Comparison Between the Necklace and the Gift of the Magi

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Mariam Bakayoko World Literature Hum 215 November 28, 2011 Love in “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi” is it worth the sacrifice? By definition love is unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for others. This definition is highly uses in “The Necklace” (in French La Parure) wrote by Henri Rene-Albert Guy De Maupassant, a French writer, and in “The Gift of the Magi” by William Sydney Porter also known as O.Henry, an American writer. Both writers expressed in their shorts stories the meaning of love in their own way. Perhaps it could be related to their cultures and their languages influences. Both stories have many things in common and some differences. I will be focusing on their similarities and differences, and which point the writers try to reach by using those couples. “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi” are centers around two couple, Madame Mathide Loisel and Monsieur Loisel, and Jim and Delia Young, who are unselfish and very in love of their spouse. In fact, they would do any sacrifice for them. In “The Necklace” Monsieur Loisel, en despite of his poor salary, wants to make his wife happy so badly that he offered all the money he saved up for a rifle so she could buy a nice dress instead ; to fulfill her dream to belong to the high society. For what she will put those in a drama for losing the “Diamond Necklace” that she borrowed to her friend. Then her husband will have to put everything things he has such as his honor to rescue his beloved wife. At the same time in “The Gift of the Magi”, Jim loves his wife so much that he will do anything to please her. In fact, he would sell his watch to buy her a set of combs for her magnificent hair. On the hand, Della sold her hair to buy a chain to her husband to accompany his gold watch. Both stories turn out to be ironic because first of all, Monsieur Loisel’s sacrifice was not worth it

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