The Gift of the Magi

​The Gift of the Magi

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​Literary Analysis: Irony and Surprise Ending

Irony is a difference or a contradiction between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what actually happens.

•In situational irony, something happens in the story that directly contradicts the expectations of a character or the reader. For example, you would expect that if Jim works hard at his job for a year, he will get a raise. If he gets a pay cut instead, the situation is ironic.

•A surprise ending often helps to create situational irony through a turn of events that

takes the reader by surprise. To make a surprise ending believable, the author builds clues

into the story that make the ending logical.

Subject | Subject

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Multiple Choice

“Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a

present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result.”

• Ironic

• Not Ironic

Multiple Choice

“Where she stopped the sign read: ‘Mme. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds.’ One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the ‘Sofronie.’”

• Ironic

• Not Ironic

Multiple Choice

“Grand as the watch was he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old

leather strap that he used in place of a chain.”

• Ironic

• Not Ironic

Multiple Choice

“They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.”

• Ironic

• Not Ironic

​Reading: Use Prior Knowledge and Experience to Make Inferences

An inference is an educated guess that you make based on details in a text. In addition to what the author tells you, you can also use your own prior knowledge and experience to make inferences.

• As you read, watch movies and plays, and observe the world every day, you gather knowledge and experience.

• When you read something new, look for ways in which the characters and situations resemble ones you have seen before.

• Then, apply that knowledge and experience to make inferences about what you are reading.

Subject | Subject

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Multiple Choice

Where and when does “The Gift of the Magi” take place?

• an American city in the present

• a small town in France around 1900

• on the U.S.-Mexican border around 1950

• an American city around 1905

Multiple Choice

What is Della’s problem in the story?

• She wants to buy Jim a gift but has very little money.

• She wants to know how to deal with Jim’s reactions.

• She wants to move to a new apartment but cannot afford it.

• She wants to return the watch fob chain she bought for Jim.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best definition of an inference?

• a harsh criticism

• an educated guess

• an accurate retelling

• a repetition

Multiple Choice

What does O. Henry mean when he says that “life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating”?

• Overall, life is sad.

• Della is a crybaby.

• People often get sick.

• Women express their emotions openly.

Multiple Choice

What inference can you draw about Della from the following passage?

“Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied.”

• She was very stingy and hated to go shopping.

• She tried to save every cent she could from her very tight budget.

• She chose her groceries carefully and enjoyed arguing with the store owners.

• She did not like to be overcharged for her groceries.

Multiple Choice

In which of the following items is situational irony best defined?

• a contrast between the two leading characters in a story

• a contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens

• a parallel between the beginning of a story and the end

• a humorous scene in an otherwise serious story

Multiple Choice

What inference about Jim can you make from details in O. Henry’s story?

• He is serious and responsible.

• He is fun-loving and carefree.

• He is proud and standoffish.

• He is shy and retiring.

Multiple Choice

When Jim first sees Della’s haircut, why does he have a “peculiar expression” on his face?

• He is angry with her for cutting her hair.

• He is confused about what makes her look different.

• He realizes that the combs he bought for her are useless.

• He thinks that she is very unattractive.

Multiple Choice

What does Jim’s reaction to Della’s gift reveal about him?

• He is hot-tempered.

• He is unappreciative.

• He is disapproving.

• He is forgiving.

Multiple Choice

How does O. Henry foreshadow the surprise ending in the story?

• He describes Della as reckless, so readers are prepared for the sale of her hair.

• Della and Jim are so deeply in love that their sacrifice is believable.

• Jim has often hinted to Della that he wants a new fob and chain for his watch.

• Della has always wanted to try a new hairstyle.