THE GIFT OF THE MAGI
About the Author
O. Henry (1862-1910) was an American short-story writer who wrote about common people in New York. His characters were always ordinary people who found themselves swept up in irony or coincidence. He was known for his surprise endings, and was sometimes criticized for them. His real name was William S. Porter.
Watch a video of the short story you are going to read.
Use this video to understand the story better. When you are finished, read the actual story in the interactive storybook below. Try to compare and contrast the video with O. Henry's actual story while you read.
Enjoy the show!
Let's Read
"The Gift of the Magi" was published in 1906. It is a story often told at Christmas, encouraging others to sacrifice in the spirit of real giving. The story and it's twist ending are well known, giving it a place in history as a true classic.
Remember: You are responsible for all of the highlighted vocabulary words! Now would be a good time to use your binder. If you would prefer to print out the story , you may do so: PDF Printout: The Gift of the Magi.
Activity
Download the following worksheet and complete it. When you are finished filling it out, you may save it and upload it to question 1 in the question section of this unit. That way, your teacher will be able to view it and correct it for you.
Irony: The Difference Between Irony and Coincidence.
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| Practice 2: "The Gift of the Magi" |