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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The gifts that Della and Jim are revealed to have bought for one another are an example of what literary device?
(a) Literary allusion.
(b) Verbal irony.
(c) Simile.
(d) Comic irony.

2. How much money has Della saved up in the opening of "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) $4.23.
(b) $1.96.
(c) $5.24.
(d) $1.87.

3. What Biblical king and queen are referenced in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) Queen Elizabeth and King Henry.
(b) Candace, Queen of Ethiopia and King Ahab.
(c) The Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.
(d) Queen Berenice and King David.

4. When was "The Gift of the Magi" first published?
(a) 1905.
(b) 1865.
(c) 1765.
(d) 1953.

5. What are the "magi" from the Bible also referred to as?
(a) The Three Virgins.
(b) The Three Wise Men.
(c) The Three Bearers of Gold.
(d) The Three Old Lepers.

Short Answer Questions

1. How much money is offered for Della's hair?

2. What does Della pray for as Jim is about to enter their apartment in "The Gift of the Magi"?

3. What does the narrator say that large-hearted giving can leave behind?

4. For how long does Della shop for a gift for Jim after selling her hair?

5. What did the magi bring to the baby Jesus in the Bible?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Della's most prized possession and how is it described?

2. What is Jim's most prized possession and how is it described?

3. Describe one simile or metaphor from the short story and how it serves the reader.

4. What does Della purchase for Jim for Christmas? How is this object described?

5. What does "narrative intrusion" mean and how does it apply to "The Gift of the Magi"?

6. Describe the setting of the Youngs' apartment.

7. What does Jim purchase for Della and how is this object described?

8. What statement do you think the author is making regarding wisdom in "The Gift of the Magi"?

9. Describe one example of irony in "The Gift of the Magi." What type of irony is described?

10. Where does the rising action take place in "The Gift of the Magi"?

(see the answer keys)

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