Why are Della and Jim called foolish and wise simultaneously in "The Gift of the Magi"?

In the final paragraph, the narrator says that Jim and Della "were not wise."  A few lines later, he says that, "Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise."  This paradox, I think, has to do with who is doing the judging, who is perceiving Jim and Della.  From society's perspective, from a materialist perspective, their actions may not be very wise: they each sacrificed the most valuable and precious thing they owned so that they would be able to purchase a gift for the other.  It goes against common sense, perhaps, to sell one's most precious thing in order to buy a present for someone else.  Further, it could be argued that when one loves, one need not buy a gift to show it; it isn't wise to think that love can best show itself with a present.  

However, from a different perspective, the fact that Jim and Della were willing to sacrifice their most precious belongings in order that they could do something kind for the other one makes them very wise.  The love they feel for one another is so strong that it trumps any selfish desire to hold on to the objects they value.  They see that their material possessions are of less value than their love, and so they are willing to sacrifice them.  This ordering of values is certainly very wise.

Set at Christmastime, the story tells of a young couple so wrapped up in their love for each other that they sacrifice something of value to get the other person the perfect gift. Because the primary function that O’Henry assigns to them is gift-givers, they are like the Magi, who express their praise and love through gifts. Jim and Della’s generosity makes them wise: "Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise," the author tells us.

But the love they felt for each other was really enough. The actual, tangible objects were superfluous. The hard times they were living through would be temporary, but their love would endure. Giving up valuable material goods, or even a part of her own physical being in the case of Della’s hair, was not necessary. They indulged in the foolishness of overspending because they were blinded by love, feeling that objects were valid expressions of emotion, when really the emotion itself was more than sufficient.

O. Henry draws an analogy between his story of Jim and Della and the story of the Magi in the New Testament. Both stories take place at Christmas time. In fact, Christmas begins with the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem, where the Three Magi come to worship him. There seems to be a subtle hint in O. Henry's story that Della might be expecting a baby herself, although the author only hints at this because it might seem irreverent or sacreligious. When Jim comes home from work at seven o'clock, he looks "thin and very serious." Della thinks to herself:

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

O. Henry ends that sentence with an exclamation mark to call attention to it. Jim is not burdened with a wife but burdened--or soon to be burdened, although he may not have been told yet--with a family. The "gift of the magi" may not be the watch-chain Della bought for Jim or the set of combs he bought for her. That would make two gifts, wouldn't it? And these young people are not magi. O. Henry seems to be hinting that Jim and Della are like Joseph and Mary in the Bible--which would suggest that their baby, if Della is indeed expecting a baby, is like the baby Jesus in Chapter 2 of The Gospel According to St. Matthew:

¶And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The gift of the magi in O. Henry's story would be the spiritual enlightenment of the two young people living in poverty in New York City. They realize that their love is more important than any material possession.

Jim and Della’s gifts were the wisest because each gave the other what he or she held most dear in order to give the other what he or she valued most.

In the ironic story “The Gift of the Magi,” a young couple is trying to find gifts for one another for Christmas.  They do not have much money, but each of them wants to do something special for the other.  Jim decides to sell his watch to get a set of hairbrushes for Della, and Della sells her hair to buy a chain for Jem’s watch.

Although it was foolish for these two to sell their most prized possessions when the other person just wanted them to have each other, their gifts were wise in a way.

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.

The two realized that being together and loving each other was the greatest gift.  It does not matter if you are rich or poor, or if you have nice things, as long as you have love.

In "The Gift of the Magi," how are the characters both foolish and wise?

"...These are the wisest," O. Henry says at the short story's end; "They are the magi." He is referring here to Jim and Della, who were wise enough to see past themselves and their own importance to give something of real worth to another. While their actions resulted in unfavorable outcomes for both, the generosity of their selfless giving is what made them "wise" in the opinion of the author.

By story's end, Della had sold her beautiful hair to buy Jim's watch chain, and Jim had likewise sold his treasured watch for Della's hair combs. The situation may have seemed like a stalemate, but in fact, O. Henry tells us that their sacrifices were what made them "wise" or "magi."

Its a paradox, a statement that seems to be contradictory but does in fact contain truth. Most people would see their actions as foolist; they gave up their most valuable possessions to buy gifts that were rendered useless. It seems that they acted rashly, like children. The reason that they are the wisest, though, is because they realize that some things are more important than material possessions, like love. They were both self-sacrificing, putting the happiness of the one they loved first. In essence, they got what is really important in life. That's why they are wise.

In "The Gift of the Magi," how are Jim and Della both foolish and wise?

O. Henry describes Jim and Della as “two foolish children” and "the wisest of all" in "The Gift of the Magi."

Della and Jim both sell something of great importance to themselves to buy the other a gift. The problem is that while Jim has bought Della hair combs for her beautiful long hair, Della has cut off her hair to pay for a watch fob for her husband's watch. To pay for the hair combs, Jim has sold his watch.

In other words, by the end of this touching story, Della has beautiful hair combs but no hair, and Jim has a watch fob but no heirloom watch. When each of them realizes that the other has sold their prized possession to be able to afford a lovely gift, they are overwhelmed by their love for one another, and realize that their love—and not hair combs or a watch fob—is the ultimate gift that they have given each other.

Their wisdom comes from the realization that love is far more valuable than any material possession could ever be. The knowledge that the other person was willing to sacrifice their hair or their watch respectively is worth far more than the watch fob or hair clips could ever have been.

The ultimate realization was that they had both been foolish to think that they needed lavish gifts to show their love for one another.

Jim and Della can be thought of as foolish because they both fell into the trap of focusing on the materialism that is associated with gift-giving at Christmastime. As a result, each needlessly sacrificed a cherished possession: Della, her beautiful hair, and Jim, his heirloom watch.

Jim and Della can be thought of as wise because they made a sacrifice for a person that they care about. Because Christmas is a religious holiday that is meant to observe the birth of an entity that made the ultimate personal sacrifice for humanity, their gestures seem in keeping with the spirit of the day.

It is possible to interpret the story's title as ironic in this way: the magi each brought the Christ child a gift: gold, frankincense and myrrh, but they are not particularly useful items for the infant. Similarly, the gifts that Jim and Della gave each other were thoughtful but irrelevant.

Della was probably foolish in placing so much importance on giving her husband an expensive Christmas gift. She also was foolish in dealing with Madame Sofronie. Della showed that she was eager to sell her hair and thereby gave the shrewd older woman the opportunity to name a low price. No doubt Della's hair was worth much more, but she didn't bargain or go to a competitive hair buyer. Madame Sofronie practically scalped the poor girl. Della could have specified that she wanted to keep at least a little more of her long hair. She was undoubtedly victimized in the deal.

Jim was foolish in parting with a gold watch that had been in his family for three generations. He may be considered foolish in being so vain about the watch that he was always looking at the time. Like Della, he placed too much importance of getting an expensive gift for the person he loved. 

Jim and Della were both foolish because they spent too much money for Christmas presents when they were so hard up for cash. There is a moral for moderns in this story. Many people go overboard at Christmastime because nowadays we have credit cards. 

Jim and Della are only wise in being willing to make sacrifices because of their true love for each other. 

O. Henry is known for his ironic turns and surprise endings, and this story is no exception. The audience knows that Della has sold her hair. We know that it is her most prized possession, but that she willingly gives it up to give Jim a gift worthy of his wonderful pocket-watch. What we don't know until the end is that Jim has sold his pocket-watch to buy Della a gift worthy of her beautiful hair. 

The narrator calls these two "foolish children," claiming that they "most unwisely sacrificed...the greatest treasures of their house." They are called foolish for parting with items of such great value to them.

They are also called the wisest of gift-givers and receivers, and the wisest everywhere. This is because of how they gave gifts -- sacrificially. O. Henry uses a paradoxical statement here to drive home his theme -- true gift-giving requires sacrifice. Financially, they are foolish. Already very poor, the give up the most valuable possessions they have. Relationally, they are wise, because they parted with the items for the sake of another's happiness. 

Are Jim and Della from "The Gift of the Magi" wise or foolish?

In the final paragraph of the story "The Gift of the Magi," the narrator calls Jim and Della unwise and foolish for sacrificing their most valuable gifts before commenting "that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest." The narrator utilizes a paradox, and the question of whether Jim and Della are wise or foolish depends on who is perceiving them.

If one were to judge Jim and Della's actions from a materialistic point of view, then their decision to sacrifice their most valuable items for each other was foolish. Della sold her lovely hair to purchase a watch fob that Jim cannot use, and Jim sold his beloved watch to buy valuable combs that Della doesn't need. Since their gifts are completely useless, and they both lost the things they valued the most, Jim and Della can be considered foolish.

However, one could also make the argument that Jim and Della are the wisest because of their willingness to sacrifice their most precious items for each other. Jim and Della's sacrifices prove their genuine love for each other, which is much more than money can buy. Jim and Della's loving relationship and generosity is a greater gift than any material item, and one cannot put a price on their affection. Since they are willing to go to such great lengths to please each other, Jim and Della are considered "the wisest," and the narrator compares them to the biblical magi.

Why are Jim and Della in "The Gift of the Magi" called foolish, yet the wisest gift givers?

Many would argue that they were incredibly foolish to give up that which was most precious to them.  Delia loved her hair and it was renowned as being quite beautiful.  Jim was very proud of his watch and it had been handed down through his family so it wasn't something to be sold lightly.  So on the surface, their exchange was foolish as they ended up with, practically speaking, useless gifts.

Of course the wisdom of their exchange was that it showed such great love for the recipient of the gift.  A young couple, struggling to make ends meet sacrifice everything for each other, likely demonstrating a commitment and willingness to sacrifice that will see them through any kind of tough times together.  Perhaps this is why they are later said to have been so wise.

Were Della and Jim foolish or wise in "The Gift of the Magi"?

If you take your insights from O. Henry, then you will conclude that Jim and Della were incredibly wise. Here are the words of O. Henry at the conclusion of the short story:

"The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. 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."

If you examine this short story from this perspective, then you can say that Della's heart to sell what was most precious to her, namely her hair, to buy Jim a chain for his watch was wise. Similarly, when Jim sold his watch to buy a set of combs for her hair, he, too was wise, because his actions were rooted in sacrifice as well.

What makes all of this giving even more beautiful is that Jim and Della are portrayed as a poor couple.

Are Della and Jim both foolish and wise in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della is foolish because she sells what is most precious to her—her long beautiful hair—to buy a Christmas gift for Jim. She should know that if Jim loves her, he won't want her to sacrifice what she loves most for a gift for him. She should know he cares more about her happiness than owning a watch chain.

Likewise, Jim is foolish to sell his beloved watch to buy a comb and brush set for Della. He too should realize that Della loves him so much she would want him to keep what makes him happy more than any gift he could give her.

At that same time, they both are wise in that they intuit that the willingness to sacrifice their own desires to express their love for the other person will bond them closer and cement their relationship. They both understand it is not the gifts themselves but the love behind the gifts that matter; each willingly puts the other person's needs first. They have shown to each other that their marriage is on solid ground and will thrive, regardless of their material circumstances.

This is a good request, because it is always good to look at both sides of the story. 

First, Jim and Della can be seen as foolish, because they are spending money when they are poor. They should be saving their money for potentially hard times that may come in the future. In addition, their exchange of gifts is foolish, because in the end they cannot use what they have given to each other. Della has no more hair for her brushes and Jim has no pocket watch for his chain. In other words, they have given and received useless gifts. 

Second, we can say that they are wise, because there is something more important than receiving and more important than money. They have given themselves and their hearts in sacrifice. This love is the height of wisdom in the end. Perhaps, we can ask a question: "Do you think that Jim and Della were upset at the end of the story?" I think most people would agree that they were supremely happy. Why? It is more blessed to give than to receive.