AnswersIDEAL ENGLISH 9 SUMMER 2026 SabatiniCharacterization, Theme, and Irony in "The Gift of the Magi"

Characterization, Theme, and Irony in "The Gift of the Magi" Answers

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Read the excerpt from "The Gift of the Magi."Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.

A
indirectly, through his lack of action.
B
directly, through his physical appearance.
C
directly, through his personality that is concerned with change.
D
indirectly, through his lack of feelings for Della.
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practices religionenjoys fancy mealsfollows daily routinesenjoys living in the city

A
practices religion
B
enjoys fancy meals
C
follows daily routines
D
enjoys living in the city
3

Read the story.Sam was home one night when the lights went out during a thunderstorm. He was looking in the kitchen closet for a flashlight to help him see, but it was hard to find the flashlight in the dark without using a flashlight! His circumstances struck Sam as pretty funny.

A
verbal irony
B
dramatic irony
C
situational irony
D
historical irony
4

Read this character description from "The Gift of the Magi."Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present.

A
She is upset about her options.
B
She is concerned about the stray cat.
C
She enjoys decorating for the holidays.
D
She does not like being married.
5

moral judgment of a charactergeneral subject matterobservation about lifepoint of view on a difficult topic

A
moral judgment of a character
B
general subject matter
C
observation about life
D
point of view on a difficult topic
6

In "The Gift of the Magi," O. Henry most likely uses the irony of the couple’s gifts to express the theme that

A
expensive gifts are sometimes a mistake.
B
love and sacrifice for others is the highest virtue.
C
material goods usually increase in value over time.
D
it is best to retain one’s most prized possessions.
7

What inferences about Della can be made based on this excerpt? Select three options.

A
Della does not have much money to spend on Jim’s gift.
B
Della wants to buy Jim a watch chain for his watch.
C
Della loves her husband, Jim, very much.
D
Della wants to buy Jim a really nice gift.
E
Della will need to sell her hair to buy Jim a nice gift.
8

Read this sentence about Della from "The Gift of the Magi."Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

A
Sacrifice is more important than true love.
B
Sacrifice for a loved one is not always easy.
C
Sacrifice is part of a life lived to the very fullest.
D
Sacrifice for a loved one does not always pay off.
9

beauty disappearslove is a distractionbeauty is a priceless treasurelove outweighs physical attraction

A
beauty disappears
B
love is a distraction
C
beauty is a priceless treasure
D
love outweighs physical attraction
10

Read the excerpt from "The Gift of the Magi.""Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled."Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're 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."

A
The excerpt is an example of verbal irony, as Jim tells Della to put the presents away.
B
The excerpt is an example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows something that Jim does not.
C
The excerpt is an example of situational irony, as Jim has sold the watch for which Della bought a chain.
D
The excerpt is an example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows something that neither one of the couple knows.

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