“One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.”

The opening words set the tone and a major theme of O. Henry’s story. Material want pervades the narrative. The characters’ sense of poverty is heightened by their desire to express their love by buying expensive gifts for each other.

“While the lady of the home is slowly growing quieter, we can look at the home.”

O. Henry’s narrator makes observations throughout the story that shift the focus away from the characters and adds commentary on the characters’ lives and actions. The narrator knows things that are hidden from both characters and occasionally shares those details with readers.

“Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a gift. She had put aside as much as she could for months, with this result.”

O. Henry sets up Della’s dilemma and builds tension early in the story. Even with her careful saving, she has been unable to save enough to buy Jim a gift, and she has run out of time.