The Gift of the Magi

At the beginning of the story, what is Della upset about?

Della's hair and Jim's watch have always been a source of:

Jim reacts strangely to the news of Della's hair being sold because

At the end of the story, Jim puts his present from Della away because

2. “There was nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl.” This quotation shows Della’s sense of __________.

“There was nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl.” Which word in this quoted sentence indicates the couple’s poverty?

“Life is made up of sobs, sniffles and smiles …” is an example of ____.

When O. Henry describes the entrance to the apartment building, his depiction of the foyer further points out the couple’s destitution. “In the vestibule below was a letter box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring.” The “electric button” is the doorbell that does not ring because ________.

“Della finished her cry … and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard.” The repetition of the word “gray” reinforces the _________ mood.

Jim’s gold watch, his finest possession, is a family heirloom, inherited from his _______.

Della’s finest possession is her hair. “Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window … just to depreciate Her Majesty’s jewels and gifts.” This biblical reference alludes to a famous ancient Arabian monarch known for her wealth and beauty. The purpose of this comparison is to show how _____ Della’s hair is.

O. Henry also includes a biblical reference concerning Jim’s watch. Jim’s gold watch is so exquisite even King _______ would “pluck at his beard in envy.”

Della looks into the “pier glass between the windows of the room. … [her] beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.” This quotation contains an example of ______.

Della decides to go to Madame Sofronie, the owner of a hair and wig shop. Della sells her hair for _____.

After getting the money from selling her hair, Della looks for two hours to find the perfect Christmas gift for Jim, “a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone, and not by meretricious ornamentation.” The fob reminds Della of both Jim and his watch; the chain possesses “quietness and value;” its appeal and worth are proclaimed in its ________ and unadorned design.