The Gift of the Magi Summary
O. Henry

Biography EssayWhen William Sydney Porter had his first book, Cabbages and Kings (1904), published he had only six more years to live. But, with his identity hidden beneath the legendary pen name O. ... Read more

O. Henry was the pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, an early-twentieth-century author known for creating short, often humorous stories with ironic twists or surprise endings, a type still referred to... Read more

Perhaps the reputation of no other American writer has undergone a more rapid and drastic reversal than that of William Sydney Porter. Writing under the pseudonym O. Henry during the first decade of t... Read more

In the following essay, Law asserts that “The Gift of the Magi” “illustrates a unique and artistic type of the short story, founded partly on French models, but springing more tru... Read more

In the following essay, Ward considers O. Henry's impact on the American short story and deems “The Gift of the Magi” the pinnacle of his literary achievement. Many English reader... Read more

In the following essay, Rea investigates possible sources for the story of “The Gift of the Magi.” There are two accounts, differing in significant details, of how O. Henry wrote “... Read more

In the following review, the critic praises a recent reprint of O. Henry's story. O. Henry's famous story of giving [“The Gift of the Magi”] describes the Christmas Eve of ... Read more

,one of O.Henry's most famous short fictions, is a simple but moving story. It told us a very beautiful love story. The mistress of the home-Della had such beautiful hair that "if the Queen of She... Read more