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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Read the story.Anna asked her mother if she could drive the car to the store herself.Anna’s mom said, "Sure, ten-year-olds drive themselves to the store all the time!”

A
dramatic irony
B
situational irony
C
verbal irony
D
historical irony
3

At the end of "The Gift of the Magi," Jim says that he and Della should forget their gifts for a while and eat supper. This suggests the theme

A
"Love is understanding."
B
"Love is romantic."
C
"Love is easily lost."
D
"Love is being together."
4

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
5

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.
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

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
8

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
9

In "The Gift of the Magi," when Jim buys combs for Della, the irony is that

A
Della had bought Jim a more expensive gift.
B
Della’s hair held more jewels than a queen.
C
Della had cut off her hair to buy Jim’s gift.
D
Della’s hair is too long and thick for combs.
10

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.

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