Student Question
How would you describe the narrator's personality in "The Gift of the Magi"?
Quick answer:
The narrator in "The Gift of the Magi" is portrayed as worldly, wise, kindly, and philosophical, resembling O. Henry himself. The narrator's tone is both perceptive and reflective, often interjecting with philosophical musings, possibly to meet word count requirements. The story's narrative style suggests O. Henry's personal influence, characterized by a mix of pressure, creativity, and possibly his known fondness for whiskey, reflecting his real-life experiences as a newspaper writer.
This is a good question and a sharp observation. The narrator seems to be a worldly wise, kindly, philosophic, perceptive man who likes people. This man seems to be very much like O. Henry himself, and O. Henry probably intended the reader to understand that he was the narrator. One other characteristic of O. Henry was that he was a heavy drinker. He was said to consume two quarts of whiskey a day, and he did a lot of his writing in taverns with a lead pencil. "The Gift of the Magi" was probably intended for the Christmas issue of a New York newspaper. Just as Della was under pressure to buy her husband a Christmas present, so O. Henry was under pressure to meet a deadline.
The story is touching, and it is famous. But there are indications that it was padded in order to meet a...
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certain word-quota. Some of the narrator's interjections sound as if they are put there to stretch out the story. For example:
She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends—a mammoth task.
The narrator also repeats himself, especially about the fact that Della only has $1.87 save up and tomorrow will be Christmas.
Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present.
Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim.
O. Henry could make a story out of nothing. This is genius. However, in this case it sounds as if he didn't bother to read his story over after he had finished the first draft. Or else he didn't have time. Or else he had drunk too much whiskey.
All the business about the magi at the end is questionable. O. Henry wanted to give some point to his story and he had to make something up. The magi of the Bible were kings. They didn't sacrifice anything, and they didn't give presents to each other. Many readers have asked for explanations of the equation of Della and Jim with the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings of the New Testament. There seems to be a possibility that O. Henry started off with the intention of writing a story that would parallel the story of Jesus, who was born in a stable on Christmas Eve to Mary and Joseph, who were both poor, like Della and Jim. Here is the hint that O. Henry intended to write about the birth of a baby:
The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two—and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.
Della does not think he is burdened with a wife but that he is to be burdened with a family. It sounds as if she is pregnant but hasn't told Jim yet. But O. Henry must have changed his mind. His readers might get the wrong idea. They might consider his story sacrilegious. Some might think he was equating Della's baby with the promised second coming of Christ! So he came up with a different ending.
The whole story seems inspired by whiskey, time pressure, the spirit of Christmas, and O. Henry's genius. He himself must be the narrator, and he must have been a real character, a real newspaper man of his times. with a reporter's eye and a reporter's understanding of the seamy side of his New York.