On the Emotional Resonance in Gifts: A Discussion on the Materiality Writing in The Gift of the Magi

O. Henry’s renowned short story The Gift of the Magi centers on “gifts” and tells the story of Della and Jim, a devoted couple who selflessly relinquish their most prized possessions to purchase Christmas presents for each other. When examined through the analytical lens of the “thing turn”, the inanimate objects in the narrative transform into “animate entities” that bear profound symbolic meanings, exhibit a form of subjectivity, and engage in complex interactions with human characters. Analyzing The Gift of the Magi’s materiality-centered narrative through these three lenses does more than illustrate the dynamic, multifaceted bonds between objects and humans; it deconstructs the traditional anthropocentric worldview that centers humans, prompting a re-evaluation of the intricate ties between the material and human realms.