Question

Read the following excerpt from “The Gift of the Magi” and answer the question.

For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. 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.

But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim! And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!" Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit."Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled."Della," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

What type of conflict is implied in the passage above?

Person vs. Person
Person vs. Self
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Society

Answer 1

person vs person maybe i think i did this before

Answer 2

Person vs. Society.

Step-by-step explanation:

The story of Jim and his wife Della in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" shows how two people selflessly go out of their ability to make the other happy. Their efforts turned out to be useless in the present sense but then they were considered the best people to have ever did something for another.

Jim and Della are a poor couple who hardly have anything. And the festival of Christmas is approaching, meaning they had to prepare gifts for each other. Armed with just few sums of money for themselves, they set out to get each a gift that will prove the most useful. Della sold her hair to get Jim a watch chain, while Jim sold his watch to buy an ornamental comb for Della's beautiful hair. When both revealed their gifts, it turns out that there was no use for the present situation. But this selfless approach of the gifts showed how they brought out the true Christian spirit of putting others first. They are the wisest of all who had ever done this deed.

This story is a person vs. society conflict as it was the society that had imbibed on them the ritual of gifting presents. If this tradition hadn't been there, Jim would still have his watch and Della, her hair.