Though the settings differ substantially, the theme of love is clear both in “The Greatest Thing since Sliced Bread” and “The Gift of Magi,” through the author’s use of character, style and point of view.
The book "The greatest thing since sliced bread" by Don Robertson and Gift of Magi are used to expound themes of love even though the two have different settings. The authors have employed the use of characters, point of view and style to bring out the theme of love. Gift of magi is a book concerning a couple and has inspired many readers and authors over the years. In “The Greatest thing before sliced bread" the character Morris falls madly in love with Julie Sutton at the early age of 13 years. "The Gift of Magi" is a book written on a couple of Della and Jim who would go to any lengths to please one another. Della and Jim were each willing to let go of their most prized possessions so that they could please their loved one.
The gift of love demonstrates how great the love shared by the couple was, and the two treasure their love by using all sorts of gifts to show their affection for each other. The two characters are willing to go to great lengths so that they can demonstrate their love for each other. Love is a theme that is held highly above all earthly possession in the novel. The couple can survive poverty as a result of their love for each other. The couple is content with each other and are willing to let go of other things which are dear to them so that they can please one another. The author of the book has the setting of the book in an old apartment shared by the couple. Boston demonstrates various types of love in his novel. There is the love felt between relatives such as the kind of love shown by Morris Bird III to his ailing grandmother. Sandra shows the kind of love shared between siblings to his brother who also reciprocates his sister’s love for him. Later Morris falls in love with a girl by the name Julie Sutton at the age of 13 years as he is leaving childhood and entering adulthood.
II. Character Analysis.
A. Morris bird III and the sister Sandra.
Morris bird III is a young boy at the tender age of 9 years at the beginning of the novel. Morris bird III has an affectionate character towards his sister who he allows to tag along wherever he goes. He goes with her when he goes to visit his friend. Morris is a brave boy who puts his life at risk when he insists on saving the people at the industrial center after the accident took place. He is an intelligent boy who can think clearly even in the middle of a crisis . Morris also has self-respect for himself which he demonstrates by making sure he achieved his goal to see his friend. Morris comes out as a talkative individual. He is also mischievous and is seen constantly teasing his little sister. Morris also shows a lot of determination in whatever goals he pursues in life such as the love for Sutton, the visit to his friend and saving the people during the explosion at the industrial center.
He is confused by the fantasies of a young boy and he believes that he is in love with two ladies and he says he has a different kind of love for each one of them. His sister Sandra is a mischievous young girl who at times blackmails his brother to do things for her. She plays a major role in developing the character of his brother Morris. Sister Sandra is a young girl who is more of a child . She loves his brother unconditionally and is devoted to his brother. She is constantly seen following her brother around and eventually due to her persistence, her brother accepts her affection for him. Sandra is also a brave girl who goes through the explosion with a lot of courage and offering help to her brother.
B. Self-sacrifice in the name of love.
The theme of self-sacrifice for the sake of our loved ones is shown by the characters Della and her husband Jim. The two of them do not have the resources to get each other Christmas gifts . The two are willing to forgo things that are valuable to them so that they can please their loved one. Della cuts off her beautiful hair and sells it to use the money to get her husband a watch as a Christmas gift for him. While she does this, her husband is seen selling his watch so that he can acquire money to buy his wife a set of fancy combs she had admired. The two characters understand that the biggest possession they could ever get is love, and no material thing would surpass their love for one another. The two characters are strengthened by their intense love for each other, and even though they are poor, they are happy with each other . The couple considers their love for each other as the greatest gift which they could receive from each other.
C. Structures of the sibling relationship.
Morris and his sister Sandra are very close, and the two are brought closer by their strenuous childhood. Morris acts like the older brother by holding her sister's hand every day to school and does not leave her behind even when he goes to carry out his adventures . Sandra is devoted to his brother, and she is so affectionate to his brother that at one point Morris is offended by it, but she persists until he accepts her affection for him. Hardships during childhood such as their ailing grandmother strengthen the bond between Morris and his sister Sandra. Even though the two siblings love each other, the two play different roles in the play. While Sandra supports his brother enabling him to achieve his goals, his sister depends on her brother for protection and security. Her brother is often seen holding her sister’s hand on their ways to school.
III. Style as it pertains to love.
A. Style in the set up in “The Gift of Magi.”
In the book “The Gift of Magi,” the author enhances the theme of love through the use of style and technique. The author uses a humorous approach, and his style is gentle to demonstrate the serenity that is associated with love. He uses his imagination to come up with characters who are deeply in love with each other, Della and Jim. He uses a third person point of view and uses the voice of a folk tale narrator to tell the story of the two love birds .
The setting of the book “The Gift of Magi" is a book where the themes of love, poverty and self-sacrifice are enhanced. The events in the book take place in the city of New York where we find a hair shop which is located a few stall down the street. The story revolves around the Christmas period and how the two love birds have to demonstrate their feelings of love to each other by selling valuables to acquire a gift for the other. Della puts a lot of effort in their apartment to ensure that it is comfortable .
B. Style of the set up in “The best thing since Sliced Bread.”
The context of the story begins with a young boy who adores his grandmother who is ailing with cancer. The young boy who is nine years old has a sibling sister who loves him unconditionally and his devoted to his elder brother. In the story, the two siblings seem to be inseparable, and they are constantly seen following each other. Morris is committed to the friendships they have with his friend whom he does everything in his capacity to ensure that he sees his friend. Morris thinks he is in love with two girls at the tender age of 9, but later he falls in love and understands the true meaning of love. The young boy is seen in one part as a brilliant child who can think clearly and come up with effective solutions in the event of a disaster. The setting of the story is based on a real life event. In 1944, there was a major gas explosion which took place in Ohio .
C. Comparison of the two styles and how the theme of love is brought out in both.
While the author uses a partly fictitious setting in the book the greatest thing since the sliced bread the author of the book “The Gift of Magi” uses a purely fictitious setting. Boston's novel is based on a real life event which took place in 1944. There was a major gas explosion in Ohio which led to over 200 deaths in the city . The theme of love is demonstrated through the young boy and the eyes of his sister. The book the “The Gift of Magi” is based on a fictitious couple and the title is biblical, which refers to the three wise men who presented their gift to baby Jesus. The book uses a young couple to show the theme of love in the novel. The book uses various stylistic devices such as irony and humor in the course of its development. Boston’s book has a more harsh approach, and the story is not as gentle as “The Gift of Magi.”
IV. Point of view as it pertains to love.
A. The perspective of love through the eyes of a child.
Sandra is seen as a devoted younger sister to Morris, and she showers him with a lot of affection. At first, Morris is not very pleased with the excessive display of affection he is receiving from his younger sister. His plans to push her away by teasing her constantly do not work. His sister is persistent in her show of affection for him and eventually he stops resisting the affection he is receiving from his sister . Children love is tender and pure, and they don’t give up on those they love even though they might fail to reciprocate their feelings of affection. Morris loves his grandmother deeply and is sad since she is ailing from cancer. To children, love is pure and unconditional.
B. What was the author trying to get us to understand about love in each story line?
In the story “The Greatest since Sliced Bread,” demonstrates various aspects which pertain matters concerning love. Morris loves his grandmother dearly, and he is going through a lot of agony since she is suffering from cancer. When we love people, we become more empathetic with them, and we are likely to be affected by issues which affect them. Children are very loving beings who will offer their love unconditionally even when their object of affection does not return their affection. Sandra follows his brother around until Morris eventual gets used to the affection that he is receiving from his younger sister. Children are tender and vulnerable, and it is difficult to fail to treat them with affection. During youth, the concept of love is confusing and most young people do not differentiate between real love and feelings of infatuation. At the age of 9, Morris believes that is in love with two girls, Susan and Veronica . When he attains the age of 13, he falls in love with a girl he had saved during the explosion whose name is Julie Sutton and the love he feels for her is strong.
In the book “The Gift of Magi,” passionate love is demonstrated by a couple where both husband and wife demonstrate their unbound love for each other. The two of them are able to overcome hardships and live happily due to their strong love for each other . The couple considers the other their greatest gift in the world and the two are willing to forgo their greatest gestures to please each other. Love is portrayed as a priceless gift, and most people would forego most treasures just to enjoy the gift of love.
C. Major points of love in both stories
Irony is used in the story “The Gift of Magi” when the young married couple exchange gifts which are overpriced. Jim buys his wife a set of combs to comb her hair without the realization that she has cut her hair so that she can afford a Christmas present for her husband. Jim sells his family watch only to be given another watch by his wife. The irony brings the sentimentality of the situation and the depth of the feelings of love shared between the two characters. As a show of their invaluable love, wife and husband go to great lengths to acquire material things which are less valuable. Humor is used in the story on various occasions . When Della receives the combs for her hair which she had already cut, she jokes to her husband not to worry since her hair grows quite fast. At the end of the story, the author compares the situation with the biblical story in the bible when the three wise men presented their gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.
V. “Love, Courage and self-respect still count.”
Morris had teachers who were constantly speaking of bravery to him even though he hardly knew what it meant. To protect his self-respect, the boy sets off on a journey to visit his friend. Due to his close relationship with his sister, Morris finds himself with friends but he does not have any real buddies. He embarks on the journey and along the way a disaster occurs, and he is forced to intervene in the situation and save people from the glass explosion . He achieves two things that day; he manages to visit his friend and save people at the same time. He was able to demonstrate his love for his friend, and through his bravery he became a hero. He earned himself self-respect even though he thought people were overreacting as far as the situation was concerned.
Jim and Della demonstrate that love is sufficient even through difficult times. For instance, the couple can live humble lives but they are happy as a result of their love for each other. The two are even willing to sacrifice their most treasured possessions just to please the other . This is a demonstration that no material thing would measure up or replace their love for each other. The two believe in their love so much as to take sacrifices for the sake of their love. The power of love and the value of true love is defined as limitless by the couple.
Works Cited
Bona, Marc. Terry Pluto discusses the special meaning of 1965 Don Robertson book. 18 August 2008. Web. 16 April 2016. <http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/08/the_greatest_thing_since_slice.html>.
Eggert, Marijke. Is the short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry still relevant today? Grin Verlag Ohg, 2013. Print.
Henry, O. The gift of the Magi. Start Publishing, 2012. Print.
Keith. The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread. 22 October 2009. Web. 16 April 2016. <http://meadowparty.com/blog/2009/10/22/the-greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread/>.
Ray, Rebecca. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. n.d. Web. 16 April 2016. <http://www.storyboardthat.com/teacher-guide/the-gift-of-the-magi-by-o-henry>.
Robertson, Don. Excerpt: The greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread. 28 May 2008. Web. 16 April 2016. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90722380>.
—. The greatest thing since sliced bread, a novel. New York: Putnam, 1965. Print.
Rowan, Terry. Having a Wonderful Christmas Time Film Guide. 2014.
