View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through "The Gift of the Magi".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. To whose shop does Della go to sell her hair?
(a) Madame Sofronie's shop.
(b) Madame Lemonds's shop.
(c) Madame Montpellier's shop.
(d) Madame Richmond's shop.

2. What aspect of the plot structure in "The Gift of the Magi" is one for which O. Henry was famous?
(a) The twist-ending.
(b) The nonlinear narrative.
(c) The flash-forwards.
(d) The flashbacks.

3. What did Jim sell to buy Della's gift?
(a) His hair.
(b) His ring.
(c) His watch.
(d) His coat.

4. When Jim enters his apartment, he is described as being as what?
(a) A bear when it is near an apple pie.
(b) A hunting dog when it is near a bird.
(c) A lion when it is near a gazelle.
(d) A snake when it is near a rabbit.

5. The narrator says in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi" that Della knows that her hair is more beautiful than what?
(a) A field of fresh-fallen snow.
(b) A flower in the meadow.
(c) A queen's jewels and gifts.
(d) A mountain looking over a lake.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did Della manage to save the amount she has for Jim's Christmas gift in the opening of "The Gift of the Magi"?

2. How does the narrator describe Jim and Della in the end of "The Gift of the Magi"?

3. In what approximate time period does "The Gift of the Magi" take place?

4. What literary term applies to a device wherein the author steps away from the narrative to speak directly to the reader?

5. What does Della do after counting her money in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi"?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 320 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample