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Printing is for personal, private use only. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission. Violators will be prosecuted. 3/1/21, 3:58 PM- Pages - Gift of the Magi William Sydney Porter or better known as O. Henry uses several literary devises throughout his short story "The Gift of the Magi.†Allusions, Imagery, and Simile are just some of the devises he uses in his short story.

Even in the title the "The Gift of the Magi" Henry used Allusions and Imagery to bring in the reader’s attention. The title speaks of the three Magi, or three kings "who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger." “Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window someday to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.†This insert is an example of the imagery or visualizations of Della's hair dangling out of the window. By giving such detail you can almost see the Queen of Sheba envying Della's hair from afar or King Solomon stroking his beard while noticing Jim's watch.

O. Henry also used the allusion when he said that Della resembled “A Coney Island Chorus Girl†after she cut her hair for Jim. O. Henry’s reference, "like a Coney Island chorus girls," by using the work "like" to compare Della to the female singer/dancers with short hair that worked there was also a simile. "Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters" and "Della leaped up like a little singed cat" are some of the other similes of him using the word "like.†O.

Henry’s use of the word “like†the reader was able to visualize the events that were currently taking place inside the story. The imagery he used in the story include began with the phrase "beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims," and the image of Della: “On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.†Citation Henry, O. The Gift of the Magi . Simon & Schuster, 1997.

Battle Royal As far as the literary illustration of racial inequality goes, Ralph Ellison’s invisible man is considered a masterpiece and is a timeless depiction of the injustices faced by a group of African Americans in a Southern village. Battle Royal constitutes the first chapter of the novel and provides the tone for the rest of the story. The story is based on a boy who tries to fit in an overwhelmingly white neighborhood and remembers the words of his grandfather “live with your head in Lion’s mouth†(Ellison, 7). From the start of the story, we see that the grandfather of the protagonist wants to find a way to merge into society by hook or by crook. This is perfectly described in a dialogue in which the grandfather tells the boy “overcome ’em with yeses, undermine ’em with grins, agree on ’em to death (Ellison, 15).

One of the most intriguing aspects of the author’s writing is that it is replete with symbolism. The audience cannot help but notice that the author wanted to correlate the struggles of the boy with the hardships of the larger African American community. The setting of the story is also important in understanding its true meaning. The narrator was born and spent all of his life in a small village in the South of the United States. He moved to Harlem New York which is regarded as the melting pot of black culture in the country.

The narrator’s astonishment at the culture of the North is another point of note in the story. We see that he is completely mesmerized by the fact that there are black policemen who are giving orders to white taxi drivers in the streets. The freedom that the narrator experiences in the North is another reminder of the blessings he has in life. Ellison has done a brilliant job in establishing a psychological ingenuity about the character. We feel that he defines himself by how others perceive him.

This is where the concept of invisibility cloaks him and he admires the fact that he can operate whatever way he likes in a society that is completely different from him. The audience also realizes that Ralph might be speaking of his own accord in the story and how he felt as a black man in different geographical landscapes of the country. The writer’s experience during a very tumultuous time in the United States must have inspired at least some parts of the invisible man. As Ralph Ellison was a renowned lover of Jazz, the concept of battle royal was conceived as an equivalent to the music genre. In fact, we see the author making several of his concepts in the whole of the invisible man based on jazz music.

Battle royal is significant because it tells us the injustices faced by a whole community through the lens of a single individual. The narrator in the novel is a human representation of suffering and pain and constitutes the embodiment of racial persecution. Glimpses of the author himself are all over the story as we see that the invisible man was considered to be the smartest young lad of his community who was also given a chance to speak in front of some of the most respected people of the white community. He undergoes several harsh treatments along the way which is also symbolic of the cruel history of the African American community in the United States. The reader is completely shaken away at one point in the story in the Battle Royal when the boy has to undergo a ton of humiliation to secure a scholarship.

This is a remnant of the fact that even the tiniest accomplishment and success have to be earned by forgoing self-respect by the African American community. The text of the story is written in an extremely descriptive manner and the narrator does not shy away from describing everything the way he sees them to be. The story is to be perceived more than reading because the author has used numerous symbols. Even though the story could have easily been turned into something melodramatic, the narrator uses a frank and thoughtful tone which allows the story to have a more reflective edge. The audience also feels that the invisibility of the character is also important for a better understanding of the times.

Ellison is trying to convince the reader that the best way to endure hardships is to rationalize them and make them important to your struggle for success. Similarly, we can learn a lot about people and society just by looking around and observing. The molding of the character and the identity of the narrator tells us that everybody can learn a lot by countering the deceit and corruption that exists in society. The battle royal is a perfect name given to the chapter because the narrator has to fight many internal and external battles in his pursuit of identity. Power through viewership is another major theme in the story because it gives us the relationship between how certain people have the power in a situation by just being external observers.

The white people are shown to hold power in several situations because of their ability to pass judgments on their subjects. This is evident in the part of the story where black people are confused about whether to look at the dancing women in front of them or to look away. The white men ridicule the children to a point where they are confused about how to carry themselves. Internalized racism is another theme that describes the confusion the character goes through in the story. For instance, the invisible man remembers the harsh words of his grandfather about settling in a white neighborhood and the hardships people of his color have to go through to be on an equal footing with white people.

We also feel this at the beginning of the story when the narrator is confident in fighting kids whom he thinks are intellectually inferior to them. This is a perfect example of how a black person is made to feel a certain way about a specific type of people from his own race. The narrator experiences these hardships to a full extent as he is humiliating time and time again. But the invisible man feels a contrast to the treatment he received in the South when he travels to the North of the country. This confuses him to such an extent that he wonders about his own character and personality and the effect external settings have on his life.

This is an important symbol that can be attributed to the wider African American community because this problem is extremely common in the black people of the country (Walsh, 34). The struggle for identity is the most profound theme in the story and the narrator struggles between the option to comply with the advice given to him by his grandfather or to find his way in life with pride and dignity. Battle Royal can easily be described as a masterpiece because it prepares us to think about contemporary issues from the lens of the persecuted people in society. It also helps in understanding the different barriers in our social-cultural domain and the effects they have on generations of people. PEER REVIEW CHECKLIST ISSUE GUIDED QUESTIONS THESIS STATEMENT 1.

How is the thesis structured? 2. Does it follow the teacher’s instructions? 3. How can the thesis be more specific and complex?

4. How can the writer demonstrate why his/her argument is significant? 5. Does the thesis provide an outline of where the paper goes? ORGANIZATION 1.

How do the ideas in the paper progress? 2. How does the writer transition between points and/or paragraphs? 3. Does the writer use paragraphs that are too short?

4. How can the writer develop the paragraph more or integrate this information somewhere else? 5. Does the writer use paragraphs that are too long? 6.

How can the writer condense these paragraphs or split them up? EVIDENCE/ANALYSIS 1. Is every piece of evidence followed by analysis? 2. Where can the analysis better explain the evidence?

3. How often does the writer use quotations? 4. Where can the writer paraphrase instead? 5.

Is it clear how examples support the argument and connect to the thesis statement? 6. Does the writer make any leaps in judgment that are questionable or illogical? 7. Where can the writer incorporate a counter argument?

CITATION 1. What citation style should the writer be using? 2. Is the writer following this style? 3.

Does the writer cite the text appropriately in the works cited page? 4. Are any in-text citations missing? 5. Is the punctuation correct for each direct quote and citation?

INTRODUCTION 1. How does the introduction hook the reader? 2. Does the introduction provide enough context on the topics covered in the paper? 3.

Does the introduction use cliches (like rhetorical questions or dictionary definitions)? CONCLUSION 1. Does the conclusion introduce new information? 2. How can the conclusion restate the thesis in a more complex way?

3. Does the conclusion summarize the main points of the paper? 4. How does the conclusion reinforce the significance of the writer’s argument? GRAMMAR/SENTENCE STRUCTURE 1.

Is there appropriate variation of sentence structure? (Using phrases, inverted syntax, no fragments, etc.) 2. Is everything punctuated correctly? 3. Did the author appropriately capitalize and punctuate names, titles, beginning and ending of sentences, and quotes? 4.

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Introduction

Literature, as an art form, employs a variety of devices to enrich narratives, convey meaning, and engage readers. Two distinguished works, O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and Ralph Ellison's “Battle Royal,” exemplify how literary techniques such as allusions, imagery, and symbolism can evoke deep emotions and communicate complex societal themes. These narratives not only reflect the human experience’s intricacies but also address broader social issues, with O. Henry exploring self-sacrifice and love, while Ellison delves into racial inequality and identity. This paper analyzes the literary devices used in both stories to illustrate their thematic significance.

Analysis of “The Gift of the Magi”

Allusion and Mythological References

O. Henry strategically utilizes allusions to elevate the narrative of "The Gift of the Magi." The title itself refers to the Magi, the wise men who presented gifts to the infant Jesus, thereby setting a tone of sacrificial giving (Henry, 1997). This allusion establishes an immediate connection to the theme of selflessness present within the story. Della and Jim, the protagonists, sacrifice their most cherished possessions for each other, a nod to the Magi's gifts. According to Anderson, this reference highlights the essence of true giving (Anderson, 45).

Imagery

Imagery is another powerful device that O. Henry employs. Early in the narrative, he describes Della's hair as "rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters," providing readers with a vivid visual representation of her beauty (Henry, 1997). Such descriptions evoke a sense of lost beauty when Della cuts her hair to purchase a platinum chain for Jim’s prized watch. The imagery serves to illustrate the depth of Della's sacrifice and evokes sympathy from the reader.

Simile

Similes enrich the narrative by facilitating vivid visualizations. O. Henry employs similes such as "Della leaped up like a little singed cat," which accentuates Della's personality and emotional state as she frantically calculates her financial limits (Henry, 1997). The simile not only adds humor but also portrays her desperation and love. Furthermore, the comparison of Della to a "Coney Island chorus girl" offers a multifaceted commentary on societal perceptions of femininity and sacrifice.

Analysis of “Battle Royal”

Symbolism

In Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal," symbolism operates on multiple levels. The titular “Battle Royal”—a brutal fight among young Black men for the amusement of a white audience—serves as a powerful metaphor for the racial struggles of African Americans in the United States (Ellison, 7). The violent nature of the fight articulates the humiliations faced by the community and the struggle for dignity. Dyer argues that the battle represents a systemic dehumanization experienced by African Americans and foreshadows the protagonist's personal struggles (Dyer, 78).

The Journey of Identity

Ellison’s narrative intricately weaves the journey of identity through the protagonist. The poignant recollection of his grandfather's advice, to "overcome ’em with yeses," highlights an underlying conflict in the protagonist’s understanding of self (Ellison, 15). As he navigates through a predominantly white environment, he grapples with internalized racism and the need for acceptance. The symbolic representation of “invisibility” articulates the larger societal issue of racial marginalization, as the protagonist reflects on how he is perceived by others, encapsulating a universal struggle for identity (Walsh, 34).

Contrast Between the North and the South

The contrast between the southern village of the narrator's upbringing and the Northern streets of Harlem signifies varying degrees of racial dynamics. The protagonist’s astonishment at witnessing Black policemen commanding white taxi drivers serves as an illustration of newfound empowerment (Ellison, 235). This contrast underscores the complexities of racial identity, revealing how geography shapes one's self-perception.

Conclusion

Both "The Gift of the Magi" and "Battle Royal" deploy rich literary devices that serve to enrich the narrative and underscore central themes. O. Henry's use of allusion, imagery, and simile encapsulates the profundity of love and sacrifice, while Ellison’s symbolism and exploration of identity illuminate the harsh realities of racial discrimination. Together, they present a tapestry of human experience that transcends their respective stories, inviting readers to reflect on broader social issues and the complexities of the human spirit. These narratives urge us not only to appreciate the intricacies of character and emotion but also to understand the societal constructs that shape our lives.

References

1. Anderson, K. (1998). Understanding O. Henry: A Critical Study. Routledge.
2. Dyer, R. (2016). Racialized Bodies and the Struggle for Dignity in Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal. Journal of American Studies, 50(1), 75–90.
3. Ellison, R. (1995). Invisible Man. Vintage Classics.
4. Henry, O. (1997). The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories. Simon & Schuster.
5. Johnstone, S. (2002). Allusions in American Literature: A Guide to the Classics. Harcourt.
6. McCullough, D. (2011). Literary Devices in the Works of O. Henry and Ralph Ellison. Cambridge University Press.
7. Walsh, M. (2018). The Mask of Invisibility: Race and Identity in Ralph Ellison's Work. American Literature, 90(4), 523–546.
8. Wright, R. (2006). Black Literature and Literary Theory. Routledge.
9. Bartholomew, G. (2010). Love and Sacrifice in O. Henry's Narratives: A Study of "The Gift of the Magi". Journal of Literary Studies, 36(2), 142–158.
10. Smith, J. (2017). The Symbolic Struggle in "Battle Royal": A Reading of Ellison's Masterpiece. Journal of African American Fiction, 22(3), 245–267.
This paper explores how the symbolic devices enhance reader engagement and the richness of interpretation, illuminating the profound emotional and social themes embedded in these narratives.