Henry "The Gift of the Magi". The meaning of the title of the story O
To begin with, we note that according to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that the three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound,” - this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
It is worth noting that Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent coming up with something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something at least a little worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” - she whispered, hearing Jim's footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most precious item is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also fervently wanted to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..."
In my opinion, the ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
It is important to note that O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
. O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains the author’s digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up a treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to give him (or her) the greatest pleasure on a holiday, is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single person could squeeze through.
One letter, and an electric bell button from which not a single mortal could squeeze out a sound,” this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking of something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something at least a little worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” – she whispered, hearing Jim’s footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most prized possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also fervently wanted to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..."
The ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains the author’s digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up a treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to give him (or her) the greatest pleasure on a holiday, is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound,” - this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking of something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something even slightly worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” – she whispered, hearing Jim’s footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most prized possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also fervently wanted to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..."
The ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains the author’s digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up a treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to give him (or her) the greatest pleasure on a holiday, is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
Composition
According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound,” - this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking of something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something at least a little worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” – she whispered, hearing Jim’s footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most prized possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also fervently wanted to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..." The ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains the author’s digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up a treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to give him (or her) the greatest pleasure on a holiday, is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
Magi Magi (magic kings, magicians) in Christian legends are sages and stargazers who came to worship the baby Jesus Christ. The Gospels do not mention their number, names or ethnicity, but it is clear that they are not Jews and that their country (or countries) lies to the east of Palestine. By the appearance of a wonderful star, they learn about the birth of the king of the Jews, the Messiah, and come to Jerusalem to King Herod. Historical Dictionary
7 Then Herod, secretly calling the wise men, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star 8 and, sending them to Bethlehem, said: go, carefully investigate the Child and, when you find it, notify me, so that I too can go to worship Him. 9 After they had heard the king, they left. And behold, the star that they saw in the east walked before them, when at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy, 11 and entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His Mother, and, falling down, they worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having received a revelation in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (MF)
The gifts brought by the Magi have the following symbolic meaning: Gold is a royal gift, showing that Jesus was a Man born to be a King; Frankincense is the true High Priest; aromatic resin used in worship; gift to the priest, since Jesus came to become the new Teacher; Myrrh is a gift to someone who is about to die, as myrrh (tree resin) was used to embalm the body of the deceased. This is a gift to Man. It is believed that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas was started by them.
LET'S READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE STORY: “The Magi, those who brought gifts to the baby in the manger, were, as we know, wise, amazingly wise people. They started the fashion of making Christmas gifts. And since they were wise, their gifts were wise, perhaps even with a stipulated right of exchange in case of unsuitability. And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid kids from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other. But let it be said for the edification of the sages of our day that of all the donors these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise. Everywhere and everywhere. They are the Magi." Why does the writer call young people stupid and at the same time the wisest, wiser than all the sages of our days? the stupid are the wisest... the wise men
STUPID 1. With limited mental abilities, slow-witted, stupid. 2. Not revealing the mind, devoid of reasonable content and expediency. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova is STUPID about a person who is unreasonable, short-sighted, and has a limited mind; dull, reckless, stupid, unreasonable, unwise. Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language by Vladimir Dahl
WISE 1. Having great intelligence. M. elder. 2. Based on great knowledge and experience. Wise policy. A wise decision. To act wisely (adv.). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova WISE, based on goodness and truth; righteous, combining love and truth; eminently intelligent and well-intentioned. Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language by Vladimir Dahl
WHERE ARE THE GIFTS OF THE MAGIC STORED And these gifts of the Magi have been preserved to this day! Gold - twenty-eight small plates of different shapes with the finest filigree patterns. The ornament is not repeated on any of the plates. Frankincense and myrrh are small, the size of an olive, balls, about seventy of them. The gifts of the Magi remain today on Holy Mount Athos (Greece) in the monastery of St. Pavel.
O. Henry Literary Prize O. Henry Literary Prize “Gifts of the Magi” Motto “Love saves the world” The “Gifts of the Magi” Prize was established in the spring of 2010 with the goal of “preserving humanistic traditions in literature and supporting Russian-speaking writers, regardless of their country of residence "
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