The Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry
Feature Menu
Introducing the Story
Literary Focus: Situational Irony
Reading Skills: Making
Predictions
The Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry
Reading 3.8: Interpret
and evaluate the
impact of ironies and
ambiguities in a text.
The Gift of the Magi
Introducing the Story
On went her old
brown jacket; on went
her old brown hat. . . .
Irony & Ambiguity
1. Verbal Irony(the simplest kind): When what
is said is the opposite of what is meant
2. Situational Irony: When what occurs (event)
is contrary to what is expected, thus creating
surprise
3. Dramatic Irony: When the audience (often in
plays or movies) knows what will happen to
a character/s, but the character/s does/do
not.
• Ambiguity: Uncertain meanings that are open
to interpretation
The Gift of the Magi
Introducing the Story
This classic short story tells a tale of selfless love
between a husband and wife. Like many O. Henry
stories, “The Gift of the Magi” is famous for its
surprise ending.
• Della and Jim are short on money but not on
love. On Christmas Eve, Della resorts to selling
her hair—her most cherished possession—in
order to buy a special gift for her beloved
husband.
[End of Section]
The Gift of the Magi
Literary Focus: Situational Irony
Has a story ever surprised you? Have characters
ever done something you didn’t expect? Has a plot
ever taken a surprising twist or turn? If so, you’ve
experienced situational irony.
• Situational irony occurs when what happens
is different from what we expect.
• This type of irony reminds us that life is full of
surprise and uncertainty.
The Gift of the Magi
Literary Focus: Situational Irony
“The Gift of the Magi” contains a classic example
of a particular type of situational irony: the
surprise ending.
Whether you find the ending
of “The Gift of the Magi” to
be happy, sad, or bittersweet,
you will probably find it
satisfying.
[End of Section]
The Gift of the Magi
Reading Skills: Making Predictions
We read because we are curious. A writer
sets up an intriguing situation, and we read on
because we want to know what happens.
As we read, we make guesses, or predictions,
about what will happen.
our understanding
of how stories work
Predictions
clues in the text
our own
experience of life
The Gift of the Magi
Reading Skills: Making Predictions
As you read “The Gift of the Magi,” keep a
record of your predictions.
• Read the first paragraph and ask yourself,
“What will happen next?” Write down your
prediction.
• Stop at least two more times to write down
predictions.
• Ask yourself, “Is the writer keeping me in
suspense? Is he succeeding in surprising me?”
[End of Section]