The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry

The Gift of the Magi: Situational Irony 1 key example

Situational Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Useless Gifts:

Jim and Della's useless gifts are examples of situational irony, because the results of their gift-giving are the opposite of what's expected. When Della opens Jim's gift, she finds the hair combs she's coveted for a long time:

Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims—just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.