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The Gift of the Magi Questions and Answers - Discover the eNotes.com community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on The Gift...
- Plot
- 'The Gift of The Magi' Discussion Questions
- Understanding 'The Gift of The Magi'
In this story, Della's hair is spectacular: "Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts." Meanwhile, Jim as a prized gold watch that is described as follows: "Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasure...
What is important about the title? Does it suggest that the story has a religious lesson, or just that Christmaswill figure into the plot somehow?What are some central ideas or themes of the story?What are some conflicts in the story? Are they internal or external?List a metaphor or comparison in the story. Explain it.Describe a time when you picked out the perfect gift for someone or someone picked out the perfect gift for you. Why was it perfect?Describe a time when a gift didn't work out. What could have made the situation different? How was the situation handled?Describe an ironic incident in your own life. What was expected to happen, and why was the actual event ironic?- Esther Lombardi
- Describe Jim and Della’s apartment. Answer: Jim and Della lived in a cheap furnished flat at 8 dollars per week. It required some renovation.
- What kind of present did Della wish to buy for Jim? Answer: Della wished to buy something nice, fine and rare and sterling – something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim.
- Why did Della falter for a minute before she left home? Answer: Della faltered for a minute before she left home because she had to think for a while.
- What did Della finally find for Jim? Answer: Della found a platinum fob chain for Jim.
Teach and learn The Gift of the Magi with ideas from this resource guide, including discussion questions, etymology of 'Magi,' character analysis, summarize the plot, O. Henry's use of irony and literary devices, genres, themes, and paired reading suggestions for this poignant story.
- Which theme could be true based on the short story? Here are several examples of thematic statements that could or could not be true for “The Gift of the Magi:”
- What is the central idea of the short story? Students could answer in one sentence, several sentences, or even a full paragraph. The choice is yours!
- What traits best describe Jim at the beginning and the end of the story? Click to buy this Literary Analysis and Characterization Pack for The Gift of the Magi!
- What is the effect of the description within the following excerpt? The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week.
The Gift of Magi Questions. 4.3 (24 reviews) 1) What is Della doing at the beginning of the story and why? Click the card to flip 👆.
The Gift of the Magi By O. Henry Directions: Read the short story and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a
