A Classic Christmas Treasury by Charles Dickens

Author:Charles Dickens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rock Point
Published: 2023-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WILLIAM SYDNEY PORTER (1862–1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, worked a variety of jobs ranging from pharmacist to draftsman to bookkeeper before he started writing as a regular contributor to The Rolling Stone. Throughout his lifetime Porter wrote hundreds of short stories, and he is the namesake of the O. Henry Prize, awarded annually for exceptional short stories.

A BIT OF HISTORY

“The Gift of the Magi” was written by O. Henry in about two hours, after New York World sent an office assistant to his door to receive a contribution for their Christmas edition. Despite the speed of its writing, the story still encapsulates O. Henry’s most prolific literary elements and stellar prose and solidified itself as one of the most famous Christmas stories. Notable in “The Gift of the Magi” is the usage of irony, as both sides of the young couple sacrifice their most prized possessions for one another’s gifts, thus rendering them useless. But O. Henry suggests that their “foolish” sacrifice is indicative of their wisdom and love for each other, a lesson that still resonates.

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