ESL Class Contributions

Short Story Summaries and Reactions

by ESL 530R Students with Kimberly Gibson

Francisco Orozco

The Gift of the Magi

Christmas is coming soon and Della it’s worried because she don’t have enough money for buy a gift for her dear husband Jim. Della thought for a long time about that problem and suddenly she have an idea to get money: she decided sell his long hair to madame Shophronie who offered her twenty dollars for the Della’s hair and she said “give me the money now” and lose that way is treasure, so she doesn’t matter, because now she can buy a gift for Jim’s clock a good, strong and expensive chain.

At seven o’clock Della made coffee and started to cook dinner to celebrate the Christmas with Jim and hope that Jim don’t be angry with she for cut her hair. When he arrives saw her and he didn’t speak, his eyes were stranger and she was afraid and explained him, “I cut my hair and sold it because I wanted to buy you a Christmas gift” so Merry Christmas dear, you don’t know what I’ve got for you it’s beautiful; you cut your hair, Jim spoke slowly, he smiled he took Della in his arms, took a small box out of his pocket and said “I love your short hair Della , it’s strange but if you open this box, you can understand” Della open the box first she smiled after she turns to cry, in the box were two beautiful combs like those were maid to hold up long hair, she knew that combs come from an expensive store, she said “Oh they are lovely and my hair grows fast” But wait you must see your gift and gave him the chain was bright like her eyes “Isn’t it a good one Jim? You’ll have to look a time one hundred times daily now, He lay back on the bed, put his hand under his head smiled and said “Let’s put the gift away, they are to good for us right now, I sold the watch to buy your combs, come on let’s have dinner. So, in this way Della and Jim had lost their treasures and that could seems they are not wise so I said they are always wise like others, they are the magi.

Reaction: Beautiful tale written by O’Henry like a paradox who shows the material treasures like a hair and a watch, and the spiritual treasure like the love between husband and wife. I guess here prevaleced over all the things, wath means love who sometimes means give our best feeling for the other no matter what happen with one. No doubt is always little the bigger sacrifice we can do it when we felt love, and that is a kind of wise.

Baagii Gansukh

The Gift of the Magi

Christmas is tomorrow and Della needs to buy a gift to her husband. She only has one dollar and eighty seven cents. One thing she has only her long brown hair. She wanted to sell it and buy gift for Jim (her husband). She sold her hair for 20 dollars, and bought nice watch chain for her husband, because he has nice golden watch. She thought it will be wonderfull gift for him. Then that night Jim came home and he got shocked. Suddenly she felt afraid, and start talking fast. such as why do you look so strange? Don’t look at me like that. I cut my hair and sold it. etc. Then he started talking slowly. Actually he bought gift for her too. It was two beautiful combs. She loved it then she wanted to show her gift to him. It nice watch chain, suddenly he lay down on the old bed then said I sold the watch to buy that gift for you. He said let’s put the gifts away, there are too good for us right now. This story about wise people like Magi who brought Christmas gift for baby Jesus.

Chan Sook Park

The Gift of the Magi

Della and Jim were couple. They were very poor. Tomorrow would be Christmas. Della had one dollor and eight-seven. She wanted to buy Jim present for Christmas. But she didn’t have enough money so cried and cried. She has long and brown hair. She dicided to sell her hair. She ran out of the house. She sold her hair and got twenty dollars. She shopped many stores to buy Jim watch’s chain. It was twenty-one dollors. She cooked dinner and waited for Jim. When Jim saw her, he was surprised. He couldn’t come up to her easily. Because she had short hair. Jim also prepared Christmas present for her. He explained about why he was surprised. If you (della) open the small box, you will know about that. When she open the box, she began to cry. In the box were two beautiful combs. Della wanted to see Jim’s watch with chain. But she couldn’t see it. Jim sold it to buy her present. Jim said to Della “let’s put the gifts away.”

Lok Kei Leong (Luisa)

The Journey to Hanford

This story is happen in Aram’s family which they wanted Jorgi to go to work for a while. But Jorgi wants to be a writer and play music everyday. His father doesn’t want him to be a writer. Because he thinks a young man who wants to be a writer and play music all the time is very foolish. He thinks a man should have to work and earn money. So he decided to send Jorgi to Hanford to work. So the family has a big meeting for this event and they finally choose Aram to cook for Jorgi and help him. They go to Hanford on foot, but sometimes they rode their bicycle. They go there and rent a house that have 11 rooms, but only one room has bed. In the first night Aram cooked some salty rice, and Jorgi played music. They had a good time in this night. Next day, Jorgi went to the farmer’s field to pick the watermelon. But the farmer doesn’t want Jorgi to help him. So the farmer told Jorgi that the season is gone. When Jorgi heard this news, he was very happy, because he doesn’t need to work. So they stay in Hanford a month, during this month they sang and played music everyday. When they went back to their home, they met Jorgi’s mother, and told her they didn’t work. After Jorgi’s father came home, Aram gave him the money and his road something and let them go. The Jorgi sat in the garden and play the music, his father hidden in a corner of house and listen.

I think it is an interesting and it reflect our life story. Actually, his father like music but he also want his son to have a good future so he don’t want him to play the music all the time. Same as many parents they want their children have a good future sometime they will tell the children to do what they want to do. Sometime the children have to give up their interested. It is very sad to give up their interested and do something they don’t want to do. I can understand Jorgi’s feeling because now I have to think about my future my parents always told me to do something I don’t want to do. But I think one day they will know I really want just same as the story. The father will know what Jorgi truly like. On the other hand, this story is also a fun story and it said Aram cooked the rice sometime salty sometime swill, and sometimes perfect. I think this is a very interested part it can see a fun child is here.

Reina Katada

The Gift of the Magi

There is a poor couple.  The wife’s name is Della, and her husband’s name is Jim.  Della was counting her money and she was thinking about a Christmas gift for Jim.  But she had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents.  She could not buy anything.  She really loved Jim, so she decided cutting her hair and selling it to get some money before Jim came here.  She needed the hard-and-fast decision to cut her hair.  Because her hair was one of the treasures in the house.   Moreover, Jim likes her long beautiful hair.

She ran out of the house and down the street.  She went to the shop and asked if she can sell her hair.  She could her hair at twenty-dollars.  She looked for Jim’s gift everywhere and then she got a gold chain for his gold watch.  She was happy because she could buy a good gift for Jim.  She was worried because Jim may get angry after he looked her short hair.

When he came back and saw her hair, his eyes seemed something strange.  She was sad, but she explained about her hair.  After then, he smiled.  He gave her two beautiful combs which were made to hold up long hair.  She understood why he seemed her strange, but she did not have a long hair.  She also gave him a gold chain.  But he sold a gold watch to buy her combs.  They sold their own treasures to buy the presents for each other.

The Magi brought Christmas gift to the baby Jesus.  But they could not give gifts like Jim’s and Della’s.  Perhaps Jim and Della do not seem wise.  They lost their treasures.  But they are always wiser than others.  They are happy, rich or poor.  The Magi were wise.  Jim and Della are wise.

Svitlana Popovych

The Gift of the Magi

Della and Jim the main characters in “The Gift of the Magi,” are a young married couple with very little money. One day before Christmas, Della counts all the money she has saved over the past year.  She has one dollar and eighty seven cents, so Della lay down on the old bed and cried and cried.  After a long cry, Della determines to find a way to buy Jim the present he deserves.  As she looks into a mirror, an idea comes to her.

Now, Jim and Della had only two treasures.  One was Jim’s gold watch.  The other was Della’s hair.  It was long and brown, and fell down her back.  When Della looked in the mirror a little longer, she understood that she may sell her hair.  After that she ran out of the house and down the street she stopped in front of a door which said, Mme Sophronie.  Hair of All kinds.  When Della went inside, she asked “will you buy my hair?”  Yes, I buy your hair.  And Della sold it for twenty dollars.  After that she shopped in many stores for the right gift for Jim.  Then she found it a chain for his gold watch.  It was a good chain, strong and expensive.  Della knew the chain would make Jim happy because Jim had a cheap chain for his watch. 

When Della come at home, she started to cooked dinner.  She thought that Jim does not kill her.

The door opened, and Jim came in and shut it.  His coat was old and he had no hat.  Jim stood still and looked at Della.  He did not speak.  His eyes were strange.  Della suddenly felt afraid.  Then she asked to Jim, that she cut and sold her hair.  Because I wanted to buy you a Christmas gift.  First Jim did not believe this.  He smiled and took Della in his arms.  Then Jim said “ I love your short hair, Della,” “I am sorry I seemed strange.  But if you open the box, you will understand.”  When Della opened the box, she smiled, then she began to cry.  In the box she saw two beautiful combs.  She never thought she would ever have anything as beautiful.  After that she asked to Jim, that they are lovely and that her hair grows fast, but you must see your gift.  And Della gave Jim the chain and asked Della that he sold the watch to buy the combs.  Come on, let’s have dinner.

I like this story because this story is about two people Della and Jim.  They lost the two great treasures of their house, that bought Christmas gift to the each other.  It’s like how Magi.  They were wise men who bought Christmas gifts to the baby Jesus.  The Magi were wise, so their gifts were wise gifts.