«A Service of Love» is one of many short stories written by American author O. Henry. Joe and Delia meet at an artsy workshop where people like them hang out. They fall in love and got married. Joe learned to draw, and Delia played the piano. At one point, they needed to find a job to continue doing what they liked. Finding a job related to their hobbies turned out to be quite difficult. At one point, Delia told her husband that she had found a job. She taught the piano to the daughter of a powerful man. Joe also shared with his wife that his paintings were bought by a rich man. All went well until one day Delia came home with her hands bandaged. She told her husband about the ridiculous story about the injured hand because of her student. Joe’s concern about his wife’s burnt hand, however, led to the discovery of the completely made-up story she kept telling her husband. As it turned out, Delia worked in the laundry and burned her hand with an iron. When his wife asked him what gave away her secret, Joe confessed to his wife that at work in the boiler room he was sent to get some ointment for a girl with burnt hand.
The core theme of the story, “A service of love” is Love. Joe and Delia really loved each other. Their love made them think about how to throw the lessons to ensure their partner. They chose to secretly carry out other work other than art, in which they can earn a little money. They both wanted each other to keep on learning from their art lessons.
They both valued their relationship more than their passions. They had not spent much of their lives together, but when their savings ended, they both were ready to sacrifice their goals for their partner. In the time of need, they both were willing to back each other selflessly. In case they would not have been working at the same place coincidentally, they might have kept it a secret for a longer time.
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