TOW #27: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

            Although O. Henry had no allusions to which his story of “The Gift of the Magi,” it can be inferred that the couple Jim and Della lived during the 1900s in New York when money was scarce and the federal debt was on the rise. The event of the two characters unfolds as it is revealed that the married couple has not enough money to buy each other a gift for Christmas. The two then goes out to sell their most valuable belongings: Della, her hair, and Jim, his gold watch. With the money that they make from selling their possessions, they decide to buy extensions to their partner’s most valued item: Jim buys a comb for Della to brush her hair, and Della buys a gold chain for Jim’s gold watch.

O. Henry’s use of irony is implied when both Jim and Della behaved impulsively, sacrificing their most valued possessions to make one another happy. However, these two did not consider the consequences of what would happen to them or their spouse if they were to sell their treasures. The married couple only thought about “the now” and the idea of materialistic love when they already gave each other a greater gift of their sacrificial love. The moral of the story of “The Gift of the Magi” is that their love for each other cannot be bought with money and is worth more than any material possessions. The Magi that O. Henry alludes to is from the Bible, in which refers to the story of the three wise men who brought presents to baby Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

TOW #26: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

            Born in 1882, Virginia Woolf lived spent most of her years during a time when gender discrimination was considered a norm. In 1928, Woolf was invited to deliver lectures at the two only women’s colleges at Cambridge, Newnham College and Girton College. These speeches later developed and edited into A Room of One’s Own, revolcing around the topic of Women and Fiction. Woolf’s sphere of influence not only affected those who listened or read the lectures mentioned in her book but also impacted both men and women of the role that gender plays in literary achievement.

            She begins by stating her these that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” (Woolf 4). She hopes to extend her comments and opinions to the unanswered questions that many have not seen be uncovered. Woolf describes a meal that her character had at “Fernham,” a made-up institution of the women’s college meant to generalize her story. She compares her meal to the one she had at a luncheon party the other day, saying “the lamp in the spine does not light on beef and prunes” (Woolf 18). She senses that with reduced privilege due to the fact that this dinner was meant to serve women in an academic institution comes a corresponding feeling of inferiority. As the conversation is more described as gossipy rather than profound, the narrator leaves and begins small talk with her friend Mary Seton. They become intrigued in their discussion of the founding of their women’s college, which they recall the discouraging effort to raise enough financial and political support. When comparing the founding of male universities, you can see a sharp contrast as male academic institutions have been supported generously since the beginning of its history.

            Woolf’s medium of fiction rather than an autobiographic story emphasizes the relationship between truth and fiction, as she quotes that “fiction is likely to contain more truth than fact. Lies will flow from my lips, but there may be some truth mixed up with them” (Woolf 4).

IRB #4: A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

            Earlier in the school year, I read Virginia Woolf’s “Professions for Women” speech, and ever since my encounter with her intellect as a fellow feminist, I have grown to admire her motives behind her writing. Due to this recent interest, I reached out to one of her books, A Room of One’s Own. Woolf specifies the struggles that women faces in the field of literature and writing fiction. Her primary thesis is that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” I look forward to how Woolf is going to structure this piece considering that she is also an author in the book-writing business.

TOW #25: The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe

            Written in the mid-19^th century, The Cask of Amontillado is one of Edgar Allen Poe’s most well-known short stories. His gothic style reminisces the dark childhood that he had, which is clearly depicted in this chilling short story. The Cask of Amontillado begins with the narrator, Montresor, stating his hatred towards his acquaintance, Fortunado. Wanting to get revenge from humiliation that Fortunado had induced, Montresor tricks his friend into a wine dungeon, asking him to taste the expensive Amontillado wine. Once the two of them had reached the end of the cellar, Montresor chains Fortunado to a stone. Fortunado, dizzy from the wine, was not able to fend for himself, falling right into his captor’s hands. Montresor then leaves the catacombs, concluding with the Latin phrase “May he rest in peace.”

            Poe’s use of symbolism and color is essential to understanding the character’s true feelings. Montresor’s face veiled with a black mask symbolizes his hatred and desire for revenge towards Fortunado. In addition, Fortunado’s jester costume represents his gullible and foolish behaviors, eventually fooled by his own friend’s ploy. It is mentioned that as the two “frenemies” venture deeper into the catacombs, they could see “the bones of the dead lying in large piles along the walls” (Poe 70). This could be seen as a hint as to the impending event that ensues between Montresor and Fortunado.