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Della is youthful, caring, and sensitive. Much of the story follows her perspective and highlights her devotion to her husband, Jim. She demonstrates this sensitive and caring nature when she throws herself down on the couch to cry once she realizes she hasn’t saved enough money to buy Jim a Christmas present. Although she is clearly proud of her beautiful hair, Della is not overly vain. The fact that she cuts her hair to afford a present for Jim proves that her vanity does not outweigh her desire to show him how much she loves him. After she styles the new short cut by curling it, she worries that he will think she looks like a Coney Island chorus girl, suggesting she is more anxious about how Jim will perceive her new haircut than how she feels about it herself. When Jim arrives home, she almost immediately explains what she has done because she is so concerned about his feelings. She further exhibits this sensitive nature when she reacts to Jim’s gift; though she is sad that she cannot use the combs, she is mostly overwhelmed and touched by his love for her.

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