NUC University – Online Division

ENGL 1020: Basic English II

Assignment 6.1 – Analyzing a Short Story

Answer sheet

Student name: Andely beltre rosado. Date: 10/06/2023

Part I: OUTLINE

Write complete sentences in your own words.

Title The gift of the Magi

Author’s Biography William Sydney Porter, known as O. Henry, was an American

writer. He is considered one of the masters of the short story.

His admirable treatment of surprise narrative endings

popularized in English the expression "an O. Henry ending".

11/09/1862 – 06/06/1910.

Setting The story takes place in a town of some city, in the 50's,
perhaps from what can be seen in the adaptation, it is at
(Place, Time, Christmas time.
Environment)

Main character The main characters are the married couple that would be

(Identify and describe) James and Dalla, both are very humble

Secondary character(s) The secondary characters would be the store owner and the lady

Identify and describe) at the beauty salon where dallas goes to sell her hair.

Plot: his story tells the story of a husband and wife who are very

Introduction humble and the Christmas season is approaching and they both

want to give each other something special.

Plot: This happens when Dallas enters the antique store to ask about

Rising action the price of the bracelet for her husband, who, seeing that it is

too expensive for her, is disappointed and doesn't know what to

 do until she sees the sign where she buys hair.

Plot: The climax of this story begins when the young wife sees her

Climax or turning point hair after cutting it, she fixes it before her husband arrives, then

comes the time of gifts and there she realizes that he does not

have the watch that matched the bracelet she bought and when

she opens her gift was combs for her hair, at that time she

shows her husband that she cut her hair.

Plot: At that moment they both realize that they lost or sold

Falling action something that was important to them in order to make each

other happy.

Plot: In the end they both realize that even though they lost

Conclusion or resolution something perhaps it mattered because it was what completed

their gift they had something to remember it by and they are

together in spite of it all. His hair would grow back and he

would look for another watch perhaps.

Conflict: I wouldn't say it was a conflict but rather a situation where

both wanted to make each other happy, if it was a conflict
(Identify and classify) it would be internal. Because it was something that
happened between the two of them and nobody else knew
Internal? External? about it.
Explain.

Theme or Central The central message of this story is what we can do to see
the people we love happy and how far we would go for
Message: that and what you would be able to do to achieve it.

Point of view:

First, Second, Third? My point of view of this story is that it is very important to give

Explain a gift to that person you love sometimes we have to make a

 greater effort and you know that it will be worth the pedestal,

but know that things can be done when you can and is within

our reach and we do not have to do the wrong thing.

Thoughts about the story What can I say about this story, I liked it a lot because in it we

Paragraph (5 sentences) could see that the only thing the couple wanted was to have

something to share, although on the way they lost something

important to them but in the end they gained something more

valuable which was to strengthen their trust and see that their

relationship can overcome many things and that both are

willing to give the most valuable thing they have to make each

other happy.