Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Flensburg (Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: American Short Fiction , language: English, abstract: "The Gift of the Magi" is one of O. Henry's most famous short stories. In this paper I will have a closer look at the short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. I will start by analyzing the major themes love, sacrifice and wisdom. Furthermore, I will also have a look at the ending of the story, which is an example of the so-called O. Henry twist. By analyzing these different aspects of the short story I will conclude with the meaning for the reader today and the question whether this short story is worth reading.