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There was a pier glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.

At the beginning of the story, the narrator uses the pier glass, or mirror, in the couple’s home as a metaphorical device. The mirror itself is a symbol of the couple’s poverty since it is as shabby as everything else in the couple’s home. It is situated between the window, and it is therefore a window into their lives that displays their impoverished circumstances. It also symbolically reflects their personalities back to them and exists as an object for introspection as well as reflection. The reflection of Della’s thinness is also an allusion to their poverty, while her hair alludes to her pride. 

Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

The narrator introduces Della and Jim’s prized possessions, her hair and his watch, to illustrate their personal ideas of value and to emphasize the sacrifice they make for each other in the name of love. The description of these items as precious to Della and Jim is significant and foreshadows that each will sell their treasure to give the other a gift. The assertion that these items are fit for royalty is pure hyperbole meant to illustrate the value Della and Jim place on them. The Queen of Sheba and King Solomon are biblical figures known for their wisdom. The narrator purposely alludes to figures from the Bible in order to depict Jim and Della as both wise and good.

Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayers about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think I am still pretty."

Near the climax of the story, the narrator increases the suspense over Jim’s reaction to Della’s hair through Della’s anticipation of Jim’s arrival. The fact that Jim is never late adds a sense of urgency and tension to the narrative. Della’s fear is intentionally exaggerated to create suspense as she turns white and says a little prayer when she hears Jim approaching. The fact that the audience knows Della has cut her hair, but Jim does not, heightens the dramatic irony of the situation, and drives the plot towards the twist revelation at the end of the story.

Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.

The narrator’s description of the watch chain at the end of the story highlights the competing ideas of material versus emotional value presented in the story. The chain metaphorically flashes as it reflects Della’s love for Jim. Della’s spirit metaphorically enhances the beauty and value of the chain as it is given as a symbol of her love. It is described as both dull and precious to imply that Della has both overestimated and underestimated its metaphorical and monetary worth. Even though the chain is now useless to Jim, its greatest worth is symbolic because it represents Della’s love.

Next section The Interconnectedness of Poverty and Shame

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