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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. How does the narrator describe Jim and Della in the end of "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) Two children who were disappointed.
(b) Two children who were selfish.
(c) Two children who were not wise.
(d) Two children who were tired.

2. What does the narrator say that large-hearted giving can leave behind?
(a) Traces of glory.
(b) Deep marks.
(c) Bitter resentments.
(d) Sorrowful regrets.

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

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

5. How long does Della take to try to make her hair look better before Jim arrives home in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) Two hours.
(b) 10 minutes.
(c) 40 minutes.
(d) 20 minutes.

Short Answer Questions

1. How is the proprietor of the hair shop described?

2. When Della lets down her hair in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi" it is said to almost create what?

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

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

5. Della considers what Jim will think of her cut hair and she imagines that if he does not kill her, he will say she looks like what in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the character of Della in "The Gift of the Magi." What does Della seek in the story?

2. When and where was "The Gift of the Magi" first published? When and where was it first published in book-form?

3. Describe the neighborhood and city where the Youngs live.

4. Describe one example of symbolism in "The Gift of the Magi." What does the symbol represent?

5. What is a "twist ending" and how does this device apply in "The Gift of the Magi"?

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

7. What is the "inciting incident" in "The Gift of the Magi" and how does it drive the story?

8. Where does the climax occur in "The Gift of the Magi"?

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

10. What is one example of Biblical reference or allusion in the story and why is it used?

(see the answer keys)

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