四川外语学院成都学院Chengdu Institute Sichuan International Studies University
本科毕业论文
A Study on the Sublimation of Humanity in
The Gift of the Magi
Abstract
The paper will be divided five parts. The first part introduces some important information about the background of the author and article. The second part will give a detailed description of the hero and heroine. The third part puts emphasis on the embodiment of humanity sublimation. It will state from three aspects: self-sacrifice, selfless dedication and simplicity. The forth part indicates the causes of sublimation of humanity. And the last part is the conclusion. Through the whole analysis, we can learn what the true humanity is and have profound understanding of humanity depicted in literary works.
Key words: background; humanity sublimation; self-sacrifice; selfless dedication; simplicity
A Study on the Sublimation of Humanity in
The Gift of the Magi
Outline
Thesis Statement: Through the whole analysis, we can learn what the true humanity is and have profound understanding of humanity depicted in literary works.
I. Introduction
II. Depiction of Characters in The Gift of the Magi
A. Considerate and Meek Heroine
B. Thoughtful and Kind Hero
III. The Sublimation of Humanity in The Gift of the Magi
A. Self-sacrifice
B. Selfless Dedication
C. Simplicity
IV. Causes of Humanity Sublimation
A. Economic Cause
B. Political Cause
C. Individual Cause
V. Conclusion
A Study on the Sublimation of Humanity in
The Gift of the Magi
I. Introduction
The Gift of the Magi is a short popular and highly regarded story by O. Henry which has moved people such a long period of time all over the world. It will be impressed much more people in the following years and centuries. The author, O. Henry (1862-1910), left us 600 short stories which were published in 1917 in 14 volumes. Since O. Henry’s works were published, a great many scholars were all over the world, had aroused continuous researches into those works and found their values. Critics have singled out O. Henry as one of the greatest American short story writers-describing him as a “writer’s writer” who also possesses universal appeal.
O. Henry was brought up by an aunt in Greensboro, where, at the age of fifteen, he went to work in an uncle’s drugstore. He married in 1887 and his wife had a daughter in 1889. Because of the troubles that came one after the other, he left his wife and child unloaded banana boats. In fact, his travels were funded by the $30,000 proceeds from a robbery committed by one of them. These two years on the run provided the initial fuel for his stories. In 1897, after learning of his wife’s serious illness, Henry returned to Austin knowing that it meant a prison term. His wife died that year. After his release, he headed to New York City, where he worked as a journalist. The collection of colorful characters in his writing was enhanced by O. Henry’s habit of wandering the streets and parks, talking to people of all conditions. He wrote sixty-five short stories in 1904 alone, and fifty the next year including The Gift of the Magi.
The old classic The Gift of the Magi concerns the unselfish sacrifice a young man and wife make in order to buy Christmas gifts for each other. Each secretly selling his or her most prized possession. This information revealed, of course, in the characteristic O. Henry’s surprising ending. However, Della and Jim are not saddened by what they seem to have lost. In their selfless giving, they are likened to the most wise man. O. Henry primarily uses the story of the Magi to compare the acts of the two characters in The Gift of the Magi. He does this through the use of symbols and by comparing the selfless giving of presents of Della and Jim to that of Magi. We know that the author wants to reflect something through the whole story.
The Gift of the Magi is an extraordinary novel. Form the social point of view, it is a story about a very poor but blissful young couple named Jim and Della in the end of 18th century in England. As a love story, one of the most moving things is that in spite of the difficulties in their everyday life, their true love to each other and the enthusiasm for life doesn’t change at all. This story reflects the sympathy with the poor and critical to the unfair society. At the same time, it being the simplicity and true love.
So it was worth to praise and sing the pure humanity. As to have a deeper understanding of the contribution that O. Henry has made and his achievements, the author of this paper would like to discuss his writing techniques in The Gift of the Magi. The author holds that his works are mainly characterized on the sublimation of humanity. The next three parts of the paper will be discussed the characters, the embodiment and the causes of sublimation of humanity, then giving a conclusion by summing up his main achievements in his respect and the conventional virtue what we need to promote.
II. Depiction of Characters in The Gift of the Magi
A. Considerate and Meek Heroine
At the beginning of the novel, the author has deliberately exaggerated Della’s poor life condition. Those are all the money—one dollar and eight-seven cents.
“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. Three times Della counted it”.1There are one dollar and eight-seven cents. And the next day would be the Christmas. The author emphasizes that Della counts money pitifully and hardly, especially through “several” repeated action to let us feel the difficulty of Della’s life.
This description indicates Della’s shy and kind-hearted personality. At the same time, it also allows us to deeply understand the poor’s life in that money society. Her home—a furnished flat is $8 per week. In the vestibule below is a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Della is with $20 income to maintain their lives per week. Therefore, we could understand one dollar and eight-seven cents are so difficult to her. Facing such a distress of life, Della has no choice but to cry down on the shabby little couch. Della finishes her cry and stands by the window, and she thinks tomorrow would be Christmas Day. But she just has one dollar and eight-seven cents with which to buy Jim a present.
In face of hard situation, Della is so weak and helpless. It gives us a simplicity impression of Della. She wants to buy a rare and valuable thing to her husband for Christmas gift. There are only one dollar and eight-seven cents to buy a present for Jim. There is a pier-glass between the windows of the room. “Suddenly she whirled from the window from the window and stood before the glass. Her face had lost its color within twenty seconds”.2There are two possessions of the Mr. James Dillingham Young and Mrs. James Dillingham Young in which they both take a mighty pride. One is Jim’s gold watch that has been his father’s and his grandfather’s. The other is Della’s hair. Has the queen of Sheba3(the women who rules the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in Habeshan history, the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur’an. ) 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’s4 jewels and gifts. Della’s beautiful hair falls about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reaches below her knee and makes itself almost a garment for her. It seemed that the hair was so beautiful and cherished.
Della decides to sell her beautiful hair eventually, and this decision is painful and heavy. However, she feels pleased, because she loves her husband, so she would prefer to suffer losses. That is Della’s true love and considerate heart. Della receives twenty dollars from the Madame for her hair. After that, she ransacking the stores for Jim’s present. Because of the love, she researches the gift from one shop to another one. Finally, she finds the suitable chain. Della is a considerate and meek woman. At this moment, there is only one person in her mind—that her husband. In order to buy the simple and chaste chain, she costs twenty-one dollars.
B. Thoughtful and Kind Hero
The author does not have great crucial on the role of the hero--Jim. For instance, he seems to pay less attention on selling and buying gift for his wife. However, his characteristic could be given in indirect way, such as Jim never late, indicating that Jim is always punctual. While it is describing “He looked thin and very serious. Poor life was following, he was only twenty-two and to be burdened with a family. He needed a new overcoat and had no gloves”.5 They live a hard life and struggled for living in a better condition, but no enough money and way to change their current situation.
Although in such a difficult life environment, Jim sells his most previous chain. Because he could not have lived through the Christmas if he without giving his wife a present. He draws a package from his overcoat pocket and throws a gift on the table. That is The Combs-the set of combs, side and back, that Della has worshipped long in a Broadway window. They are expensive and beautiful combs. The combs seem to suit Della only. This is not only the true love but also reflects Jim’s personality. Jim is a thoughtful and kind husband. He and his wife both are sincere and honest people.
III. The Sublimation of Humanity in The Gift of the Magi
A. Self-sacrifice
O. Henry creates a special ending of the article. It means that at the end of the whole passage’s mental status or the fate of the character has changed greatly. From the special ending, the humanity is clearly presented. Among O. Henry’s short stories, the eternal theme proves to be the humanity. The great success of the story could not be separated from the humanity of characters. First of all, one of the most beautiful human virtues is the couple’s self-sacrifice.
There exist good and evil elements in human nature, for the two are usually mixed with each other more or less. While the good elements replace the predominant portion, man will carry forward his virtues such as kindness, self-sacrifice, selfless dedication, simplicity and so on. Della has the most prized thing—that is her hair. And her husband just owns the most valuable thing—gold watch that has been his father’s and his grandfather’s. These two things are so priceless and meaningful for themselves. Although poor life they facing, they still want to express their love through a unique gift. But they have no enough money, so they have no other choice. Their mind just has one solution, and then they sell their own most valuable thing to buy the gift for each other. In this condition, both of them do not consider themselves. They only want to the other person whom they love feels happy.
Della’s hair is so beautiful, and she cries when she cuts off it. Of course, she loves the hair, because that is her most proud hair. Not only does she love the hair, her husband loves her long and living hair too. So she feels sad more. But for a valuable gift for her husband, she finishes her cry and selects gift happily for Jim. Finally, she finds the suitable chain. She considers this is the fittest thing for Jim. Therefore, she cuts off the hair and adds another one dollar to buy the unique chain without hesitation. At the same moment, Jim also plans to prepare a particular gift for wife. Because of the lack of money, Jim sells his most valuable gold watch. Eventually, Jim gives Della the set of combs. The combs are Della’s favorite combs.
B. Selfless Dedication
O. Henry’s stories usually win the artistic effect within the plot and pay much more attention on the character’s artistic power. But he adopts the perspective way to pride the human beauty.
In New York, in America, families like Della and Jim’s could hardly keep their economy balanced. So it is impossible for them to buy a good gift for the other people. The only one thing, which could comfort the Della and Jim is their sincere and warm love for each other.
Another one of the most beautiful human virtues is the couple’s selfless dedication spirit. In the story of The Gift of the Magi, there are many mental and physical actions to express their selfless dedication. Della is a little fear after cutting off the air. Because her husband loves her hair too, and she fears that she is not as beautiful as before. Although she knows that, she could not help thinking anymore instead of buying a valuable gift for her husband. When Della returns home, an anxiety comes on her. She finds herself like a truant schoolboy. She tells to herself “Does Jim like me?”6 full of worry.
She has prepared for supper and waited for her husband. When she doubles the fob chain in her hand, waiting for, Della keeps saying a little prayer, “Please God, make him think I am still pretty”.7From those describing it can be known that Della loves Jim so deeply that she cares about every detail. Della presents her love under such harsh conditions, she might be the only way is selfless dedication to make other happy.
After Jim going back home, he is confused by Della’s hair. On one hand, his wife’s appearance changes, and he has sold his gold watch to buy the comb for Della’s beautiful hair. But Della’s hair has cut off. We know, Jim can not think Della that she is not as beautiful as before. In his heart, she is the most beautiful woman. He feels a little surprised because he sells his precious gold watch to buy the comb. However, his wife has no long hair, so he is confused. Both Jim and Della have the same thought in their mind. They just hope to the other person happy whom they love.
Now, there is no watch to match the platinum fob chain, and also no the brown hair to suit the set of combs. It can be said that the chain at the expense of Della’s brown hair and Jim’s watch for the combs. These presents quite precious for both, but the presents are like useless temporarily. But, in fact, their gifts are most precious for them. Because that their sincere and warm love and deep emotion. That is their selfless dedication for he and she loves people.
C. Simplicity
Love is an eternal theme of the whole world, and has a significant role in people’s life. At most of time, functions like a magic power gives people a sense of secure. And in the story of The Gift of the Magi, this point that love has great impact on people’s life and growth.
Between Della and Jim, simplicity is one of the most human virtues among their true love and simple life. They lose their own most precious things to buy the Christmas gift for the other. They never imagine that their gifts are useless. There is no doubt that they receive the most valuable gift—simple and true love.
“Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the flight.”8 It describes Della’s mood when she waits for her husband. She can hear Jim’s step, this reflects their deep love and Della’s excited and worried mood. They can make such a sacrifice also because their simple love. Their choices are meaningful and a kind of sublimation. Hegel says“There is a high quality in the love, because it reacts a graceful spirit.”9That is a kind of power and spirit. That is an embodiment of human virtues.
Love is exposed in poverty, and the love is still true and precious without money. Still in the flow world, Della and Jim present a distinctive love story. They are lovely people in the world. In the beginning, O. Henry uses the story of the Magi to compare the acts of the two characters in The Gift of the Magi. He does this by using the symbols and comparing the selfless giving of presents of Della and Jim. He speaks highly of the couple’s simplicity.
In the end, their gifts are useless on the surface. But they are the wisest persons. They use their simple actions to express individual thought, languages and behaviors. They use their simplicity proves the real value in that money society. They tell human what the most priceless thing in the world.
A. Economic Cause
The Gift of the Magi through an accident of the capitalist society to reflect the inevitable result. O. Henry displays the theme with simple language. O. Henry is under the influence of Europe and naturalistic realism, and he has a strong feeling to United States’ social changes.
O. Henry in the late nineteenth, it was the U.S. transition period from free capitalism phase to the monopoly capitalism phase period. At the time of the united states in the capital socialist rapid development stage, the capital appeared pauperization. Meanwhile, medium and small bourgeois bankruptcy and the expansion of unemployment made American society full of contradictions.
With the contradictions, people made up of a kind of relationship. The relationship between the people became the naked money relations. Most of people’s heart also alienation because of money society. O. Henry had a clear realization to the society, and gave a deep reveal and satire. In America, especially in the large cities, the loss of human nature was too fast. O. Henry used his own way to express the human nature in such an evil society. He deepened the social significance of the works and kept long art charm. The Gift of the Magi was not only the embodiment of humanity sublimation but also sent out a strong human nature character.
B. Political Cause
“With the deep contradictions, the masses of the people were doubt and despair to American democratic society.”10 Once they through the war to wipe out the slave, and they thought after wiping out the slave America would change. They considered that America would be the most advanced democratic country. But as a matter of fact, America did not become a country which everyone was democracy, freedom and fortunate.
On the contrary, America was one of the deepest countries which existed in the gap between rich and poor. During that period of time, on the one hand, there was a small part of billionaires who indulged in the luxury life. On the other hand, there was a large part of people who lived in a very hard life condition. Most of them lived on the verge of starvation. In such a social situation, social life had a great change. In that century, people faced the capitalist system which was decayed, deceptive and hideous. It seemed that the society was full of all kinds of ugly phenomena. It was as a dark society and a dim period of time. We could witness different classes and all kinds of people. That included billionaires, policemen, thieves, cheaters and so on.
Thus, human virtues were not so common. So many people just thought themselves. In that long period of time, capitalism was very obvious. With the social phenomena, citizens destroyed and twisted human nature. However, the story in The Gift of the Magi made an embodiment of the humanity sublimation. It told human a truth no matter how hard and dark society, the human nature still existed.
C. Individual Cause
The theme of the story is about the human nature. The writer chooses the subject not as an accident. That because their own different experiences and living conditions. As the author—O. Henry, he has a special experience. So he gives an endless thinking and complicated feelings to the society and humans.
In general, O. Henry writes to the reflection of the life. His short stories are full of human consciousness. The human consciousness is not only his feeling to the life, but also the result of the influence of American social background and culture. O. Henry lives a tough lifestyle throughout his life. Therefore, he feels the pain and misfortune of the bottom layer deeply. He recognizes the social evil through many social phenomena. There is no doubt that the hard life experiences bring him a lot of pain.
O. Henry’s short novels are as the epitome of his whole life course. O. Henry exclaims in The Gift of the Magi that “life is made of sobs, sniffles and smiles.”11 And sniffles occupy a majority of the life. O. Henry’s worse life leads him experience all the major life scenes. There are various scenes which include unusual adventure, city life, high society and more bottom life. A special experience brings him pain, but also teaches him to recognize and adapt to the hard society.
O. Henry reflects the unusual social meaning through usual things. In this way, it can reveal the most profound truth of the life. In The Gift of the Magi, he also uses a simple and usual story to reflect an unusual meaning. He tells a story about Della and Jim to express the human nature. He plans to reflect humanity and make an embodiment of humanity sublimation successfully.
This paper has discussed the simple but true love in the story of The Gift of the Magi. Love in the novel is a crucial part as affection between male and female is highlighted. In the aspect of developing the plot, love as a clue, a main line runs through the whole story. Through the paper, we plan to make a study on the sublimation of humanity in The Gift of the Magi. In the story, despite that Della and Jim lived in a very poor and difficult life. They seem to have a usual lifestyle but their story full of true humanity. Those are human’s genuine, kind and beautiful spirit. The precious spirit is humanity sublimation in the hard situation. In that society which full of money and authority, like money is everything. In the money society, the author try to us know whether exists something else more important than money.
In the story of The Gift of the Magi give everyone an obvious answer. The most valuable thing in the world is that: the gift is a price, the true love is priceless. The true love includes self-sacrifice, selfless dedication and simplicity from one person to another one. In the story, Della and Jim are wisest, and everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi each other. The Gift of the Magi is a realization about true love and humanity sublimation. O. Henry’s writings are still lively and entertaining as ever. The story of The Gift of the Magi is the signature of his writings. Human can not choose the life environment, but we can choose our spirit support. The paper lets us know the most priceless gift is our human’s spirit.
O. Henry through his creation, exposing the injustice, unreasonable things, abnormal phenomena, and lower people’s miserable destiny. For one thing, O. Henry is sympathy with the lower people, for another thing, yearning the beauty of the human nature. The article is designed as a comedy atmosphere in the tragedy life of lower people. This paper praises mightiness personality and noble characters in ordinary people.
Notes
1 O·Henry, The Selected Short Stories of O Henry (Shanghai: Shanghai World Book Press, 2004), 3.
2 Ibid..
3陈立华，《美国文学选读新编》，武汉：华中师范大学出版社，2009年，第123页。
4同上。
5Zhai Shizhao, Selected Readings In American Literature (Henan: Henan University Press, 2006),151.
6Ibid..
7陈立华，《美国文学选读新编》，武汉：华中师范大学出版社，2009年，第125页。
8同上。
9 http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTOTAL-BWXY201108027.htm
10 http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTOTAL-HLSZ201023097.htm
11 http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTOTAL-WXJL201101077.htm
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