The Gift of The Magi: Investigating The Act of Caring

Sometimes it can be difficult to find the perfect gift for the person we really appreciate and care for. In the short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry Della is really determined to get the perfect gift for Jim. It is Christmas time and she wants to get Jim a gift. She searches through many stores and she even cuts her hair. The character Della in the short story The Gift of the Magi is thoughtful because she plans ahead, makes sacrifices and above all, because she works hard to find Jim the perfect gift.

The first reason why Della is thoughtful is because she plans ahead. In the text it states,” She had put aside as much as she could for months…” (Page 2.) This shows me that she is really trying her hardest to get money. She is saving up as much as she can and is really working hard for it. She got really prepared for the gift. She saved up for months which is a lot. It also states,” Furnished rooms at a cost of $8 a week.” (Page 1.) This shows me that she is thoughtful because she does things for strangers and does things for Jim. She’s really working for her money and is doing other peoples chores to get that money. She is doing favors for other people, so she can do a favor for Jim. $8 may not seem like a lot but to Della it is a lot more than she has.

The second reason why Della is thoughtful is because she makes sacrifices. In the text it states,” Will you buy my hair? Asked Della.” (Page 3.) This shows me that she is donating something that is really special to her. She probably didn’t want to do that but she had to if she wanted money. This shows that she is sacrificing her hair even though she doesn’t really need to. Later in the story it talks about how Jim doesn't care about what Della gets him. Another piece of evidence is,” She had put aside, one cent and then another, in her careful buying of meats and other food.” This shows me that she is trying to spend her money wisely. Meats can be expensive at some times, such as steak, but she is trying her best to prevent from spending too much money.

My final reason is that she works really hard to find Jim the perfect gift. In the text it states,” I couldn’t live through Christmas without giving you a gift.” This shows me that this gift must be very important to him. If it wasn’t, then she wouldn’t be trying this hard to get a gift for him. It also states,” She was going from one shop to another, to find a gift for Jim.” This shows me that she isn't just picking out the first thing that she sees, she keeps looking for the perfect one. Also, this is really kind of her even though she doesn’t have that much money. A little further into the text, it talks about how Jim sold his watch for Della, but Della got him a watch without him knowing. What a coincidence!

Overall, Della is really thoughtful towards Jim. She doesn’t just care about herself, she cares about others. She got a gift for Jim and not herself, so she puts others before herself. She put a lot of time and thought into this gift. The character Della in the short story The Gift of the Magi is thoughtful because she plans ahead, makes sacrifices and above all, because she works hard to find Jim the perfect gift.