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

2. The narrator says in the end of "The Gift of the Magi" that these two (Jim and Della) were what, among all who give gifts?
(a) The most narrow-minded.
(b) The most exposed.
(c) The least wise.
(d) The most wise.

3. What is the watch chain made of that Della buys for Jim?
(a) Silver.
(b) Copper.
(c) Jewels.
(d) Gold.

4. What literary term applies to a device wherein the author steps away from the narrative to speak directly to the reader?
(a) Omniscient intrusion.
(b) Authorial intrusion.
(c) Extrication.
(d) Literary allusion.

5. How much was Jim being paid weekly when he and Della moved into their current apartment?
(a) $40 per week.
(b) $8 per week.
(c) $30 per week.
(d) $20 per week.

Short Answer Questions

1. When was "The Gift of the Magi" first published?

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

3. How is Della's physical stature described by the narrator?

4. What aspect of the plot structure in "The Gift of the Magi" is one for which O. Henry was famous?

5. What did Jim sell to buy Della's gift?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author use symbolism to develop the theme of wealth and poverty in "The Gift of the Magi"?

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

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

4. What does "allegory" mean and how does this term apply to "The Gift of the Magi"?

5. How has "The Gift of the Magi" been critically received since its publication?

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

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

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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