henry also elaborates on the thin mirror inside their apartment, which is hung between two windows in one of the sparsely furnished rooms. The mirror is too small to show a person's entire reflection, and Della is forced to walk back and forth in a rapid sequence to look at herself. The only other furnishing described in the Youngs' meager apartment is their "shabby little" couch, which Della cries on at the beginning of the story.

Describe Jim and Della's apartment in "The Gift of the Magi."

From the beginning of O. Henry’s classic short story “The Gift of the Magi,” the reader is aware of the poverty of the protagonists. The opening paragraph references the pitiful savings of the female character, Della, despite her frugalness and the emotional pain that her meager savings has caused. O. Henry, born William Sidney Porter, depicts an economicallyndepressed setting for the story that will follow. As he notes early in “The Gift of the Magi,” the setting will be sparse and confined due to the socioeconomic conditions in which the characters, the Youngs, exist: “Furnished rooms at a cost of $8 a week. There is little more to say about it.” As the story progresses, the author continues to emphasize the limited financial means of the apartment’s occupants, describing a letter box too small to accommodate a letter, and a looking glass, “the kind of looking-glass that is placed in $8 furnished rooms. It was very narrow. A person could see only a little of himself at a time.”

This is the setting in which O. Henry’s story of a young struggling couple sacrificing for each other in a particularly ironic manner takes place. Della, of course, cuts off and sells her long beautiful hair in order to buy a gold chain for Jim’s precious gold watch. Jim, in the meantime, had sold the watch in order to buy combs for Della’s hair. It is the sacrifice each makes for the other that gives the story its title. Jim and Della Young occupy a very humble abode—one befitting their stage in life. While the author presents only minor details about their apartment, it is clear that his protagonists are of very limited means.

Describe Jim and Della's apartment in "The Gift of the Magi."

In O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi," Jim and Della live in "furnished rooms at a cost of $8 per week." The narrator does not provide the reader with much information about the rooms, leaving much of the imagery up to the reader's imagination. In fact, after stating the cost of the rooms, the narrator is clear that "[t]here is little more to say about it," which suggests that the rooms are so small and so sparse that they don't warrant any physical description at all.

Despite this statement from the narrator, two clear details that give the reader a sense of the apartment are present in the story. For example, Della looks at herself in a very small, very narrow mirror that hangs between two windows in one of their furnished rooms. These details are significant because two windows may allow enough light into the room so that Della can actually see herself and her hair, the hair that is as important to the plot of the story as the poverty in which the two characters live.

Explain the characters of Jim and Della in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".

The perfect couple—O. Henry created a real love story with a twist in “The Gift of the Magi.” The setting is New York City in the early 1900s. The Young apartment is the specific setting.  Finding the perfect gift is at the center of the story.

Della

Della Young has a  problem.  It is Christmas Eve, and she does not have a gift for her wonderful husband Jim. She wants to give Jim the perfect gift which Della has been saving for several weeks to get the $1.87 that she does have.  Her husband’s salary does not go far, and she is worried sick. Della unashamedly deals hard bargains with the grocer and the butcher, so that she can have a few extra cents at the end of the week.

Della loves her husband.  The characterization of Della would include a rather emotional young woman.  She sits down and has a good cry because she does not know how to get the needed money for her present.  Apparently, she does not have anyone with which to talk things over.  

The Young’s apartment is rather shabby and old.  It makes no difference to Della because she shares her home with Jim. Their furniture and clothes indicate that they are not impoverished, but close to it. 

Della is an attractive, slender young woman.  Her crowning glory was her beautiful long hair.  It falls below her knees when she lets it down.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. A Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

As Della looks out the window, she comes to a difficult decision.  She will sell her hair to buy the gift for her husband.  The strength that this decision took comes from the love that Jim had for her beautiful hair.  Della does not know what Jim’s reaction will be.

She sells the hair and buys a watch fob to hold her husband’s watch. Her one worry now is that Jim will still think that she is pretty without her hair. 

Jim

Less information is given in the story about Jim.  His full name is James Dillingham Young. He is twenty –two years old. He works hard and brings home $20.00 per week. His one grand possession was a watch that had been passed through the men in his family. 

Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

His watch gave Jim joy.

Della describes Jim as quiet but valuable.  Like Della, he is thin but handsome.  His clothes were somewhat ragged like Della’s old coat.  Jim seemed serious most of the time. 

Jim was never late; however, on this night, he comes home a little tardy.  Jim reacts strangely to Della’s hair cut. He does tell her that nothing could ever change his love for her.

When the two exchange their gifts and discover that each had sacrificed their most precious possession, they each laugh and decide to put the gifts away until the hair grows back and the watch could be recovered. 

Their gifts were perfect because each gave from their hearts which is the only true gift

Explain the characters of Jim and Della in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".

There is no evidence in the text to suggest that the relationship between Jim and Della, in O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi," is anything but an ardent love between two very devoted and charming young people.

After all, they each sell their most prized material possessions in order to express their love. Della sells her beautiful hair to buy Jim a watch chain and Jim sells his watch to buy Della tortoise shell combs for her hair. While the story is ultimately ironic it is also a comment on the adoration which exists between the young couple. 

True expressions of love are usually marked by selfless consideration for the loved one. We might think of the ultimate sacrifice made by Romeo and Juliet as the consummate statement of love. The story is named as it is because the Magi came to bring presents to the baby Jesus. The Magi were said to be "wise men." O. Henry comments at the end of the story that even though Jim and Della may have been impetuous, their gifts of love were ultimately "wise." O. Henry ends his story by saying,

And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.  

In "The Gift of the Magi," how are Jim and Della the Magi in this story?

In "The Gift of the Magi," Jim and Della are representative of the Magi. The Magi are the three kings that visited the Christ child and gave the ultimate gifts as far as giving is concerned. 

Jim and Della are considered the Magi because they gave each other the ultimate gift. Della sold her most prized possession--her hair--to buy Jim a platinum chain for his watch. Jim sold his most prized possession--his watch--to buy Della precious combs for her beautiful, long hair. 

In this type of giving, the author considers Jim and Della the Magi. They made the ultimate sacrifice one for the other. No one has given more. Jim and Della are considered the Magi because they sacrificed their most prized possessions one for the other. 

Della planned to make her gift worthy of someone like Jim:

 "Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim."

Selling her hair is the ultimate sacrifice. Jim loved Della's long hair. Della parted with her hair in order to give Jim a worthy gift. This giving compares to the giving of the Magi to the Christ child. No greater giving is recorded. 

Jim values his wife more than he values his watch. His love for his wife goes beyond materialism. Jim clearly values his young wife more than his gold watch. He sells his watch to buy her a set of beautiful, jewel-edged tortoiseshell combs for her long hair.

Jim honors his wife above his own happiness. He gives the ultimate gift when he sells his watch to buy her the combs for her beautiful hair. As the author states, Jim and Della are the Magi:

But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

Explain the characters of Jim and Della in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".

In the first paragraph, readers learn that the couple lives very frugally and that Della has been saving pennies from their food budget in advance of Christmas.

The second paragraph reveals that the couple lives in a furnished rented room and that Della is distraught about their financial situation.

In the third paragraph, readers learn that Jim has had his pay reduced from $30 a week to $20 a week, and that there is a lot of love shared between the couple.

The remainder of the story's opening paragraphs focus on Della's sorrow that despite her assiduous saving, she has only $1.87 with which to buy her beloved husband a Christmas gift.

These paragraphs create an exposition that help the reader understand the couple's dire financial straits and love for one another, which makes their later sacrifices plausible.

Explain the characters of Jim and Della in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".

The married couple Della and Jim live meagerly with few possessions in a furnished apartment. Jim makes $20 a week at a job where he used to make $30. When Jim was making $30 a week, the couple placed a name card on their mailbox which read "Mr. James Dillingham Young." Now that he makes less, the middle name Dillingham looks blurred (in an example of personification, the letters themselves are contemplating contracting to a simple D. because of Jim's pay cut). With Christmas approaching, Della is trying to save money for a gift, but has accumulated only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. Sixty cents of this money has been garnered through "close dealing" with the grocer, vegetable man, and butcher. This bargaining causes Della's cheeks to burn over the idea that she has to be so stingy with her money. She counts the money three times and finally breaks down and cries on her "shabby little couch."

Explain the characters of Jim and Della in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".

The primary way Della and Jim show love for one another is through sacrifice. Della sacrifices her long, beautiful hair to get enough money to buy a special gift for Jim. Meanwhile, Jim sacrifices his family heirloom pocket watch to get enough money to buy a special gift for Della. Each one "sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house."

Before Della has the idea to sell her hair to get money for Jim's gift, she was filled with disappointment. She cries because she only had $1.87 to spend on her husband's present. She wants to buy Jim a special Christmas gift and is sad and disappointed when she does not have enough money to do so.

Other evidence of their love is in the story. At the beginning, O. Henry wrote that, despite their financial difficulties, Jim was "greatly hugged" by Della each day when he returns home from work. After Della gets home from buying the gift for Jim, she looks in the mirror and begins to regret her decision to cut her hair. Jim loves Della's long hair, which was capable of "rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters." She worries Jim will no longer find her pretty. When he arrives home, Jim reassures Della that no "haircut or a shave or a shampoo... could make [him] like [his] girl any less." Della realizes Jim loves her and thinks she is pretty even without her long hair.

Della and Jim each sacrifice something precious to give a gift as an expression of love. O. Henry shows their love through their willingness to sacrifice.

How does O. Henry define Jim and Della's characters in "The Gift of the Magi"?

We are given better definitions of these characters from their setting and surroundings. Right away, we realize that Jim and Della are leading a rather meager existence, as their home is not lavish, and their words and actions are those that are typically associated with financial struggle.

Even with the state of near-poverty that they are living in, however, Jim and Della both find it within their hearts to sacrifice what is dearest to them for the sake of the other person's happiness -- Della sells her hair, Jim sells his watch, and ironically, the gift that each receives has to do with the very thing they sold for the other person's pleasure (Della gets combs, Jim gets a watch chain). Through the settings, characterizations, and plot of this story, we are shown the true nature of both Jim and Della.

How does O. Henry define Jim and Della's characters in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Both of them are self-sacrificing and selfless.  Della gives up her beautiful hair (which is alluded to as hair that the Queen of Sheba would envy).  He gives up his most prized possession (his golden watch--which would have been envied by King Solomon) to buy something for her.  Both characters have the same qualities.  Both are willing to give up their most prize possessions to make the other happy.  Their love is so strong that their possessions don't mean as much as giving the other person joy.  O. Henry defines them by their selfless actions.

Which three words describe Della and Jim's relationship in The Gift of the Magi?

Three words that could describe the relationship between Jim and Della are "deep," "unselfish," and "reciprocal." The relationship between them is deep; it is not based on trivial or inconsequential surface qualities like a crush or infatuation would be. Della does not love Jim any less for having had his wages cut by one third since she married him, and Jim does not love Della less when she cuts her hair, although her hair was stunning. They love each other for the person underneath all the outward trappings.

Their relationship is unselfish, which is the point of the story. They love each other so much that each sacrifices the possession most valuable to him or her in order to purchase a fine gift for the other.

And their relationship is reciprocal; Della loves Jim as much as he loves her, and vice versa. Their gift-giving shows the reciprocity of their love as well as its unselfishness. Jim's watch is of equal worth to him as Della's hair is to her, and each of them knows and values the appreciation the other one has for his or her prize possession. So their choice of gifts is not actually surprising, but in fact is the most predictable of outcomes given the complete reciprocity of their love.

Which three words describe Della and Jim's relationship in The Gift of the Magi?

The narrator says it best himself when he refers to them as "young fools", in the way that they are innocent, young, and naive when it comes to prioritizing, and to live in a world outside of their immediate small family circle.  In a way you can also say that they are dedicated, committed, and innocent as well because they have shown each other a strong form of devotion in the sacrifices that they had to endure for each other's sake, but at the same time are still too fresh into the relationship to worry about the sacrifice being so big.

What kind of life do Jim and Della lead in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Jim earns only twenty dollars a week, and their flat costs eight dollars a week. They must lead very quiet lives. But, at this point in their young married lives at least, they are still very much in love.

But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called “Jim” and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

Jim must spend most of his time working. In these horse-and-buggy days, most people worked a six-day week, and the hours were longer than the contemporary standard of eight hours per day. We see that Jim does not get home until after seven o'clock on the story day. Della notices that he looks "thin and very serious."

He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

No doubt he goes to bed early and has to get up early when the alarm clock summons him to another day's office drudgery. He probably does little more than loaf when he has free time. No doubt they go for walks on Sundays, but they have no extra money to spend on minor treats.

Della's life is thoroughly domestic. The biggest event in her day is going shopping. And she probably has to shop for food every day because it was not easy to store fresh food, and canned and packaged foods were not nearly so abundant as they are now. She must spend most of her time in their flat. She would have to do the cooking, housekeeping, and laundry. In those days most women had to wash everything in tubs, and they used scrub boards regularly. Nowadays it is rare to see such a thing as a scrub board. And of course Della must spend a lot of time caring for her long, long hair. It must take her hours to wash it and get it dried--but she probably enjoys this operation, since she is so proud of her hair.

Most people led much simpler lives in O. Henry's day. They had lower expectations. Radio and television, of course, did not exist. Entertainment was all live entertainment. There were no movies, only stage plays and vaudeville. They might splurge and go to a show occasionally. They are obviously leading pretty straightened lives if Della has to sell her hair and Jim has to sell his watch in order to buy each other Christmas presents. Poverty haunts the story, as it often does in the stories of O. Henry, including "The Last Leaf," "The Furnished Room," and "The Cop and the Anthem."

There is a suggestion, easy to miss, that Della is pregnant. When Jim gets home, Della notices his appearance and thinks to herself:

Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two—and to be burdened with a family! 

Doesn't this suggest very strongly that she is expecting a baby but hasn't told her husband yet? If she only meant that she herself was a burden, she would have said, "...and to be burdened with a wife!" It would hardly be surprising that she should be pregnant, what with all the hugging and kissing going on in that flat.

It seems possible that O. Henry intended to write a Christmas story that paralleled the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem but decided against it because he was afraid some of his readers might be offended. They might get the idea that he was suggesting that Della's baby was supposed to represent the promised second coming of Christ. His ending with his comparison between the Youngs and the biblical magi seems like a bit of a stretch. The magi did not give presents to each other, and they certainly weren't poor; they were all kings. But O. Henry was undoubtedly under deadline pressure and he did a lot of his writing in saloons. He was reputed to drink two quarts of whiskey a day. 

What kind of life do Jim and Della lead in "The Gift of the Magi"?

While the setting of O. Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi” isn’t explicitly stated, clues and the tone of the story lead us to believe the story takes place in New York City.

The story begins the day before Christmas, in the apartment of Jim and Della Young. Della laments that, despite having worked to save money for months, she only has $1.87 saved to purchase a gift for her husband. She soon realizes the only thing she has left to sell is her hair—the hair Jim loves so much. She looks at herself and worries about what her husband will say about her short hair. She alludes to a New York landmark: Coney Island, a well-known amusement park area in Brooklyn. She says to herself, “before he takes a second look at me, he’ll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl.” The Coney Island chorus girls were women who danced in the chorus line as a part of the shows at Coney Island.

The description of their second-floor apartment also leads us to imagine the couple’s New York home. O. Henry delicately describes the couple's home as having “not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.” The eight-dollar-a-week flat fits the couple’s tight financial times.

What kind of life do Jim and Della lead in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Mr. and Mrs. James Dillingham Young live in a flat in New York City. There are two allusions to identifiable places in New York: Coney Island and Broadway. It was not unusual for O. Henry to use New York City as a setting because he lived there for years himself.  In fact, several stories of O. Henry's are set in New York; among these stories are "The Last Leaf," "A Madison Square Arabian Night," "After Twenty Years," "The Cop and the Anthem," and "The Tale of the Tainted Tanner." 

"The Gift of the Magi" is characteristic of the humorous and sentimental stories written by O. Henry. It is a Christmas story of a loving, but poor young married couple who live in a New York flat. Unfortunately, Jim has a lower salary than he had when they first moved into this apartment and there is no extra cash for gifts and such. Nevertheless, each is determined to buy a present worthy of the other. Della decides to sell her luxurious hair to a wig shop so that she can purchase a platinum fob chain for Jim's heirloom watch. After she looks at her shortened hair, Della thinks Jim will say that she looks "like a Coney Island chorus girl." Jim sells his treasured watch so that he can buy beautiful hair combs that Della has "worshiped for long in a Broadway window." These combs are of pure tortoise shell with jeweled rims that are the perfect shade to match Della's hair. So, while neither can use the Christmas present, they both receive the most significant gifts, those of unselfish love.

What kind of life do Jim and Della lead in "The Gift of the Magi"?

In "The Gift of the Magi," Della and Jim live in a larger city described as being colorless ("grey") in a very humble apartment that lacks furnishings—rough or otherwise. Within the city itself are other grey elements in their lives: a grey fence and cat both figure into the narrative, reinforcing the drabness of Della and Jim's belongings. The doorbell and the mailbox are both broken, perhaps as symbols of how financially broke Della and Jim are. Their home is austere at best. The description of their home drives home how impoverished they are.

Although William Sydney Porter (pen name O. Henry), the author, does not name the city in the text of the story, readers can speculate the setting is New York City because there is a reference made to Coney Island, which already was a popular New York attraction when Porter wrote the story. Additionally, Porter lived in New York at the time he wrote the story and published it in a New York newspaper, so most biographers are comfortable labeling the setting as New York City. 

The term flat could throw readers off somewhat; it seems to be a little more "British" than apartment, but nothing else in the story gives it a British flair. Furthermore, Porter seemed determined to portray the lives of everyday Americans that reflected those he had known along the way growing up in North Carolina, working in Texas and New Orleans, spending a brief time in jail in Ohio, and finally settling in New York City.

How do Jim and Della evolve in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Jim and Della change throughout the story "The Gift of the Magi" by becoming self-sacrificing for the benefit of each other.

In many respects, "The Gift of the Magi" begins in media res: with the Christmas deadline looming, Della is trying to scrounge up enough money to buy her husband a gift. As O. Henry's narration reveals, this moment serves as the culmination of months' worth of skimping and saving, as previously fanciful dreams about giving her husband some wonderful present have since given way to a far more desperate situation. At the same time, O. Henry suggests that the couple retains some element of vanity, as seen in the degree to which Della cherishes and takes pride in her hair, just as her husband takes pride in his watch.

Yet, for all that she prides herself in her hair, Della sells it to Madame Sofronie for a sum of twenty dollars, money with which she can purchase her husband the fob-chain for his watch. As much as she might cherish her hair, those sentiments pale in comparison to her love for her husband.

At the same time, however, Jim has apparently followed a similar trajectory. Driven out of that same sense of selfless love, he too has sacrificed his own most prized possession, selling his prized watch in order to purchase combs for Della's hair. As the story concludes, even though neither can currently use the other's gift, this spirit of self-sacrifice proves to be a far more meaningful present than the physical gifts themselves.

What do Jim and Della cherish the most in "The Gift of the Magi"?

While Della and James Dillingham Young are not materialistic, they each take pride in one possession. Della is proud of her luxurious hair; Jim is proud of his gold watch.

In O. Henry's delightfully sentimental short story entitled "The Gift of the Magi," the young, loving husband and wife have fallen upon hard times. But, because it is the Christmas season, Della and Jim want to purchase presents for each other. So, in order to buy a present for the other, each of the spouses sells their own most-valued possession. Della goes to Madame Sofronie and sells her hair so that she can buy a platinum fob chain for her husband's handsome watch. Jim pawns his gold watch in order to purchase for his wife a set of lovely tortoise-shell combs that have jeweled rims.

Della and Jim prove that they love each other more than they love their prized possessions because neither of them is upset when unable to use the Christmas present. Della hugs the combs and tells her disappointed husband, "My hair grows so fast, Jim!" and Jim suggests that they put away their presents for a while. He explains, "I sold the watch to get the money to buy the combs."  

With typical sentimentality, O. Henry concludes his narrative,

But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest.... They are the Magi. 

Love such as that shared by Della and Jim Dillingham is far more important than any material possession, even if it is cherished.

What do Jim and Della cherish the most in "The Gift of the Magi"?

In this story, the two characters, Jim and Della, do not have much money but want to give each other nice Christmas presents.  They want to give each other presents that will go well with their most treasured "possessions."

For Jim, his most treasured possession is his pocket watch, handed down from his grandfather.  For Della, it is her long, beautiful hair.  She wants to get him a chain for the watch, he wants to get her combs for her hair.

I wouldn't say those are the things they love most, though.  It's pretty clear from the ending of the story that they love each other more than they love material things.

What makes Jim and Della precious in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Their love is completely pure, and they are willing to both sacrifice what is most precious to them in order to show that love.  That indeed is endearing, and makes Jim and Della very special.  A lot of people wouldn't go to such lengths to show their love.  Della cuts off her entire head of hair for Jim, and Jim sells his beloved and treasured pocketwatch.  And, they don't do it to show off, but to give each other a gift that they truly feel the other person deserves.  Consider the following passage, where Della ponders her feelings for her husband:

"Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim."

This passage shows just how pure her love for Jim is, and how pure her motivations for buying a gift.  Often, we buy gifts in order to show off, or to get people to like us better, or out of obligation.  But here, she wants to guy him one because she loves him so much that she feels he deserves one just for being wonderful.

That purity of motivation, and the lengths that Jim and Della go to show it, are what make them precious.

Who are Della and Jim in "The Gift of the Magi," what do they want, and what are the main events and outcome?

On the day before Christmas, a young married couple, James Dillingham Young (known as Jim) and his wife, Della, have very little money to buy each other gifts. Della has scrimped and saved, but since her husband's salary has been reduced, she has very little money to buy him a gift. They are devoted to each other, and each has one object that he or she cherishes. Della cherishes her beautiful long brown hair, and Jim cherishes the gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. 

To buy each other gifts for Christmas, Della cuts off and sells her beautiful locks, and Jim sells his gold watch. The irony is that Della has bought her husband a fob for his watch, and Jim has bough his wife the jeweled tortoiseshell combs that she wanted. Each has bought something for the other that is useless for the moment, but it's clear that they love each other and that love and sacrifice are the true gifts that they offer each other. 

What details in "The Gift of the Magi" suggest Jim and Della's capacity for sacrifice?

Della and Jim Dillingham are willing to sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy each other a Christmas present.

In the exposition of "The Gift of the Magi," Della counts over the little money she has saved, recalling with some shame how she saved money by "bulldozing the grocer and vegetable man and the butcher." Della bartered with them to try to save some money for Jim's Christmas gift. Della's loving intentions are apparent from the beginning. When she sells her luxurious hair of which she is so proud, Della's willingness to sacrifice whatever she can to give a nice present to her husband is even clearer.

Similarly, in order to purchase a gift for his beloved wife, Jim Dillingham is willing to relinquish his gold watch, his only prized possession, which is an heirloom passed from his grandfather to his father and now to him. Moreover, his unselfish love for Della is certainly evinced when he sees Della sold her hair; he does not become angry or resentful that he sold his watch unnecessarily, as Della can no longer use the hair combs Jim purchased with the money he received for the watch.

When they each receive their gifts, neither makes any begrudging remark. Instead, Della hugs the combs and says positively, "My hair grows so fast, Jim!" Jim, too, reacts positively, saying, "Della... let's put away our Christmas presents and keep 'em awhile." Their love for each other is worth any sacrifice.

Who are Della and Jim in "The Gift of the Magi," what do they want, and what are the main events and outcome?

The two characters are Jim and Della Dillingham Young.  Jim is a hardworking young man and the husband of Della.  Della is an industrious young woman and the wife of Jim.  

They both want to purchase a special gift for each other.  Jim wants to buy Della a set of beautiful combs for her long hair.  Della wants to buy Jim a "platinum fob chain" for his beloved pocket watch.  They both have a dilemma: they do not have enough money.

Della decides to cut her beautiful hair and sell it in order to buy Jim the watch chain.  Jim decides to sell his heirloom watch to buy Della the combs.  They both sell their precious items and buy their intended gifts.  

When they present their gifts to one another, they realize what they have done.  Despite the fact that their gifts are rendered useless, their love for each other still shows.