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O.Henry（WilliamSidneyPorter）1862–1910Famousasthemasteroftheshortstorywithasurpriseending,O.Henrypublishednearly600abouttheWestandNewYorkCity.1.LifeBornWilliamSidneyPorteronSeptember11,1862inGreensboro,NorthCarolina.Hisfather,namedAlgernonSidneyPorter,wasamedicaldoctor.•WhenWilliamwasthree,hismotherdiedandhewasraisedbyhisgrandmotherandaunt.•Heleftschoolattheageof15andthenhehadanumberofjobs,includingthatofabankclerk.In1896hewasfalselyaccusedofembezzlement.HeabscondedfromthelawenforcementtoNewOrleansandlaterfledtoHonduras.•Butwhenhelearnedthathiswifewasdying,hereturnedtoUSAandsurrenderedtopolice.Althoughtherehasbeenmuchdebateoverhisactualguilt,hewassentencedto5yearsinjail.In1898hewasputinprisonatColumbus,Ohio.•WhileinprisonhebeganwritingshortstoriesinordertosupporthisyoungdaughterMargaret.HeusedapseudonymOlivierHenryonlyonceandchangedhispen-nametoO.Henry,notwantinghisreaderstoknowhewasinjail.Porterissaidtohavederivedthepen-nameO.Henryfromthenameofagirlfriend'scat.Hepublished12storieswhileinprisontohelpsupporthisdaughter.•Afterdoing3yearsofthe5-yearsentence,hewasreleasedforgoodbehavior.HemovedtoNewYorkCityin1902andwroteastoryaweekfortheNewYorkWorld,andalsoforotherpublishers.HisfirstcollectionofstorieswasCabbagesandKings(1904).Thenextcollection,TheFourMillion(1906),includedhiswell-knownstories•Hissuccessbroughttheattendantpressure,andhesufferedfromanalcoholaddiction.Hissecondmarriagelasted2years,andhiswifelefthimin1909.Hediedofcirrhosisoftheliver,onJune5,1910,inNewYork,NewYork.2.ReadingTheGiftoftheMagi•TheGiftoftheMagiisaboutayoungmarriedcoupleandhowtheydealwiththechallengeofbuyingsecretChristmasgiftsforeachotherwithverylittlemoney.Asasentimentalstorywithamorallessonaboutgift-giving,ithasbeenapopularoneforadaptation,especiallyforpresentationduringtheChristmasseason.Theplotanditstwistendingarewell-known,andthestoryanditslessonaresometimessubvertedforthesakeofironyorhumor.2.1PlotJames[Jim]DillinghamYoungandhiswifeDellaareayoungcouplewhoareverymuchinlovewitheachother,butcanbarelyaffordtheirone-roomapartmentduetotheirverybadeconomicsituation.ForChristmas,DelladecidestobuyJimafobwhichcosts$21.00forhisprizedpocketwatchgiventohimbyhisfather'sfather.Toraisethefunds,shehasherlong,beautifulhaircutoffandsoldtomakeawig.Meanwhile,JimdecidestosellhiswatchtobuyDellaabeautifulsetofcombsmadeoutoftortoiseshellandjewelsforherlovely,knee-lengthbrownhair.Althougheachisdisappointedtofindthegifttheychoserendereduseless,eachispleasedwiththegifttheyreceived,becauseitrepresentstheirloveforoneanother.2.2PointofView•ThestoryofDellaandJimistoldbyathirdpartynarratorwhoseemstobetellingastorydirectlytothereader.Thenarratorisn’tanomniscientorindifferentnarrator,hehashisownpersonalitythataddsadistinctivetonetothestory.•Thenarratordirectshiscommentsto‘you’thelistenerandsometimesdiscreetlydirectsyourattentionawayfromthestorysothathecandiscussdetailswithyou.Sometimesheevencommentsonhisownwordssuchasthetimewhenhesays“Forgetthehashedmetaphor.”(Atechniqueknownasauthorialintrusion)2.3SettingPorterdidnotgenerallyreferencetheworldatlargeinhisshortstories.Henevermentionedwhatwasgoingonpoliticallyoreconomicallyandheseldommadeadirectreferencetotheexactlocationofhischaracters.MostofPorter’sstoriesoccurinoneoffivegenerallocations,NewYork,theAmericanSouth,theWest,CentralAmerica,andprison.Yetevenwithinthesefivecategories,heseldomnamesaspecificlocation.“GiftoftheMagi”isoneofhisNewYorkstories(morethanhalfofhisstoriesweresetinNewYork)yetnowheredoesPortermentionNewYork.•Portersetsthestagewithcloseattentiontodetailsothatareadercaninferthelifestyle,mood,andpositionofhischaractersjustbytheiractivitieswithintheirsphere.YetPorter’sefficientstyledoesn’tallowhimtostartwithasimpledescriptionofplacesuchasmanywritersindulgein.Hisdescriptionsnearlyalwayssupplytheinformationnecessarytomovethestoryforward–theyarenotsimplystagesetters.Forexample,Porterwrites“Shestoodbythewindowandlookedoutdullyatagraycatwalkingagrayfenceinagraybackyard.”•Thisshortsentencedoesthreethings,itgivesthereaderabriefbutrevealinglookattheexteriorviewoftheYoungs’environment,itgivesusaclearfeelingforDella’semotionalstate,anditbridgesthecryingjagthatDellajustfinishedwithhersubsequentmelancholyruminationsontheirsituation.•Asadescriptionofenvironment,thesinglesentenceprovidesuswiththeknowledgethattheYoungsliveinanareaofthecitythatisrundown,herethepaintisgone,andeverythingisdullandgray.ItalsoletsusknowthatwhileitisChristmasEvethereisnosnowtofreshentheirdrabexistence.•AsadescriptionofDella’semotionalstate,Porterprovidesuswiththesingleword‘dully’whichresonateswiththegrayexistencehepaintsandmakesherdullgazeseemevenduller.Andfinally,asabridgeiteffectivelymovesusfromacryingjagtothedepressedmoodfromwhichDellareviewsonceagainthefinancialsituation.•2.4ThePossibleThemesofTheGiftoftheMagi”•2.4.1WealthandPovertyPovertyisthemainthemeinthestory.However,Porterusesfar-fetchedcomparisonsofthosewealthierthantheYoungstounderscorehispoignantdescriptionoftheirpoverty.Porterwasanefficientwriter;hewastedlittletimeinlongdescriptions