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The Gift of the Magi Argument Paper

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The Gift of the Magi Argumentative Research Paper: Did Jim and Della perform an act of Selfless Love?

Abstract
The story was written by O’Henry in 1906. The story was centered around a seemingly poor couple who did not have enough money to buy each other the gifts that their significant other deserved. The story took place during Christmas. The Gift of the Magi is like a classic wisdom story in the bible. O’Henrys choice of title depicts symbolism between the three magi that brought gold, frankincense, and mur, to the baby Jesus and the gifts that Jim and Della had given to each other which mainly consisted of selfless love, Della’s hair and Jims pocket watch. This itself ties into the theme of his story. These gifts all entail the act of giving from the heart.
The purpose of this research paper is to outline the key factors that support the claim that Jim and Della performed an act of selfless love. Now, after looking at that it is evident that Jim and Della performed the most beautiful act of love for each other. What makes it the most beautiful? The fact that they were selfless in giving up their most valuable possessions in order to get something for the other. There is a famous and well known saying, “Love means putting the other before oneself”. This is the epitome of Selfless love, and clearly of Jim and Della’s love. Towards the end of the text O.Henry said, “Of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.” This paper will serve to back this statement up.

Did Jim and Della perform an act of selfless love?
O’Henry used situational irony within this short story. Firstly, what is situational irony? According to the Dictionary Reference Situational irony is “irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.” Jim and Della experience this toward

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