Story: “The Gift of the Magi”
Author: O. Henry
Setting: New York City late 1800s Christmas Eve
Protagonist: Della Dillingham Young
Antagonist: Man vs. Nature (Della vs. Poverty because she has o money to spend on a gift for Jim)
External Conflict: Poverty
Internal Conflict: Man vs. Self (Della is afraid Jim won’t love her because she lost her hair)
Denouement: It tuns out that Jim sold his watch, and both gifts are now useless. She goes to apartment and they put the items away.
Elements of Fiction: Situational irony & Dramatic irony
Theme: It’s the thought that counts / love-self sacrifice for love
Plot: Della and Jim are a poor, married couple. It is Christmas Eve and Della has to find a way to pay for a gift for Jim. She gives up her most prized possession, her hair, for money. She ends up buying a chain for Jim’s most prized possession. When she gets home she worries that Jim won’t like her. When he gets home, Della learns that he sold the watch for combs, his gift for her. They put the gifts away.
POV: third Person Limited

Story: “The Sniper”
Author: Liam O’Flaherty
Setting: Dublin 1920s at twilight in June
Protagonist: The Sniper (Republican)
Antagonist: The Free Stater Sniper
External Conflict: Man vs. Man (Sniper has to kill his enemies before they can kill him)
Internal Conflict: Man vs. Self (Must keep calm after getting shot, then can’t deal with guilt of killing a man)
Denouement: After cleverly killing his enemy, he discovers the corpse is his brother
Theme: Your enemy is always a person to someone / destruction of war on the family
Elements of Fiction: Situational irony & foreshadowing
Plot: A man (the Sniper) is on a rooftop near O’Connell Bridge in Dublin during the Irish Civil war. HE, a Republican, was a man who was used to death. He was eating a sandwich and decides to risk a cigarette. When he lights it a bullet is shot and misses him. He looks over the edge & almost gets shot by a person across the street. An armored