What feeling unites the heroes of the story about Henry. ABOUT

A lesson in wisdom based on O. Henry's story “The Gift of the Magi.”

The theme of love, devotion and sacrifice in O. Henry's story “The Gift of the Magi.”

Compiled by: Russian language teacher and literature MBOU Secondary school No. 5 Noyabrsk Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Veronika Petrovna Fialkovskaya

Lesson objectives:

- develop the skills of thoughtful reading, reading by role, working with an educational article, analysis work of art;

Be able to determine cultural context works;

Reveal the meaning of the concepts: love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, self-sacrifice, gift, wisdom;

Show the writer’s skill in creating images of characters and the environment that surrounds them;

Contribute to instilling in students a sense of kindness and devotion; be able to convey to them the idea of ​​“wisdom of the heart” and the kindness of the story.

Equipment: portrait of O. Henry, exhibition of his books, reproductions of paintings by A. Durer, P.-P. Rubens, L. da Vinci on the theme “The Adoration of the Magi.”

Epigraph for the lesson

It's not about the road we choose; That,

what is inside us makes us choose the path.

During the classes:

Communicating the objectives of the lesson, reading the epigraph.

Teacher's word: Each of us chooses our own path, follows our own path, on which we perform our own actions that are significant for loved ones and necessary for other people and ourselves. May God grant that this road be paved with the happiness of love and mutual understanding. We will talk about this in class today.

Examination homework:

1. Working with the educational article by F. Zolotarevskaya: retelling the writer’s biography (1 student is asked, additions are heard), working with the term “pseudonym”. It is concluded that the writer's real name is William Sidney Porter.

   Reading by heart A Fet's poem (individual task).

The night is quiet. On the unsteady firmament

The southern stars are trembling,

Mother's eyes with a smile

Quiet people look into the manger.

No ears, no extra glances,

The roosters crowed -

And beyond the aigels in the highest

The shepherds praise God.

The manger quietly shines in the eyes,

Mary's face is illuminated.

Star choir to another choir

I listened with trembling ears.

And above Him it burns high

That star of distant lands:

The kings of the East carry with her

Gold, myrrh and frankincense.

1. Expressive reading the story “The Gifts of the Magi” by roles.

Work with text.

Conversation based on the story.

What is said in this story?

How did the story “The Gift of the Magi” make you feel?

Tell us about the characters in the story.

What feelings do the characters in the story have for each other? (Devotion, love, ability to support Hard time, sacrifice the most dear and valuable for the sake of a loved one).

Let's reread the last paragraph of the story.

Who are the Magi? (Sages, soothsayers in the “Song of prophetic Oleg»)

Which wise men are we talking about here: “Those who brought gifts to the baby in the manger”? ( about the biblical wise men).

4. Working with a biblical source. Let us remember one episode from the very beginning of the life of Christ, where the Magi bring gifts to the Baby, rejoicing at his birth.

(Students are given a printout biblical text. The teacher retells and partially reads the Gospel episode of the worship of the Magi).

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said: “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him." Hearing this, King Herod was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. And, having gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people, he asked them: "Where should Christ be born?" They said. to him: “In Bethlehem of Judah, for thus it is written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least of the provinces of Judah; for from you will come a Leader who will shepherd My people Israel." Then Herod, secretly calling the wise men, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star. And, sending them to Bethlehem, he said: "Go, carefully investigate the Child and, when you find it, inform me, so that I too can go and worship Him." They, having listened to the king, went: and the star, which they saw in the east, walked in front of them, when finally it came and stopped in front of the place where the Child was. Seeing the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. And entering the house, they saw the Child together with Mary His Mother, and falling down, they worshiped Him; and opening their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh (incense). And, having received a revelation in a dream, return to Herod, they went to their own country by another route (Matt. 2.1-12).

So, what gifts did the wise men bring to Baby Jesus? (Gold and fragrant substances: frankincense and myrrh). In those days, incense was as expensive as gold.
Magi are sages, soothsayers. They saw a star in the East and followed it. The star walked in front of them, and finally stopped over the place where the Child was. Entering the house, they saw Jesus with Mother Mary, and, opening their treasures, they brought him gifts: gold and incense: incense and myrrh, which at that time were worth the same as gold.

The episode of the meeting of the Magi and the newborn baby, as well as other episodes of the gospel history, was often addressed by artists different eras. In the reproductions you can see an illustration of the episode you read ( reproductions are shown).

Is it possible to compare the main characters of the story with the Magi? Why?

Let's turn to the text.

Differentiated tasks based on the story (in groups). Level differentiation (Students are divided into groups according to their level of knowledge, interests, abilities, and rate of learning the material).

Groups 1 and 2 - completing the task according to the sample. Give characteristics to the main characters of the work according to the plan provided (group 1 - Della, group 2 - Jim).

Determining the place of the hero in the work.

Speech characteristics.

Description of household items, housing, clothing, living conditions, as a means of self-expression of the hero.

Family, upbringing, life history. Occupation.

Character traits.

Actions and motives of behavior in which the hero manifests himself most clearly.

Comparison with other characters.

Definition of the typical and individual in a literary hero.

Your personal attitude towards the character and this type of people in life.

Group 3 – Answer the questions:

Why, in order to give a gift to a loved one, does each of the heroes have to make sacrifices? (They are poor).

Let’s work on the phrases “blatant poverty” and “eloquently screaming poverty.” Expand the meaning of phrases.

“Poverty” and “poverty” are synonymous. “Crying” - screaming, emitting a cry. “Eloquently” - expressive, meaningful.

Why, despite poverty, do they want to do such things to each other? expensive gifts?

Where do they find money?

Group 4 – Complete the tasks and answer the questions:

Find descriptions of the couple's treasure?

Is Dele sorry to part with his hair? Confirm.

How long does she hesitate?

What do they give each other with the money from the sold treasures?

Group 5 – Complete the tasks and answer the questions:

Did we see only love in the actions of the heroes or something else? (self-sacrifice).

Do you think there is true love without self-sacrifice?
- Let's go back to creative laboratory and add self-sacrifice.
- Let's look at the beginning of the story. It's in the money. On the next page - again about money. Is money something earthly, ordinary or sublime? Why does the author give such a sublime name and such an earthly beginning.
- Did the author have the right to draw a parallel between these ordinary people with their financial problems and the sublime gifting of God by the Magi to answer problematic issue. Why?

Group 6 – Complete the tasks and answer the questions:

What gift makes a person happy?

Reveal the meaning of V. Mayakovsky’s statement: “Love is the heart of everything...”. Draw a parallel with the text.

Reveal the meaning of words based on the text: love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, self-sacrifice, wisdom. Find synonyms for these words.

How do we know that the characters love each other? Confirm with text.

After 7 minutes of work, the groups present their answers.

Conclusions:

What was today's lesson about?

What feelings were we talking about?

We talked today about true love, about the gifts that make a person happy.
One of God's commandments is to love your neighbor. Let love walk next to each of you on your path. And may each of us have enough wisdom to preserve this love.

I want to end the lesson with a poem about love by R. Rozhdestvensky:

It all starts with love:

Both insight and work.

The eyes of flowers, the eyes of a child -

It all starts with love.

Marks (with justification).

Homework:

Read the story again. Prepare a retelling of the story. Using the method of oral word drawing, describe the characters, illustrate if desired. What color scheme predominates when describing the characters and their lives? (1, 2 groups).

Re-read the story again and answer the problematic question: Who are the true givers, what is their happiness and the meaning of life? Prepare a description historical era, the country where the events described in the story take place. (3-6 groups).

If desired, write an essay on the topic (to choose from): “What can a person do in the name of love?”, “True givers”, “Gratitude”, “What is the meaning of the biblical commandment “love your neighbor”?”

1) Features of the genre of the work. Work American writer O. Henry “The Gift of the Magi” belongs to the short story genre.

2) Theme and problems of the story. All of O. Henry’s work is imbued with attention to the invisible “little” people, whose troubles and joys he so vividly and vividly portrayed in his works. He wants to pay attention to those genuine human values, which can always serve as support and consolation in the most difficult life situations. And then something surprising happens: the most seemingly deplorable endings of his short stories begin to be perceived as happy or, in any case, optimistic.

3) Ideological plan author. In O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, the husband sells his watch to buy his young wife a set of hair combs. However, she will not be able to use the gift, since she sold her hair in order, in turn, to buy her husband a watch chain. But, alas, the gift will not be useful to him either, since he no longer has a watch. A sad and ridiculous story. And yet, when O. Henry says in the finale that “of all the givers, these two were the wisest,” we cannot but agree with him, for the true wisdom of the heroes, according to the author, is not in the “gifts of the Magi,” but in their love and selfless devotion to each other. The joy and warmth of human communication in the whole gamut of its manifestations - love and participation, self-denial, faithful, selfless friendship - these are the life guidelines that, according to O. Henry, can brighten up human existence and make it meaningful and happy.

How do you understand the meaning of the ending of the story: “But let it be said for the edification of the sages of our days that of all the donors these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise. Everywhere and everywhere. Are they the Magi? (explaining the meaning of the story's title)

4) Features of the plot of the work. To his touching story O. Henry's story about the life of the poor gives the character of a literary mystery, and the reader does not know what the outcome of events will be.

How do Della and Jim live? (poor)

What two treasures does this young woman possess? American family? (beautiful hair Dells and Jim's gold watch)

5) Characteristics of the characters in the story.

The embodiment of the lyrical feeling in the story is female image Dells. Male image- Jim Jung is the bearer of a certain author’s thought: nobility and depth of feelings, loyalty, sincerity. It was precisely the intonation of Della’s speech (“But she immediately, nervously and in a hurry, began to pick them up again. Then, hesitating again, she stood motionless for a minute, and two or three tears fell on the shabby red carpet”), Jim’s description internal state character: identifies and records the most important features of his personality, helps to understand and present him as a person.

How did you dispose of your most valuables Della and Jim? How does this fact characterize the heroes? (Della and Jim sacrificed their greatest expensive things to give a gift to your loved one)

6) Artistic Features works. The humor in the story reveals the inferiority of life, emphasizing, exaggerating, hyperbolizing it, making it tangible and concrete in the works. In O. Henry, humor is often associated with comic situations, which underlie many stories. They help the writer in debunking certain negative phenomena of reality. Resorting to parody and paradox, O. Henry reveals the unnatural essence of such phenomena and their incompatibility with the normal practice of human behavior. O. Henry's humor is unusually rich in shades, impetuous, whimsical, he keeps the author's speech as if under a current and does not allow the narrative to go along the predicted course. It is impossible to separate irony and humor from O. Henry's narrative - this is his “element, the natural environment of his talent. O. Henry has an unsurpassed ability to see the comedy in life situations. It is this organic property that gives rise to such amazingly accurate comparisons: “Jim froze motionless at the door, like a setter smelling a quail,” “the gifts of the Magi.” One more distinctive feature The story is the superiority of the lyrical principle over the epic. The lyrical feeling is expressed simply, elegantly: “... I told you below an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unfortunate way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other.”

According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are precious incense that three wise men presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flash in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. This is where the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas came from.

In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “A furnished room for eight dollars a week. The situation is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound,” - this is how the small apartment in which the young couple lives is described. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and giving gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems worthy of a husband to Della. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas...” And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.

Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking of something to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something even slightly worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was still one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure he doesn’t stop liking me!” – she whispered, hearing Jim’s footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: “With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is.”

It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most prized possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also fervently wanted to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive..."

The ending of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad thing is that the gifts were too good for both of them. There is no more hair, which shimmered and shone, “like the jets of a chestnut waterfall,” “went down below her knees and enveloped almost her entire figure like a cloak.” But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was chosen with such love and impatience. Are all the efforts in vain and the gifts will remain expensive but unnecessary? The happy moment is that the husband and wife gave each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, and showed their willingness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.

O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story seems to clarify the meaning of its title. The Magi presented the wise and generous gifts who predicted the greatness of Jesus. It also talks about the greatest self-denial, readiness for any sacrifice for the sake of one’s love. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the heights of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.

O. Henry approves of the actions of his heroes with a smile. The text contains author's digression: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest.” The ability to give up treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to deliver it to him (or her) on a holiday greatest pleasure- this is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.

Lesson type: lesson on studying the text of a work of art.

Class: 6

Lesson type: a lesson in artistic perception.

Lesson form: heuristic conversation

Methods:

1. creative reading method
   • role reading
   • first person reading
2. reproductive
3. heuristic

TCO: assessment sheets, image of the monument to the book of O. Henry<Picture 1>, portrait of a writer<Figure 2>

Goals:

1. educational:
   • determine the true and false values In human life;
   • explain the meaning of the story's title;
   • characterize the author's understanding of wisdom and happiness;
2. mental development:
   • develop students' attention;
   • form logical thinking during text analysis;
3. educational:
   • develop a sense of respect and self-esteem;
   • define true values ​​as spiritual;
4. creative: provide an opportunity to show creativity.

Epigraph:

A gift is a blessing to the giver.
F. Herbert

During the classes

I.Updating basic knowledge. Perception mindset.

I want to start our conversation today with an unusual question:

Who do you think people erect monuments to?

Why do people receive such an honor?

Why, in your opinion, can a monument to a book be erected?

And it was this honor that was awarded to the work of the writer O. Henry. His stone book, 2 meters high, stands open in the USA in the city of Greensboro. I think it is not difficult to guess which story it is revealed in.

And today we have to continue our acquaintance with the personality of the writer and try to understand what unusual is hidden in the story “The Gifts of the Magi”.

The topic of our lesson sounds like this: “True and false values ​​in O. Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi.”

Try to determine lesson objectives?

At the end of the lesson we must answer main question: which values ​​are true and which are false, who is truly happy and wise, according to the writer?

II. Working with associations. Student messages.

Let's look at the title of the story.

What associations does the word evoke in you? "gift" ?

ABOUT: gift – goodness, love, joy, holiday, mother

Let's open the board with the dictionary definition and ask students to read the dictionary definition and add additions to their associations: gift – donation, ability, talent.

Let us turn to the epigraph “A gift is a blessing to the giver.” What characteristic of the word “gift” can be taken from the epigraph?

ABOUT: gift - blessing

Listen to a report about the writer's life and write down O. Henry's character traits in your notebook.

Student message:

O. Henry's real name was William Sidney Porter. .

He is the author of more than 280 stories, sketches, and humorous jokes. He was born in Greensboro in the USA. His life was unhappy since childhood. When he was three years old, his mother died of tuberculosis. His father sent him to live with his aunt. The child stood out at school sharp mind, rich imagination and the ability to draw with one hand and simultaneously solve arithmetic problems with the other. After school, the young man began working in his uncle's pharmacy, but at the age of 19 he developed a cough similar to tuberculosis, and a family friend suggested that William go to work on a ranch in Texas, a state with a dry and hot climate. The ranch owner had a rich library, the young cowboy read a lot and began to write stories himself, however, he did not try to offer them to anyone and soon destroyed them. But two years later William went to the big one, to the concepts of that time, city of Austin.

Here he changed several professions. He worked in a cigar shop, in a real estate company, learned to play the guitar and sang in a quartet, which was eagerly invited to picnics and weddings. He published humorous drawings in magazines that brought neither money nor fame.

After getting married, W. Porter decided to settle down and went to work as a cashier at the First National Bank of Austin. When the embezzlement was discovered, Porter was charged with theft. All his friends and colleagues swore that the young cashier could not have embezzled money from investors, and the court cleared Porter of all charges. Nevertheless, William left the bank, went to Houston and began working for a local newspaper as an artist and columnist. However, the auditors began to dig deeper and discovered a great disorder and shortage in the bank books - this time of $4,703.

In January 1897 he was arrested. While Porter was awaiting trial, important changes occurred in his life. My wife, who had been ill for a long time, died. The wife's parents took the daughter in with them. One of the American magazines accepted his story from the life of cowboys for publication and asked for more, but the author had no time for the pen. At the trial he behaved indifferently and on April 25, 1898, the aspiring writer was sent to prison for five years.

Here he worked, remembering his youth, in the prison pharmacy. When it was discovered that a certain amount of pharmaceutical alcohol was missing and the pharmacist was suspected, he flared up: “I’m not a thief! I’ve never stolen a single cent in my life! I was accused of embezzlement, but I’m sitting for someone else who pocketed this money!” The pharmacy did not take up much time, and Porter continued to write stories, sending them out through the sister of one of his cellmates. He began to sign his writings with the name “O. Henry.”

For impeccable behavior, the prisoner was released not after five years, but after three years and three months. The stories he wrote in prison were in great demand in magazines, and publishers sent him one hundred dollars so that he could get to New York.

In the first year of his life in New York, Porter published 17 stories; after a few years, he was already releasing a story a week or more; at the height of his popularity, he was paid $500 per story - a lot of money for that time. But there was always not enough money, it flowed out of our hands like sand. He often distributed large bills to the poor, or even brought a homeless tramp to the doctor and paid for treatment and medicine. Bottom big city became the source of his inspiration. O. Henry often spent whole days in dubious drinking establishments, drawing stories from the stories of fellow regulars.

O. Henry often wrote in great haste, driven by the need to recoup a long-spent advance. In 1903, he entered into an agreement with the owner of the World newspaper, Joseph Pulitzer, agreeing to provide a story for each Sunday edition.

One of the editors recalled: “I came asking if the story was ready. “Ready, ready,” the writer answered. And he showed me Blank sheet with the title and number 1 in the corner. Then on the next sheet of paper he wrote a two in the corner, took three more sheets and, writing 5 on the last one, said: “Well, now, with your permission, I’ll take a break.”

In late autumn 1905, O. Henry agreed to write for Pulitzer yuletide story. The promised deadline passed, and the editor received nothing but apologies and excuses. Finally, the artist who was supposed to illustrate the work came to the writer’s closet to get acquainted with the draft and understand what should be drawn. It turned out that there wasn’t even a draft yet. The unfortunate illustrator asked to at least tell him the main idea of ​​​​the story.

“I’ll tell you what to draw, buddy,” the writer replied. “Draw a sparsely furnished room, like the rooming houses that are rented on the West Side. The room has one or two chairs, a chest of drawers, a bed and a closet. The bed has one side on it.” A man and a woman are sitting side by side. They are talking about the approaching Christmas. The man is twirling a pocket watch case in his hands. The woman has a luxurious long hair, falling down the back. That's all I see so far. But the story will come soon."

This is how the story “The Gifts of the Magi” appeared, which was soon translated into all languages ​​of the world.

III. Reading text. Conversation.

Who are the main characters of O. Henry's story?

A: Jim and Della

How is the characters' home described? Find the details the writer uses.

Let's visit a cheap New York apartment together and watch the heroes.

IV. Dramatization of the episode (two participants: Della and the author behind the scenes).

Della: One dollar eighty seven cents. That's all. Of these, sixty cents are in one-cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with the grocer, greengrocer, butcher so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such frugality caused (I counted it three times). One dollar eighty seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas (cries).

Life consists of tears, sighs and smiles, with sighs predominating. While the owner of the house goes through all these stages, let’s look around the house itself. Furnished apartment for eight dollars a week. The atmosphere is not exactly blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, there is a letter box, through the crack of which not a single letter could squeeze through, and an electric bell button, from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound. Attached to this was a card with the inscription: "Mr. James Dillingham Young" "Dillingham" ... the letters in the word "Dillingham" faded, as if seriously wondering whether they should be shortened to a modest and unassuming "D"? But when Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and went upstairs to his room, he was invariably greeted by the cry of “Jim!” and the tender embrace of Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you under the name of Della. And this is really very nice.

Della finishes crying and brushing the powder on her cheeks. She now stood at the window and looked sadly at gray cat walking along a gray fence along a gray yard.

Della: Tomorrow is Christmas, and I only have one dollar and eighty-seven cents to give to Jim! For many months I saved literally every cent, and this is all I achieved. Twenty dollars a week won't get you very far. The expenses turned out to be more than I expected. This always happens with expenses. Only a dollar and eighty-seven cents for a gift for Jim! To my Jim! I spent so many happy hours thinking about what to give him for Christmas. Something very special, rare, precious, something even slightly worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.

Dela bounces off the window and rushes to the mirror. With a quick movement, she pulls out the pins and lets her hair down.

What qualities of Della's character are revealed to us?

What treasures do the heroes have? Find their descriptions.

How is their beauty emphasized?

Why are they superior to the treasures of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon?

How does Della choose a gift? Find the description in the text.

What does she sacrifice for Jimm?

V. Reading by roles. Episode of the meeting of heroes.

Jim stood motionless at the door, like a setter smelling a quail. His eyes settled on Della with an expression she couldn't understand, and she felt scared. It was neither anger, nor surprise, nor reproach, nor horror - none of those feelings that one would expect. He just looked at her, without taking his eyes off, his face did not change its strange expression. Della jumped off the table and rushed towards him.

Jim, honey,” she cried, “don’t look at me like that.” I cut my hair and sold it because I couldn't bear it if I didn't have anything to give you for Christmas. They will grow back. You're not angry, are you? I couldn't do it any other way. My hair grows very quickly. Well, wish me a Merry Christmas, Jim, and let's enjoy the holiday. If only you knew what a gift I prepared for you, what a wonderful, wonderful gift!

Have you cut your hair? - Jim asked with tension, as if, despite the increased work of his brain, he still could not comprehend this fact.

Yes, I cut it and sold it,” said Della. - But you will still love me? I'm still the same, albeit with short hair.

Jim looked around the room in confusion.

So, does that mean your braids are no longer there? - he asked with senseless insistence.

“Don’t look, you won’t find them,” said Della. - I’m telling you: I sold them - I cut them off and sold them. It's Christmas Eve, Jim. Be kind to me, because I did this for you. Maybe the hairs on my head can be counted,” she continued, and her gentle voice suddenly sounded serious, “but no one, no one could measure my love for you!” Fry cutlets, Jim?

And Jim came out of his daze. He pulled his Della into his arms. Let's be modest and take a few seconds to look at some foreign object. What's more - eight dollars a week or a million a year? A mathematician or a sage will give you the wrong answer. The Magi brought precious gifts, but one was missing from them. However, these vague hints will be explained further.

Jim took a package out of his coat pocket and threw it on the table.

Don't get me wrong, Dell,” he said. - No hairstyle or haircut can make me stop loving my girl. But unwrap this package, and then you will understand why I was a little taken aback at first.

White nimble fingers tore at the string and paper. A cry of delight followed, and immediately - alas! - in a purely feminine way, was replaced by a stream of tears and groans, so that it was necessary to immediately use all the sedatives at the disposal of the owner of the house.
For on the table lay combs, the same set of combs - one back and two sides - which Della had long admired reverently in a Broadway window. Wonderful combs, real tortoiseshell, with shiny stones embedded in the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive... Della knew this, and her heart languished and languished for a long time from the unfulfilled desire to possess them. And now they belonged to her, but there are no more beautiful braids that would adorn them with the coveted shine.

Still, she pressed the combs to her chest and, when she finally found the strength to raise her head and smile through her tears, she said:

My hair grows really fast, Jim!

Then she suddenly jumped up like a scalded kitten and exclaimed:

Oh my god!

After all, Jim had not yet seen her wonderful gift. She hastily handed him the chain on her open palm. Matte a precious metal seemed to play in the rays of her stormy and sincere joy.

Isn't it lovely, Jim? I ran all over town until I found this. Now you can look at what time it is at least a hundred times a day. Give me the watch. I want to see what it will look like all together.

But Jim, instead of obeying, lay down on the couch, put both hands under his head and

smiled.
“Dell,” he said, “we’ll have to hide our gifts for now, let them lie there for a while.” They are too good for us now. I sold my watch to buy you combs. And now, perhaps, it’s time to fry the cutlets.

How would you characterize Jim's reaction when he walked into the room?

Why did he react this way?

What changes in Jim's behavior can you observe in this episode?

How does Della's reaction change when she sees the ridges?

Can the ending of the story be called happy?

What did the heroes really give each other?

Answer the problematic question that we asked at the beginning of the lesson, in writing in your notebook. Which values ​​are true and which are false? Add your observations from life.

Read several statements.

Consultants evaluate students' work in class.

Homework

1. Message on the topic: “The plot of “The Gift of the Magi” in painting”
2. Create illustrations for text
3. Read and analyze one of O. Henry's stories on your own.

Truly touching, sad and at the same time happy story O. Henry "The Gift of the Magi" is one of the most popular and famous among his other stories.

Story Analysis

The title of the story is quite symbolic: the Magi were known for the fact that when they saw an eastern star in the sky, they went with gifts to the newly born Jesus Christ. Since then, on Christmas Eve, people give each other gifts.

At first glance, “The Gifts of the Magi” is a story about gifts that spouses gave each other for a holiday, but if you look deeper, this story is about much more significant, one might say, priceless things.

The story “The Gifts of the Magi” is dedicated to pure love, which is not alien to true self-sacrifice.

Jim and Della are a married couple who are forced to live in poverty. Despite this, the husband and wife truly love each other and on Christmas Eve desperately want to give each other good, quality gifts. O. Henry shows that in this family there are two valuable things: Della’s luxurious hair and Jim’s precious watch, which his father gave him.

Della has saved up a tiny, pitiful sum of one dollar and eighty-seven cents - and with these pennies she will definitely not be able to buy beautiful gift to my husband. So she decides to sell her thick and beautiful hair, and cuts them off so that she can buy her beloved husband a chain for his gold watch.

But when she gives Jim her thoughtful, gorgeous gift, Della realizes that her husband sold his prized watch to buy a tortoiseshell comb for her lovely hair. Jim, too, could not leave his beloved wife without a gift, and no matter how dear the memory of his father is to him, he decides to sell the only valuable thing he has in order to please Della.

Moral values ​​of the main characters

Gifts that spouses purchased for each other can no longer be used by them, but this is not the most important thing. It is important to understand why this happened, because both heroes wanted to do everything possible to ensure that their lover was happy.

And it is precisely with this plot that O. Henry reveals true value love, or rather its pricelessness and purity. After all, the point is not what gifts Jim and Della chose, what matters is what they did to please each other.

And their mutual sacrifice, mutual devotion has no monetary or any other price, true love their the best gift, and besides her, they don’t need anything. After all, for each other they were not afraid to sell the last thing they had.

The most amazing thing is that O. Henry manages to reveal such a multifaceted and rather difficult topic simple, a short story, and filled with humor and amazing optimism.

His main characters are people who never lose heart, and despite the fact that they seemingly lost a lot by buying unnecessary gifts, they do not despair; on the contrary, Jim and Della did not lose anything important, because the most real and important thing they have there is their priceless love for each other.