The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Quizzes

The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Quiz 1

By Darby Delaney · Edited by James Cooper · Last reviewed April 12, 2021

1 What does Della buy for Jim?

Gloves

A picture frame

A fob chain for his watch

A bottle of wine
2 The story takes place on

Christmas Eve

Valentine's Day

Jim's birthday

Memorial Day
3 According to the narrator, how are Della and Jim wise?

They have already saved enough money for next Christmas

They both know they don’t need money to be happy

Their sacrifices embody the purest form of love and gift-giving

They both know they will be able to use each other’s gifts at some point in the future
4 Why does Della regret her lack of spendable money?

She needs groceries

She wants new shampoo

She wants to give Jim a worthy Christmas present

She needs to pay an overdue rent charge
5 How does Della attempt to justify or defend her new haircut?

She reminds Jim that he fell in love with her when her hair was still short

She asserts that she is still beautiful and loveable without her long hair

She states that her love for Jim is incalculable, unlike the number of hairs on her head

Trick question—she doesn’t and instead begs for Jim’s approval
6 According to the narrator, the value of a gift is rooted in ________

Material cost and lavishness

Sacrifice and generosity

Rarity

Utilitarian purpose and practicality
7 Della considers an object valuable if it ________

Is expensive and ornamental

Is passed down from several generations

Is simple and sentimental

Makes her feel beautiful
8 In the outside world, Jim publicly goes by ________

Mr. Joe Dylan Bradley

Mr. Jonathan Shields

Mr. James Dillingham Young

Mr. Herman Bridlepath Jr.
9 How are Della and Jim like the Magi?

They are outrageously rich

They are devoted Christians

They express utmost respect toward each other

They embody the true spirit of gift-giving
10 After Della examines her haircut in the mirror, she starts to worry that ________

She picked an underwhelming and unsuitable present for Jim

She is foolish and unworthy of Jim’s love

Jim will no longer find her beautiful

Her hair will never grow reach its prior length again
11 What does Della's hair represent?

Her desire for freedom

Her emotional ties to her youth

Her vanity

External beauty and femininity
12 Why does the fob chain strike Della?

It is the fanciest item she sees in the store

It reminds her of Jim

She remembers that Jim once told her that he wanted a new chain

It reminds her of the chains wealthier businessmen wear
13 What set of adjectives best encapsulate the narrator’s tone?

Conversational and wise

Formal and objective

Snotty and judgmental

Hysterical and over-the-top
14 Della often prays ________

About simple, everyday matters

For Jim to always love her

For Jim to get a better-paying job

For a financially stable lifestyle
15 How are Della and Jim’s sacrifices ironic?

The narrator revealed the nature of the sacrifices in the beginning passages of the story, resulting in the audience knowing something Della and Jim didn’t

The sacrifices understate the amount of the love the couple expresses toward each other

They both surrender their most prized possessions, which makes their respective gifts for each unusable

Della’s mother already gifted her combs, and Jim’s father already gifted him a new chain
16 When Jim steps into the apartment, the narrator pauses to comment on ________

The destitute state of Della and Jim’s apartment

Jim’s appearance

Della's foolishness

The perils and ravages of love
17 After Jim awakes from his trance, how does he react to Della’s haircut?

He rushes out of the apartment

He shames Della for her rash and foolish decision

He reassures Della and claims that external changes will never weaken his love for her

He tells Della she looks even more beautiful with short hair
18 The allusion to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon serves all of the following purposes EXCEPT ________

It creates a comic, exaggerated contrast

It reveals the innate similarities between Della/Jim and the Queen of Sheba/King Solomon

It reveals the subjectivity of deeming something “valuable"

It shows the extent of the personal significance and symbolic value of Della’s hair and Jim’s watch
19 What is Jim’s gift for Della?

A new couch

A set of combs

A lavish overcoat

A watch
20 Which set of adjectives best characterize Della and Jim's apartment?

Small and cozy

Cheap and shabby

Meretricious and obnoxious

Disgusting and poorly maintained
21 How does Della react to Jim coming home every day?

She surprises him with a gift

She asks how much money he earned that day

She greets him with a hug

She pretends to ignore him
22 How much money does Della receive from selling her hair?

$40.00

$5.72

$20.00

$1.87
23 How does Jim react when he opens his gift?

He sighs and eventually releases a pained chuckle

He collapses onto the couch and smiles

He orders Della to leave the apartment

He thanks Della and immediately attaches the chain to his watch
24 The narrator ends the story by comparing Della and Jim to _______

Romeo and Juliet

King Solomon

The Magi

Jesus
25 How does Jim address Della?

"Dell"

"My princess"

"Sheba"

"My lady"

Essays for The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

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