Love vs. Gifts

O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi tells the story of a young couple that encounters a daily struggle with money. We can infer that this couple has money problems based on the way in which the wife tries to save every penny she can. Christmas is just around the corner and the wife, Della, wants to find the perfect gift worthy enough for her husband. However, gifts such as that do not come cheap, so in order for her to obtain more money she sacrifices her long, beautiful hair. As the story unfolds we realize that Della's husband has bought her combs for her hair which she no longer has, and Della bought him a platinum fob chain for his watch which he no longer has. The couple each sacrificed something that was important to them in order to make their partner happy, and although the couple is portrayed as acting foolishly, I believe that it is the ultimate love story. If only marriages today were concerned with the happiness of their spouse, divorce rates would  not be as high. As the reader we expect the story to have a typical "happy ending" and although its not the ending we expected, I believe it is much greater. The ending proves that the couple has unconditionnal love for each other and that is something that money cannot buy.