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

2. How is the letter-box described as Della and Jim's apartment building?
(a) Unable to open due to a broken door.
(b) Permanently locked.
(c) Rusted completely shut.
(d) Too small to hold a letter.

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

4. 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 flash-forwards.
(c) The flashbacks.
(d) The nonlinear narrative.

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 queen's jewels and gifts.
(b) A flower in the meadow.
(c) A field of fresh-fallen snow.
(d) A mountain looking over a lake.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What are the "magi" from the Bible also referred to as?

3. What has Jim bought Della for Christmas?

4. The gifts that Della and Jim are revealed to have bought for one another are an example of what literary device?

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

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. Describe the neighborhood and city where the Youngs live.

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

5. Describe the setting of the Youngs' apartment.

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

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

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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