Questions Answers on THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O Henry

Questions Answers and Study Guide on THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O Henry:-

Question:

What were the possessions of Dillingham youngs? How does the author show the greatness of their possession? How were they gone?

Answer:

In O Henry’s love story ‘The Gift of The Magi’ the two possessions are Dellas long beautiful hair and her husband’s gold watch.

          O Henry shows the greatness of the possessions of the youngs with comparison.

          If the rich Queen of Sheba had a look at Della’s rippling and shining hair the Queen must have grown jealous of Della’s riches. Della’s beautiful hair was enough to depreciate her majesty jewels and gifts. Similarly treasure king Solomon would have plucked at his beard from envy after having a look at Jim reading his watch. Della’s beautiful hair reached like a cascade of brown waters below her knee. It was almost a garment for her and Jims gold watch had a rich heritage and tradition. It had been his father’s and grand father’s.

          Jim and Della could not think of passing the Christmas without a gift to one another. But the two were too poor to buy a Christmas gift for one another. So he sold his gold watch to buy a set of tortoise shell combs for Della’s beautiful tresses. And she sold her beautiful tresses to buy the platinum fob chain to adorn his gold watch. That is how the possessions of the young were gone.

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O Henry Questions Answers Study Guide

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O Henry Questions Answers Study Guide:-

Question:

 “Everywhere they are wisest. They are the Magi”. Who are ‘they’? Why are they called the wisest and compared to the Magi?

Answer:

They are Jim and Della, the two characters in O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi’.

          Each of them was unable to pass the Christmas without a gift of love to the other. But each was too poor to fulfil hearts desire. Ultimately, each sacrificed each one’s best treasure to buy a gift for the other. Any material sacrifice to acquire selfless mutual love is a wise decision. So Jim and Della are called the wisest. They are compared to the Magi for offering Christmas gifts.

Question:

What was the problem Della had to face? How did she solve the problem?

Answer:

Della could save only S1.87 to buy an X-mas gift to her Jim. It was impossible. But she could not pass the X-mas without a gift to him. So she sold her lovely looks for S20 and bought a platinum fob chain for his gold wrist watch. That was how she solved her problem. She tried in vain to repair the ravages to her beautiful appearance by curling her bobbed hairs.

Question:

“A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer”—What is the question to which a mathematician or a wit would give you a wrong answer? Why would their answer be wrong?

Answer:

The question is: Who is happier between one who earns S8 a week and another earning a million a year?

          An earthly man answers that the million-earner is happier. But O. Henry says that happiness depends not on money but on mutual love. Persons like Jim and Della are happier than many millionaires. So the answers of a wit or a mathematician would be wrong.