Characterization, theme, and irony in "the gift of the magi

Characterization - the way a writer PRESENTS and DEVELOPS characters.

Example:
He looked thin and very serious. - "The Gift of the Magi" O.Henry

Theme - one message a text conveys about life rather than a moral judgement on how people should act.
•expressed in sentence.
•an observation about life rather than a moral judgement on how people should act.

Theme:
•Heroes can be everyday people who rise to a challenge.

Irony - a disconnect between what is expected and what occurs. There are three types of irony.

Example: The reader knows that the villain is the hero's father, but the hero does not.