The Gift of the Magi

by

O. Henry

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Madame Sofronie Character Analysis

Madame Sofronie owns the hair shop to which Della sells her hair. She’s described as “large, too white, chilly,” and her manner with Della is brusque and to the point. She wastes no time evaluating Della’s hair and setting a price—twenty dollars. Her manner directly contrasts that of Della and Jim, who value their love and sentiment over material value. For Della, her hair is something special and prized. For Madame Sofronie, her hair is worth the dollar value she can get out of it.
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Madame Sofronie Character Timeline in The Gift of the Magi

The timeline below shows where the character Madame Sofronie appears in The Gift of the Magi. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Gift of the Magi
Value Theme Icon
Love Theme Icon
Sacrifice Theme Icon
Beauty Theme Icon
Della runs downstairs onto the street, where she finds a hair shop run by a Madame Sofronie . After a brief exchange during which Madame Sofronie evaluates Della’s hair, Della sells her... (full context)