PROSE ANALYSIS SHORT STORY ROMANCE FICTION

PROSE

ANALYSIS SHORT STORY ROMANCE FICTION

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

Lecturer : Ayu Oktaviani, S.Pd., M.A.

Compiled By:

1)      Ika Agus Rizkiani     (2114002)

2)      Meilinda Astuti          (2114014)

3)      Al Wali Hanafia        (2114019)

4)      Duwi Anita Sari        (2114029)

5)      Meilisa Syarif Putri   (2114055)

6)      Fransiska Aresti        (2114066)

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

INSTITUTE OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION

TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS OF REPUBLICS OF INDONESIA

(STKIP PGRI LUBUKLINGGAU)

2016

ANALYSIS SHORT STORY OF THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

A.           PLOT:

a)             Situation:

"One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all." (1)

The story's opening sentences confront us right away with the problem: Della only has $1.87 to buy a Christmas present, and it's Christmas Eve. After the first paragraph, the narrator gives us a bit more fleshing out of the situation. Della's in a meager flat, she and her husband Jim are poor, she loves her husband more than anything else in the whole world. Plus, she positively needs to buy him the perfect Christmas present. With $1.87. When Della lets down her hair, we also learn the other most important fact for the story: her hair and Jim's gold watch are the only prized possessions the couple has. Everything is now set up for the rest of the story to unfold.

b)            Complication:

Jim is shocked by Della's short hair.

When Jim arrives, he doesn't seem to react well: he stares at Della and can't seem to process that her hair is gone. But it doesn't look like he's angry, so much as simply shocked. Della can't quite understand what kind of reaction he's having, nor can we. This creates suspense; we want to know what it is he's actually feeling. We also want to know how he'll react to Della's gift. When Jim snaps out of his shock, he tells Della (and us) that his reaction will make sense when Della opens the present he bought her…

c)             Conflict:

Della sells her hair.

The conflict is supposedly the moment where the "problem" in the story appears, but this story began right from the first with a problem. In "Gift of the Magi" the point of conflict actually solves the first problem and replaces it with a second. By selling her hair, Della gets the money to buy Jim a great present, eliminating the first problem through decisive action. Shortly thereafter she finds the perfect present, so neither the money nor the present is the issue any longer. But now there's a new problem: will Jim be pleased by Della's action and appreciate her gift, or will he be angry with her for parting with the hair he loved so much?

d)            Climax:

Combs!

When Della opens Jim's present to find the combs, we understand why Jim was so shocked. It also becomes clear now that he's not angry with Della, and he assures her he'll love her no matter how she looks. Although the climax doesn't fully "predict" the ending, it is the first half of the twist. And if we do get to thinking about where Jim got the money to buy those combs, we might be able to guess what happens next.

e)             Denouement

So…how about those pork chops?

Presented with his gift, Jim calmly reveals (with a smile) that he sold his watch to buy Della her combs. So her present is useless too. Well, that does it for the Christmas presents. Not much left to do but eat those pork chops.

f)              Resolution

Pretty fly for magi.

In the narrator's final paragraph, which is definitely a "zoom out" of epic proportions, the narrator tells us that it doesn't really matter that Jim and Della's presents turned out to be useless. They are the wisest givers of all – in fact, they're the magi. We leave feeling satisfied and happy.

B.            Theme

Sacrifice sometimes can be pointless

C.           Character

1)   Della: 

She is faithful woman, hero loving, warm, selfless, and sometimes hysterical story, financially poor. She spends all of her days in a cramped flat, as "mistress of the home" (paragraph 2). In other words, she's a homemaker. Della basically lives for one thing (or rather, person): Jim, her husband. She's spent a lot of the time leading up to Christmas just thinking of what to get him:

“She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him”. (page 1, paragraph 5)

In summary of Della’s timeline:

It's Christmas Eve, and Della finds herself with only $ 1.87 by Jim of his favorite Christmas gift. She lay down on the couch with weeping. Della calm herself, and looked out the window, pondering the situation. Apparently she had an idea, and it turns into a pier-glass. She noticed her hair, her gift, and saw for the last time. After putting her hair back in place and bundling up, Della left the glass and went to Madame Sofronie, where she sold her hair for $ 20. Della at the store for two hours, and finally found the perfect gift for Jim: platinum chain for his watch. She bought it for $ 21. Pleased with his findings, Della back to the flat and comes with short hair, the hair is destroyed. Curly hair was visible was a different appearance than usual "skipping school". Della prepare coffee and heat the stoves are ready to cook the meat. At 19:00, with Della waiting at the door, Jim return. Della confused with Jim reaction surprised her hair: she could not see what he feels. After returning home, she gave her gifts and told her it would all make sense when he opened it. Della tears flowed when she finds a set a comb in her hair for a long time desired. She squealed with delight, and then dissolved in hysteria. Jim comfort him. Now it's time to give a gift to jim della. Jim smiled and said Della sells watches to buy a comb.

2)   Jim’s:

Jim's job is not so great. He's the only breadwinner for the Dillingham Young family (that is, him and Della), and it seems he works long hours, but his salary is low. And it recently went from bad to worse: whereas he used to make $30 a week he's now down to just $20. He and Della are struggling just to pay the expenses of their small flat. So if Jim happens to seem a little tired, serious, overworked, and perhaps a tad underweight, there's a good reason for it.

“He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.” (page 2, paragraph 24)

One thing that makes Jim Della untouched is his love. We did not get half as much exposure to his feelings as he did to Della, but all the evidence points that he became as devoted to him. Just like Della, Jim gave the most precious treasure to find the perfect gift for loved ones. And it's not just because of his appearance, although he worried about them:

"Do not make a mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I do not think there is anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl less." (page 2, paragraph 35)

In summary of Jim’s timeline:

we have learned from the story about the gift of the magic "Mr. James Dillingham Young" - is very popular Della husband. He is poor. He also has a nice gold watch. Jim came home to the flat in the 7 - he's always on time. Della waiting. Seeing new look Della, Jim was surprised, and can not seem to believe that Della's hair is lost. Then he fell silent and out of grief that. Jim gave a gift to della, and told him not to shock jim will explain when he opened it. Della open now, find a comb Jim had bought for her but her hair is now gone, and bursts into tears. When Della gave Jim his prize, watch chain, he smiled and fell onto the couch. He sold his watch to buy combs, he said.

3)      Madame Sofronie:                     

Madame Sofronie is shopkeeper hair, "hair goods of all kinds" (12). she is "great," "white," and "cold" (12). Her attitude was direct and to-the-point: she did not put out signs impressed with Della's beautiful hair, and relaxing offering to buy it for $ 20.

Madame Sofronie attitude creates a contrast with the Della and Jim. For both of them, hair Della is a prized possession - the only valuable possession - and Della's sales was done to a very great sacrifice. All this is important for Madame Sofronie, for whom it was just a business transaction, which will probably take a little more profit. You could say it represents the "cold, no matter the world" that exists outside of heaven love Della and Jim have built for themselves. She was also a very different way of assessing things - purely for the money they took.

D.           Setting

1)      Phsycal setting

The drabness of the physical setting in which Jim and Della live creates a contrast with the warmth and richness of their love for each other. The fact that everything outside the flat is "grey" – Della watches a "gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard" (Paragraph 5) – develops the contrast even further. Inside, we get the sense, Jim and Della's affection creates a welcoming love nest, in spite of the flat's humble nature. Outside, it's a cold, gray world, and one that is about as uncaring as Madame Sofronie.

2)      Historical Setting

In the story of the gift of the magi, there are two most important details of setting the story: it happened on Christmas Eve, and the two main characters live in a flat that is very simple. Action story depends on the fact that Christmas is close enough that Della need to buy a gift now, even with a small amount of money. Couple very humble residence carrying out the obvious poverty. This is their second poverty forced them to make the sacrifices they made, and who made significant sacrifices. O. Henry sketch flat with just enough detail to convey the image destitution: it's cheap, sparsely furnished, and has broken box and the broken bell.

3)       Place

1)        It happen in Della and Jim’s house

2)        Madam Sofronie store

In “The Gift of The Magi”, the story takes place at Della and Jim’s house, Madame Sofronie’s store, and the store where Della got the chain for the present. It took place at Della and Jim’s house when Della was counting her money to buy a perfect present for Jim, and when Della and Jim were finally meeting and talking about their presents in the end of the story. Next, it took place at Madame Sofronie’s store when Della finally decided to cut her hair off and sold it to Madame Sofronie for $20. Lastly, there was one store when Della finally found the platinum fob chain to be the right present for Jim.

4)    Time

1)  Afternoon

2)  Chirtsmas Evening

The time setting of the story is considered to be in a Christmas Eve since it was explained that Della was confused about what she was going to buy Jim’s Christmas present on the following day. Specifically, it was in the afternoon when Della was counting money, going to Madame Sofronie’s store, and buying the fob chain for Jim’s watch. In the end, it seemed to be in the evening when Della and Jim finally met and talked about their presents.

E.            Point Of View

Third Person (Omniscient)

This short story used third person point of view. The reader being god eye. Its shows on the first paragraph.

“One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”

F.            Language and Style

1)   Language style

In the short story, the writer use indirect verbal communication. Because the author does not directly indicate what he wanted to tell but use of words before getting into the core of the story. Its shown on the 37^th paragraph

“white fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! A quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.”

2)      Symbol

The symbols are Della’s hair and Jim's gold watch. On the 8^th paragraph

“Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch everytime he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.”

3)   Tone

a)    Anxious

“Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."”

b)   Sadness

“Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard.”

c)    Shocked

"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.”

d)   Love

“Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled. "Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."

G.           Moral Message

One of the moral lessons of "The Gift of the Magi" is that we often don't value what we truly should. Jim loves Della, her hair included, and he doesn't need a fancy watch chain for Christmas to make him happy--he already has a wife he adores. Della, for her part, loves Jim and doesn't need hair combs to make her happy. In other words, they already have what truly makes them happy--each other--and the Christmas presents are secondary. The sacrifices they make for each other, as Della sells her hair and Jim sells his watch, show how much they love each other and show the sacrifices they are willing to make for each other. This love and willingness to sacrifice what means the most to them for the sake of the other person are their true presents, not material goods.

H.           Summary

The story The Gift of the Magi by O Henry narrates the tale of a poor, young couple who regards their love for one another the ultimate concern in their lives and when the key moment arrives they do not falter to sacrifice their most precious assets to obtain a gift for Christmas for each other. The affectionate home they together create contrasts with the bleakness of their poverty and the jaded world outside.

Della and James Dillingham was a young couple who loved each other very much. Their love has no limits. Though the couple were poor, they were immensely proud of two of their possessions-Jim’s ancestral gold watch and Della’s beautiful long brown hair. Della had been painstakingly saving each and every penny for months to buy a Christmas present for James. Yet she was terribly depressed and dismayed she fails to acquire enough money to buy a fond gift for Jim.

When Della saw her cascading hair in the mirror, an idea occurred to her. She rushed to Madame Sofronie’s shop, sold her hair and with the twenty dollars that she got; she bought a platinum fob chain for Jim’s gold watch.

While waiting for Jim to return home, Della was a little apprehensive whether Jim would like her new look, with her adorable hair all cut off. When Jim came home Jim stared at her strangely. She told him why she had to sell her hair and what she had done with the money. Jim silently handed her a package- his Christmas present .When Della opened the package, she saw in it  a set of beautiful combs of pure tortoise shell with jewelled rims- those combs which she had always yearned to possess but could never dreamt of having it. Alas! They were of no use to her now! Her gorgeous hair to use them was gone. When teary-eyed Della gave Jim the fob chain she had bought for his watch, he simply smiled. He told her that he had sold his watch to buy the combs for her.

They decided to keep both their gifts away for a while as the gifts were of no use to either of them at present.

In many ways, "Gift of the Magi" is a story about the true value of a thing. The Magi were the three wise men who had come up with the art of giving Christmas presents by bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. The lovers in the story brought gifts for each other but relinquished their precious possessions unwisely prompted by their love for each other. Even so they are the wisest among all the people who give or receive gifts. They are the Magi.