Briefly, the<em> Gift of the Magi</em> is the story of a couple who had no money to buy each other's Christmas gifts. She sells her hair and buys a watch chain for her husband and he sells his watch and buys her hair combs for her beautiful hair. After giving each other's gifts, they soon realizes that they are useless. She no longer has her hair to use the combs and he no longer has his watch to enjoy the wacth chain. However, their gifts appear out of love and sacrifice.
In the excerpt, the author gives a description of the place (setting) where the couple lives, a very modest cheap home. Their house is so simple that it's not worth a description. It seems to be a lonely place for them, they don't get any letters ( ...below was a letter-box into which no letter would go), and nobody visits them ( an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring). This excerpt sets the mood for the story.
The term "The Giver" refers to the old man, the former Receiver, who transfers all his memories to Jonas. The very names "Giver" and "Receiver" remind us of one of the book's central themes: memory is meant to be shared. ... But, more interestingly, Jonas becomes The Giver when he gives his memories to Gabriel.
