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

2. To what is Della's hair compared when she lets it down in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) A peacock's feathers.
(b) A falling stream.
(c) A sea of jellyfish.
(d) A snowy lake.

3. What color is Della's hair?
(a) Blonde.
(b) Red.
(c) Brown.
(d) Black.

4. What did the magi bring to the baby Jesus in the Bible?
(a) Gold, hair tresses, and combs.
(b) Gold, frankinscense, and myrrh.
(c) A sheep, a llama, and a rabbit.
(d) Branches, coal, and a manger.

5. 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 least wise.
(c) The most exposed.
(d) The most wise.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. How is the electric bell at Jim and Della's apartment described?

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

4. How is the design of the watch chain described?

5. What Biblical king and queen are referenced in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. In what tense and from what narrative perspective is "The Gift of the Magi" related?

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

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

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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