“The Gift of the Magi” Assessment
1.
It is repeated several times that Della only has $1.87 to spend on a Christmas present for her husband.
Repeating $1.87 illustrates which of the following aspects of the setting?
a. She lives in poverty .
b. She doesn’t have a job.
c. She wants to move to a new city.
d. She has just moved into a new flat.
2. “There was nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl.” This quotation shows Della’s
sense of __________.
a. responsibility
b. anger
c. grief
d. helplessness
3. “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?
A. nothing
b. flop
c. shabby
d. howl
4. “Life is made up of sobs, sniffles and smiles …” is an example of ____.
A. simile
b. personification
c. alliteration
d. onomatopoeia
5. Jim’s full name is “Mr. James Dillingham Young.” “The letters of ‘Dillingham’ looked blurred, as though
they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D.” This quote is an example of ____.
A. simile
b. personification
c. alliteration
d. onomatopoeia
6. “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.
A. colorful
b. holiday
c. dreary
d. boring
7. Jim’s gold watch, his finest possession, is a family heirloom and is symbolic of _________________.
A. love for his wife b. compassion
c. pride in his family
d. friendship
8. 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.
A. long
b. magnificent
c. shiny
d. blond
9. O. Henry also includes a biblical reference concerning Jim’s watch. Jim’s gold watch is so exquisite even
King Solomon would “pluck at his beard in envy.” The references is an example of which literary device?
A. simile
b. hyperbole
c. allusion
d. irony
10. 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 ______.
A. simile
b. personification
c. alliteration
d. onomatopoeia
11. After Della opens her present, she gives Jim the watch chain and wants him to put his watch on it right
away. Instead he sits down on the couch and smiles. He then tells her he sold his watch to buy her present. O.
Henry describes his story as “the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children who most unwisely sacrificed for
each other [their] greatest treasures.” Then he states, “Of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.” This
apparent contradiction reflects the Magi, the Wise Men, who brought gifts of great _______ to the Baby Jesus.
A. value
b. appeal
c. wisdom
d. usefulness
12. Which of the following events from the story best supports the theme of sacrifice?
a. “Cut it off and sold it?”
b. “Jim drew a package from his overcoat and threw it upon the table.”
c. “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.”
d. ““Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks.”
13. “Dell,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep ‘me a while. They’re way too nice to use
just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs, and now suppose you put the chops on,”
Which of the following themes does the quote support?
a. friendship and understanding.
b. pride and love
c. sacrifice and love
d. compassion and poverty
14. The theme of this story is that Jim and Della’s love for each other is much more valuable than any material
gift. Which of the following quotes from the story best support this theme?
a. “For the other was Della’s hair. Had the Queen of Sheba lived i=n the flat across the airshaft, Della
would have let her hair hang out the window someday to dry.”
b. “I buy hair,” said Madame. “Take your hat off and let’s have a sight at the looks of it.”
c. 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.”
d. “Don’t make any mistake Dell,” he said, “about me. I don’t think there’s anything in the way of a
haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you unwrap that
package you may see why you had me going a while at first.