People who have read "The Gift of the Magi" will always think of it as a story about a poor girl who sells her hair to buy her husband a Christmas present. Jim, the husband, is only a minor character. He is presented mainly through Della's thoughts about him. He does not appear until the story is nearly over, and even then he seems to exist only in his adoring wife's point of view. His sacrifice of his pocket watch is mainly intended to prove to Della that she has no need to worry about losing his love.