The Gift of The Magi by O’Henry TODAY Check Vocabulary and lit. examples II. Notes: Literary Terms If you were absent last class, you missed reading “A Sound of Thunder” and several notes. Please see the back of the room for any handouts and the class website for notes on the day’s lesson. Read and Discuss “The Gift of the Magi” The Gift of The Magi by O’Henry 8th September, 2015

Who Are the Magi?? plural noun, singular Magus (sometimes lowercase) the wise men, generally assumed to be three in number, who paid homage to the infant Jesus. Matt. 2:1–12. These men brought gifts at a great sacrifice to themselves.

Plot*** The sequence of events in a story. Focuses on a central conflict or problem faced by the main character. The actions that the characters take to resolve the conflict build toward a climax. In general, it is not long after this point that the conflict is resolved and the story ends.

events that occur to complicate the plot and create suspense a turning point in the story; the highest point of conflict what happens as the result of the climax the beginning of the story where the characters, situations, and conflicts are introduced the final outcome of the story

Character*** Characters are the individuals who participate in the action of a literary work. Like real people, characters display certain qualities, or characters traits; they develop and change over time; and they usually have motivations, or reasons, for their behavior. Major, minor, dynamic, static, round, flat…

Setting*** The time and place of the action of a story. Some stories have minimal descriptions. In others, setting is described in detail and become a major contribution to the stories' overall effect. “The Gift of the Magi” courtesy of Shmoop A drab flat in a gray city on Christmas Eve The narrator calls our attention almost immediately to the two most important details of the story's setting: it takes place on a Christmas Eve, and its two main characters live in a very unassuming flat. The action of the story depends on the fact that Christmas is sufficiently close that Della needs to buy a present now, even with her small amount of money. The couple's very humble abode brings out their poverty vividly. It's their poverty which both forces them to make the sacrifices they do, and which makes those sacrifices meaningful. O. Henry sketches the flat with just enough detail to convey an image of its squalor: it's cheap, sparsely furnished, and has a broken mailbox and a broken doorbell. The drabness of the physical setting in which Jim and Della live creates a contrast with the warmth and richness of their love for each other. The fact that everything outside the flat is "grey" – Della watches a "gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard" (6) – develops the contrast even further. Inside, we get the sense, Jim and Della's affection creates a welcoming love nest, in spite of the flat's humble nature. Outside, it's a cold, gray world, and one that is about as uncaring as Madame Sofronie. As for the larger "where and when," we don't have much in the way of specifics. It is possible the story is set in a city – "flats" are the kind of thing you often associate with cities – but not necessarily so (the flat has a backyard, which is a little less urban). From the "gas" which Della lights (20) and the gadgets she has (i.e., a stove and curling irons), it is a safe bet that the story is set just about the time O. Henry wrote it (first decade of the 20th century), or slightly earlier.

More Figurative Language*** Irony: a special kind of contrast between appearance and reality – usually when reality is the opposite of what it seems. There are multiple types of irony.

Possible Left Side Idea What Della Plans: What Actually Happens: What Jim Plans: This would be helpful if you’re struggling to determining what irony is!

As We Read… Think! How do the affections between a couple influence their giving and receiving of gifts?

What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?*** Why would O. Henry portray Della as happy after she makes the sacrifice of selling her hair? How do the details in lines 98-100 hint that Jim, as well as Della, is capable of sacrifice? Lines 115-136, What is Della feeling? How does suspense contribute to the story?

Homework: What are you willing to sacrifice? Questions on previous slide. Copy down in your journal on the right side; this will be checked for a stamp! STUDY!! Vocabulary Test next class, 9/14 This will include all vocabulary words from “A Sound of Thunder” and “The Gift of the Magi.” You will be asked to use these words in their proper context.