Have you ever thought long and hard about what would be the prefect Christmas gift for someone you love? This story by William Porter (aka O. Henry) is one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time. It tells how a poor couple each sell their most valuable possession in order to buy a Christmas present that they feel is good enough for the one they love. The irony is that neither can use the precious gift the other has bought them. Themes (see analysis): love, sacrifice, wisdom, beauty, generosity, and value.
Original Text / PDF (2,100 words)
General Comments
Some readers from non-English speaking countries may not understand the gifts that the couple gave to each other. Della’s gift to Jim was a platinum fob chain. The story was written at a time when few people wore watches on their wrist. Most men carried pocket watches, which were attached to their clothing or belt by a chain or short leather strap (called a “fob”) to stop them from being dropped. Jim’s gift to Della was a beautiful set of combs, side and back, with jewelled edges. These are not the normal kind of combs we use every day to make our hair look smooth and neat. They are special (often decorative) ones worn by women with long hair to keep a hair-style in place.
Video Versions
This video is a segment from the 1952 anthology film O. Henry’s Full House, which includes five of his stories. The introduction and narration is by Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck. Watch and enjoy!
This 1983 Christmas Special was produced by WCCO-TV (CBS Minnesota). Many of O.Henry’s stories were written at the request of newspapers and magazines. In the introduction to the film, there is an interesting background piece about how O. Henry almost missed his Christmas deadline with this one. Watch and enjoy!