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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. 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"?

2. How much was Jim being paid weekly when he and Della moved into their current apartment?

3. To what is Della's hair compared when she lets it down in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi"?

4. How does the narrator describe Jim and Della in the end of "The Gift of the Magi"?

5. On whose point of view is the narrative focused in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the character of Jim Young in "The Gift of the Magi." What motivates Jim 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. What is Jim's most prized possession and how is it described?

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

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

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

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

10. How does the historical context of "The Gift of the Magi" influence the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the plot structure of "The Gift of the Magi." What is the inciting incident of the story? Where does the climax occur? What information is revealed in the falling action and denouement of the plot?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the use of symbolism in "The Gift of the Magi." What are three symbols in the story? What does each symbol represent? How important is symbolism to this narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss examples of foreshadowing and red herrings in "The Gift of the Magi." How are foreshadowing and red herrings defined? Which apply in the story? What are the results of their use in the narrative?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 843 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample