the gift of magi and the necklace comparative essay

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Comparing The gift of the magi and the necklace

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Madison Burlew 4th Hr 10/1/ The story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry is about a woman named Della who saved up money and wants to get a fantastic gift for her husband Jim. Della doesn’t have enough money so she cuts her hair off and sells it to get more. The story, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, is about a beautiful woman who believes that she should have all the fine luxuries of life. One day, she borrows a necklace from a friend to wear to a ball and loses it. The stories are both similar and different in many ways. One similarity between “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Necklace” is that they both have situational irony. In “ The Gift of the Magi”, Della and Jim get each other great gifts, but neither of them knows that the other got them that gift. Della wanted to get Jim a great present so she sold her hair for money and got him the great present. Della waited at home for Jim and when Jim walked in the door he was a little dumbfounded. Jim said, “But if you’ll unwrap the package you may see why you had me going awhile at first.’ For there laid the combs... ‘I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs.”(pg-108). This proves that Della had done all this to find out that he had sold the watch to get her the combs for her hair, which she had sold to get more money for the chain for the watch. “The Necklace” also has situational irony but in a different way. Mathilde lost the necklace and they spent weeks trying to find it. To only find out it wasn’t worth much. Mathilde lost the necklace so they bought a new one to replace it. Then after ten years of paying off the debt she saw her friend on the street and went to talk to her. She told the friend the whole story about losing the necklace and then buying a new one and also about paying off the debt. Madame

Forestier said, “Oh my poor Mathilde. But mine was only paste. Why, at most it was worth only five hundred francs.”(pg). This proves that Mathilde worked so hard to only be told that the necklace she lost was not worth much. These examples show similarity because they both contain situational irony in different ways. Della and Jim both got each other presents without the other expecting it and Mathilde found out that it was only paste, but the one she paid for was worth 36,000 francs. A difference between Della and Mathilde is that Della appreciates the gift she’s given and Mathilde is rude about the one she’s given. Della is grateful for the gift that Jim gives her. Jim comes home and is taken back by Della’s hair, but then he gives her the present. She then opens it to reveal the combs. The narrator said, “But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and smile and say, “My hair grows so fast Jim!” And then Della leaped up like a singed cat and Cried, “Oh, oh!”(pg). This proves that Della was excited and thankful for her gift. Although Della was happy with her gift Mathilde was unlike Della and wasn’t happy with hers. Mathilde wasn't thankful for the invitation, in fact, she was rather upset. Mathilde husband came home one night with a present for her, it was an invitation to a ball. The narrator said, “ Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she scornfully tossed the invitation on the table, murmuring, “What good is that to me?”(pg). This proves that Mathilde isn’t thankful for the gift her husband brought her. These examples show that Della is thankful and Mathilde is not. Altogether the stories and characters are similar, but also different. They both have situational irony, and Mathilde isn’t thankful and Della is.

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Course : Writing Experience II (ENG-132)

University : jackson college.

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