Analysis - of - the - Novel - The - Gift - of - the - Magi

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Analysis of the Novel The Gift of the Magi

浅析小说《麦琪的礼物》

Abstract:

This paper sum up several figures of speech and language features in O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, explains and analyses correlative examples simply. Therefore, we can deepen our comprehension of this novel and enhance our ability in literature appreciation.

Key Words : language features ；rhetoric methods ；rhythm

\1910). It is one of the typical representative works. He is the writer who is reputed ―the laureate poet of Manhattan‖. Most of the characters in his novels are the citizens who are afflicted by poor life such as the wanderers, pickpockets, beggars and some social scum. Their laborious task, emotions, and poverty are very vivid and touching. From the artistic angle, his quickly rhythm and unexpected ending make readers very

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amazing and exclaim the reasonable thoughts. His words are vivid and vigorous, and his is good at all kinds of rhetoric methods.

In the novel of The Gift of Magi, the writer who described a pair of poor and young couples James Dillingham Young and his wife Della are a young couple who are very much in love with each other, but can barely afford their one-room apartment due to their very bad economic situation. For charismas Della decides to buy Jim a fob for his prized pocket watch given to him by his father's father. To raise the funds, she has her long, beautiful hair cut off and sold to make a wig. Meanwhile, Jim decides to sell his watch to buy Della a beautiful set of combs made out of tortoiseshell and jewels for her lovely, knee-length brown hair. Although each is disappointed to find the gift they chose rendered useless, each is pleased with the gift that they received, because it represents their love for one another. Language reflected the vivid and touching, meticulous of artistic features. Ⅰ. The sentences are full of changeable.

The writer used a large amount of long sentences, short sentences, anastrophe sentences and so on to exaggerate the atmosphere and strengthen the language power. Such as in the beginning of the novel, the writer described the heroine’s plight:

1. One dollar and eighty—seven cents. That was all she had saved. Three times Della counted it. Only one dollar and eighty—seven cents.

These three sentences have two elliptical sentences and a periodic sentence. The writer used dull sentence, but meaningful. When Della was finally determined to sell the most precious blond hair, buy a present for the occasion of her husband. The author described the moment she hesitated after the resolute action of the scene.

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2. On went her old brown jacket. On went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she ran out of the door and down the stairs to the street.

These sentences also have two elliptical sentences and a periodic sentence. Its structure was tiny and the feeling extremely strong. The series of prepositions decorated verbs such as‖ out of‖, ―down‖ and ―to‖ to describe a woman who determination reluctantly sell his beloved hair but fear regret. We seemed to hear her heart beat faster, saw her trembling shoulders vaguely. This is the figurative

languages. Using of this sentence to improve the imagination. It was worth to mention that above two cases, there were many short sentences, simple sentence and the majority, only one complex sentence. We must admire the skill of mastering the language. Short sentences rather than piecemeal.

Ⅱ. The words are full of skillful.

If the sentence of adjustment was strengthen the language of momentum, and rendering the emotional or atmosphere, then the skillful words showed the author’s standard of language from the details. This is another language feature of the novel. In describing her action, the author used whirl two times, one with a wriggle. He also used to describe her fingers nimble. A young woman walking light to create the image was ready to come out. In particular, it is significant that the author described the two gifts in heroine's eyes; using big words with small. She believes that her husband's gift must be something worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim. While what her husband gave her was worshipped for many months. Honor is the honor and worship generally refers to the worship of God and the devout. The author used these two weighty words in small gifts, which showed the significance of the gifts to the couple.

Ⅲ. The novel is full of rhetoric methods and rhythm.

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The novel used large numbers of rhetoric methods, such as simile, metaphor, metonymy, repetition, hyperbole and so on. Della's hair was the author deliberately portrayed. She was just an ordinary people. Is there anything to decorate herself except for the nature beauty? The author sent sympathy to the lower class for the beauty of nature. He took the analogy to show the beauty hair to readers:

It fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown water. It reached below her knees and almost made a garment for her. This part used not only simile, but also metaphor and metonymy in order to help the readers know the color, length and shape about her hair.

The author also noticed the language of rhythm, morphology and syntax, and to tap the potential of language. So the author used alliteration and rhyme to strengthen the beauty of the novel. For example,

Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles—but mainly of sniffles.

In this sentence, the author used alliteration and rhythm –repeated「s」six times. That could display the sympathy with the lower class and make readers feel the desolateness and depression.

Overall, bright, vivid, image are the biggest characteristic of literary language. A good language master can use some particular methods such as the ingeniously morphology and syntax, and the rhythm to make the language more graceful. O. Henry used plenty of rhetoric and the change of the sentences i to make the novel more vivid and moving.

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