The Gift of the Magi: Main Ideas

Value is subjective.

Della’s hair and Jim’s watch both symbolize their individual ideas of what is valuable. Della’s pride in her hair is extensive. She views her hair as more valuable than the Queen of Sheba’s jewels. Cutting and selling her hair is the equivalent of giving away her greatest treasure. Della’s awareness of the sacrifice she is about to make is explicit as the color drains from her face when the idea of selling it first occurs to her. She enacts her plan quickly, leaving her no time to second-guess what she is about to do in order to make the loss sting less. The scene in the hair shop where Madame Sofronie coldly evaluates her hair’s worth suggests that its monetary value cannot match its emotional value to Della. Della’s self-worth is wound up in the value of her hair and once it is gone, she frets that Jim will no longer find her beautiful. Similarly, the description of Jim’s watch as an object even King Solomon would envy reveals how much it’s worth to him. Its sentimental value is also greater than its monetary value since it’s a family heirloom passed down from his father and grandfather. The fact that both characters give up their most treasured possession to please the other proves that what they each value most is the other’s happiness.

Love is a driving force.

The story mostly follows Della’s perspective, and her love for Jim drives her actions along with the plot. It is significant that the story opens with Della’s despair over not being able to afford a gift that she sees worthy of Jim. In Della’s mind, the gift she gives Jim must be special and rare because it symbolizes her love for him. It is Della’s love that drives her to sell her hair even though it is her most prized possession. Although Jim’s quest for a suitable gift for Della plays out offscreen, his love for Della also drives his decision to sell his most prized possession, his watch. The fact that he buys her the combs because he once saw her admire them shows his attentiveness to his wife’s happiness, and the way this translates into action. When he hears Della try to soothe him over her haircut, he immediately snaps out of his shock to reassure her that his love for her is not dependent on how her hair looks, seeming almost offended at the implication. These details are juxtaposed beside descriptions of their poverty to imply that the couple’s love remains unaffected by their poor financial status. It is not their finances that drive their behavior, but their love for one another.

Love conquers all.

The story uncritically presents the idea that Jim and Della’s love can conquer the huge obstacle that is their dire financial straits. Both characters are blissfully happy with the other, even though they have sold their prized possessions only to be left with useless, and possibly painful, reminders of those items. While Della and Jim’s love is unquestionably genuine, the idea that love is all they need to survive is at odds with the reality that the strains of poverty can break even the happiest, most compatible couples. The reason Jim has lost a third of his income and the length of time the couple has been living in poverty is not revealed. In addition, Jim and Della’s youth prove that their story has not fully played out and the moral of their tale cannot possibly be known. The fact that the story ends abruptly when Jim reveals he’s sold his watch implies the narrator does not have a response to the lingering questions about what will happen to the items, nor what will happen to Della and Jim. This lack of context reveals a lack of depth behind the central message that love conquers all. The lesson, while a positive one, is simplistic and lacks nuance.

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