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Materialism In The Gift Of The Magi And The Necklace

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In both these stories, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, and “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, the themes of human heartbreak and materialism are closely examined, through the characters’ dreams, minds, and worlds. An example of this would be the portrayal of the main characters’ relationships with others, and their desperate attempts to impress others through assets. In both these stories, irony is a common theme, with materialism being at the crux of each characters’ eventual downfall, and their misguided ideals of love. The stories emphasize a bleak and depressing world; The opening paragraphs of “The Gift of the Magi” show that life is more heartache than joy: “life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating”. …show more content…

Whilst “The Gift of the Magi” is set in more modern times, it still depicts the stereotypical roles of husband and wife, this being a common theme in both stories, whilst the interactions the couples have are drastically different. “The Gift of the Magi” is set in a time when there was a large emphasis on gender roles, long hair being feminine and a pocket watch being masculine. In the story, Della and Jim trade away their gender identities to uphold and prove their love for each other. Jim and Della want to make each other happy, whereas Monsieur Loisel strives to only make Mathilde happy, though most of the time she is unsatisfied: “”Look here Mathilde” he persisted. “what would be the cost of a suitable dress, which you could use on other occasions as well, something very simple?” She thought for several seconds … “I don’t know exactly, but I think I could do it for 400 franks” he grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun”. He sacrifices all that he has in an attempt to please her, though she still demands some kind of jewel, yet with Della and Jim, the sacrifice is

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