Smiling Faces
Have you ever paid attention to how some stories have a “hidden message” that the writer hopes the reader doesn’t find out? I call these “smiling faces” because the messages are not so obvious. In O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” the author uses this technique. The story is supposed to demonstrate true love and “wisdom” when Della and Jim, a married couple in poverty, sacrifice their most treasured items in order to buy each other a Christmas present. This is a smiley face! The truth is that Della and Jim are both foolish because despite the fact that they are poor, they trade their most prized possessions for items that neither one of them need, but in the end, both presents are useless anyway.
The story begins with Jim getting a cut in his salary. He no longer has the money to support Della and him. Della is hustling people in order to save money. O. Henry calls it, “pennies saved one and two at a time.” The couple is living in a “furnished, eight dollar a week flat,” and they have a doorbell and mailbox that do not work! The only thing that Della is concerned about though is Jim’s Christmas present which she has only saved one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy– not wise when so many other issues need to be taken care of.
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The other was Della’s hair.” Della really loves her hair and Jim really loves his watch, so Jim buys Della some combs and Della buys Jim a fob for his watch. The “smiley” here is the fact that O. Henry wants you to believe that they are wise and are doing this out of love when in reality; this puts them in an unwise, financial predicament! The story mentions that Jim needs a new coat and some gloves which Della could have
In the book The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, Walls recalls her life and the significant experiences within it. She goes through the perils of being poor, not having a stable home, and having changing beliefs of the world around her. With an alcoholic and paranoid father, an irresponsible mother, and many nights with an empty stomach, Jeannette Walls grows up loving and supporting her parents as a young child only to realize the neglect that she and her siblings have gone through as she got older. The Glass Castle is a book full of life lessons, unique and baffling experiences, and eye opening scenes of the world and the many different people within it. This book shows the ups and downs of one’s life, showing dysfunction, misfortune, and how these impact someone over time.
In Almost Home there is a 12 year old named Sugar Mae Cole and her mom Reba. They both live in a house in Missouri, with their father Mr.Leeland. Mr. Leeland is barely at the house because he is always going gambling for money. Mr. Leeland was always spending almost all the money they had to gamble. Her mom has a job but gets paid very little, it’s barely enough to last the week. Reba can’t even pay off the house bill so she has been putting them off for many months. After a few months they got kicked out of there house, since it had been so long and they weren't paying anything. Reba had a friend who lived near them, but then they moved to Chicago. Then a week before they got kick out of there house Sugar’s grandfather passed away.
The younger family needs money they are getting money from a insurance check for the death of mama's husband (Walters father). In the Younger family there is a lot of hate toward each other is because Walter is totally hates his life. He hates it because he doesn't want to disappoint his family by not having money, he also feel like he's not a man because he has to look his son in the face and say no we can't give you money or no in general. The only time Walter seems to get happy is when the money is coming and in his mind he is going to get his dream but in reality it's mama's money and she can do what she wants. For example Mama says “Mama: “Son, how come you talk so much ‘bout money?” Walter: “Because it is life, Mama!” Mama: “Oh—so now its life. Money is
The summary of the story is a memoir, which is about Jeannette and her family who are constantly low on food and money, family moving around the country a lot, and having a hard time to re-settle. The family is very dysfunctional with a multiple of stories to tell. The book is filled with much different kind of experiences that the family including Jeannette has been through together.
At one point in the book Dad wants money for alcohol, so he has to persuade Jeannette that the family will be okay without the extra twenty dollars.
This shows that the boy likes the girl and the girl likes the boy. The boy is being kind by walking in her shoes and touching her shoulder. In the middle of the book the theme is shown again when the text says “I didn’t say anything I took a nickel from my pocket and when she lifted a chocolate that cost a dime I didn’t say anything.” This shows that the boy is being kind even though he doesn’t have the money to buy the chocolate. He walks in her shoes by thinking of how devastated she would be if she couldn’t get the chocolate.
O. Henry creates Jim and Della so distinctively that he must have seen a couple so in love with each other that it seemed like a fairy tale to watch them. The narrator tells most of the story from Della’s perspective. She’s described as “young, affectionate, selfless, and somewhat hysterical, requiring Jim to comfort her when she’s upset. ”3 She cares deeply for Jim, and for finding him this amazing present she believes he deserves.
Narrated by the mother of two daughters, the story opens with an examination of one daughter's favoring of appearances over substance, and the effect this has on her relatives. The mother and her younger daughter, Maggie, live in an impoverished rural area. They anticipate
Tom and his grandmother move Winesburg, Ohio because of a series of misfortune. First her son in law was killed and her daughter became an invalid and died also. Tom’s grandmother had to save money for two funerals. Tom was unable to provide for himself when his grandmother got ill was out of work, so he started stealing. But for a year Tom Foster lived in the backer’s stable and then lost
Jim and Della perform an act of selfless love by their willingness to give something that held great value to them in order to get special presents for each other on Christmas. They do all of this out of love for the other. However, you will see that these gives prove to end up having no use in the end but that is not the main point. The main point is that although this ironic situation occurs, they both find joy in the thought that they would do this for each other. This love that they have for each other is far greater value than any gift that could be given. Jim doesn’t overreact or get angry with this conclusion.
Days of being poor were over because of their grandfather he had passed away he died and passed away. He had insurance money on the way so the family was very happy that it was coming. So Walter had a plan Walter wanted to invest in a liquor store. The check they are receiving 10, ooo dollars check. Everyone could not wait the check come except Ruth she was not to excite. She said it was not her money so she was on chill the money was coming the next day everyone could not wait for the day and it seem like it was taking for ever they were acting like they had worked for the money there self.
Strapped for cash and wanting to give her beloved husband the most luxurious gift for Christmas to express her deep passion for him, we are immediately introduced to the initial situation at hand. With only a dollar and some change to spend on Jim, Della is forced into a situation
Della is willing to cut her gorgeous and flowy hair so that she can afford a Christmas present for her husband Jim. Della’s hair is admired by everyone, but she would have felt guilty if she did not get Jim a present. When Jim is standing before Della and her shortened hair, she gives him a fob chain. Also, Della explains to him that she, “couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving [him] a present” (Henry 264). Della has an altruistic disposition whereas Madame Loisel has a selfish and greedy personality.
Situational irony is another element that is present throughout the short story. Della and her husband both buy each other gifts for Christmas at the end of the story. Ironically, Della and her husband bought each other gifts for what they gave up: Della bought her husband a wrist watch strap and Jim sold his watch to buy Della the combs she wanted for her hair. In the short story, Jim is seen grieving about the fact that she had cut her hair off, “I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on,” (O. Henry 121). The ending is situational irony because the reader was expecting that Della would buy her
Because of their status of being struck by poverty, they had to make do with what they have. Della was determined to secure a present for her special man, while Jim wanted to be compassionate towards her needs of upkeep of her hair. They both came to the understanding that, its not the end of the world. These gifts were given and its the thought that counts, and regardless of hard times they both acted wise and thoughtfully. Jim had a great idea and says, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while.