With the theme of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" being
that love supercedes materialism, that is, the spiritual gift of love is far more
important than any material object, much of the written narrative is directed toward
this moral.
When, for instance, Della decides to sell her
most precious possession, hair that the Queen of Sheba would have envied, in order to
purchase a platinum watch chain for her husband's handsome watch, she is delighted to be
"ransaking the stores for Jim's present." In fact, O. Henry writes that "the next two
hours tripped by on rosy wings."
As Jim arrives home, he
stops inside the door with "a peculiar expression on his face." When he learns why
Della has cut her hair, "[He] enfolded his Della." Jim explains that there is nothing
that "could make me like my girl any less." Further, he says that if she opens the
package she will understand his perplexity. And, when Della discovers the combs for
which she has yearned, she
...hugged them to her bosom, and at length she
was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say, 'My hair grows so fast,
Jim!'
Then, Della hurries to
give Jim his present, the watch chain. But Jim has sold his watch in order to buy the
combs for Della. Instead of being upset and regretting his loss, Jim tells
Della,
"...let's put our Christmas presents away and
keep 'em awhile. They're too nice to use just at
present...."
Finally, the
authorial intrusion of O. Henry explicates the
theme:
...And here I have lamely related to you
the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed
for each other the greatest treasure of their house.....Of all who give and receive
gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the
Magi.
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