The Gift of the Magi
What present did Jim buy for Della? Why did he think they were a perfect gift? Why are they useless at the moment?
In "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, Jim bought a set of combs for Della's beautiful long hair. He believed they were a perfect gift because Della often expressed her admiration for the combs when they passed by a store window. Jim thought they would beautifully adorn Della's hair and enhance her natural beauty.
However, the combs are rendered useless at the moment, as Della has recently cut and sold her hair to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's cherished pocket watch. They both sacrificed their prized possessions to buy each other meaningful gifts, only to discover that their gifts are no longer purposeful. Della's hair, which the combs were meant for, is now too short to utilize them.