The two stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry were examples of their authors’ writing talent. O. Henry and Poe were writers from separate eras; however, some similarities can be found in these stories, especially in terms of literary techniques employed. At the same time, the two stories differ in that they adopt distinct approaches to societal tensions and emphasize various parts of these and challenges.
“The Gift of the Magi” deals with a couple named James and Della, who eventually sold their most valuable belongings to buy each other presents for Christmas. Della discovers a set of pricey ornate hair combs, but they are worthless because she chopped off her hair to purchase Jim a chain for his watch, which he subsequently sold to give her a gift (O. Henry). In certain socioeconomic situation (the couple is impoverished), O. Henry employs irony to show the situation in which a person can give up the most precious thing to show love.
The major components of which “The Gift of the Magi” is being built up are irony and selfless love. While O. Henry’s story explores the positive aspects of these concepts, Poe delves into more negative, darker dimensions through the narratives of mental disorder. “The Gift of the Magi” became one of the foremost literary examples of irony (Sushma). Jim and Della offer their most valued belongings in this case so that the others might completely appreciate their gift. Jim sells his watch to purchase Della’s combs, anticipating that she will utilize them, while Della sells her hair to buy a present for Jim. Neither of them expects the other to go to such lengths. The irony here is effective on both a practical and a deeper, emotive level (Zafarovna). Della and Jim both purchase each other a gift that turns out to be financially foolish. They cannot spend money on stuff they won’t use since they’re impoverished. They do, however, receive something they did not expect: a present that reminds them of how much they love one other and are prepared to go to great lengths to make each other happy (Zafarovna). They offered each other the most powerful statement of their love they could muster.
One of Poe’s shortest stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” deals with paranoia and mental disintegration. While in “The Gifts of Magi” the aspect of mental illnesses is omitted, more focusing on the general assumptions of hardships of living being impoverished, Poe, as in most of his stories, delves into deeps of human mentality. In this story, Poe delves into a psychological mystery: why individuals damage those they love or need in their life (Bloom). Po, the narrator, adores the elderly gentleman. He is not envious of the elderly man’s fortune (he, himself, is impoverished), nor is he vengeful about minor matters. In this approach, the narrator removes potential reasons for a crime (Alsahafi). The narrator, claiming his own sanity, is fixated on the old man’s vulture look. In the end, the narrator further dehumanizes the elderly man by murdering him and dismembering his victim. The narrator validates his theory that the old man’s eye is distinct from him by fully killing him and dividing him into several bits (Poe). The protagonist, on the other hand, ironically confesses to the crime when the police turn up. Poe’s stories are known for literally bringing the dead back to life by utilizing memory as a trigger to bring them back to life (Alsahafi). He identifies the bothering sound as the old man’s heart beating beneath the floorboards, which completely ruins his mental health.
To make their stories more interesting for readers, O. Henry and Poe employed suspense, irony, or both. Irony has become a common thread running through both works, making them very similar in this aspect of their use of literary devices. Both O. Henry and Poe became well known for the twist endings, an unexpected outcome leading to a reassessment of the initial positions of their characters. However, the aspects of irony explored by authors are completely different. In “The Gifts of the Magi,” the irony brings the story to somewhat of a happy end. The ironic outcome of the gifts exchange serves as a bridge to the understanding of love, that is, sacrificing the most precious possessions (Sushma). Poe’s narrative is way darker in this regard, leading a reader not to expect the confession of a murderer, who is suddenly disturbed my ‘a heart pounding’.
Poe often employs dramatic irony, such as the narrator’s kindness to an elderly man a week before he murders him. The reader would not anticipate the narrator to be courteous to the elderly guy before killing him, therefore thus being a dramatic irony. Another ironic metaphor is situational, as the elderly gentleman keeps his windows securely shut due to his fear of intruders (Alsahafi). It is ironic since the narrator, who lives with him, is the only burglar near his house.
In both stories, the authors deal with impoverished protagonists who are going through a difficult time. This makes another point of comparison between stories. There are certain socioeconomic parallels between characters, and the environment is also nearly the same, namely, a modest flat. Moreover, both take place in the winter, one in January and the other at the turn of the century around Christmas time. The difference in socioeconomic conflicts, exaggerated by moral compasses, is still recognizable. Poe, in his usual manner, explores the insanity, leaving his protagonist with a moral imperative – he can not run away from your consciousness, no matter how finely did he cut it (and hid it) (Bloom). O’Henry built his narrative of slightly different construction, although also psychological – the connection between foolishness and socioeconomic conditions (Zafarovna). His protagonists sacrificed all they had for things they did not need, which theoretically can tear their lives apart.
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry is exemplary literature works that contributed to the development of modern literature. As it was discussed, both authors resorted to the use of irony and similar decorations while exploring ultimately different outcomes in their own fashion. O. Henry presented us the eternal story of unselfish love, not deprived of more complicated, behind-the-bars dilemmas. In his traditional suspenseful, gothic style, Poe drove his protagonist to the murder of the person he tacitly adored, though at the same time hated. The differences and similarities of both pieces signify the uniqueness of the authors’ writing style, points of view, and overall impression on the readers.