Situational Irony In The Gift Of The Magi

Situational irony was a key factor in The Gift of The Magi. Without the irony, the story would have been less interesting to readers and have a lesser meaning. The irony connects the story together fully and catches the reader’s eye. Della and Jim, the two main characters, are married and live in a small flat together. They are poor and only have 2 items that they see to have great value, Della’s hair and Jim’s watch. Della’s hair is long, curly, and beautiful. Jim’s watch is gold and has been passed on from generation to generation through his family.
The story takes place during winter, the day before Christmas. Over the past year, Della has been saving money to be able to purchase a Christmas gift for her husband, but she has only collected a dollar and 87 cents, 60 of which are pennies earned one at a time. Jim on the other hand has a job in which
As she walks down the street she finds a French hair shop and decides to have her hair cut off so she can purchase a gift for Jim. The hair dresser gives her 20 dollars for her hair and she begins seeking a gift. After a few hours of shopping and coming up empty she stumbles upon a shining chain for Jim’s watch. She purchases this for 21 dollars and is gleaming with happiness. When she returns however she is fearful Jim will be angry at her for having her hair cut. As he walks in the door he looks very puzzled. She tells him why she got her hair chopped off and he does not release any emotions. He then reveals he had purchased beautiful expensive hair combs in which she can no longer use as she has little hair left. She is still happy however and tells him that it will grow back quickly. The she gives him the chain and he looks astonished. She tells him how good it will look with his watch and sees him gleam. It is then revealed that he had sold the watch to allow him to purchase her the combs for