4.6 The Gift of the Magi
Complete textbook exercise solutions based on the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati).
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Reference Note: The solutions provided below are based directly on the textbook chapter "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, as provided in the reference file Std-10_Eng-191-202[1].pdf.
English Workshop
- (a) Della had saved one dollar and eighty-seven cents.
- (b) Della wanted to buy a Christmas present for Jim.
- (c) Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.
(a) How much did Della save for Christmas? What does it show?
Della saved exactly one dollar and eighty-seven cents ($1.87). It shows that she and Jim were very poor, and she had to save the money painstakingly over months by bargaining hard ("bulldozing") with the grocer, vegetable man, and butcher.
(b) Why did Della take pride in the beauty of her hair?
Della took pride in her hair because it was extremely beautiful, long, and rippled like a cascade of brown waters, reaching below her knee. It was her most prized possession, so magnificent that even the Queen of Sheba would have been envious of it.
(c) Why and how did Della sell her hair? Do you think she did well?
Della sold her hair because she desperately needed money to buy a worthy Christmas present for Jim. She went to a shop named "Mme. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds" and sold it for twenty dollars. In my opinion, she did well because her action was driven by deep, selfless love for her husband.
(d) Why did Jim sell his gold watch? Do you think he did well?
Jim sold his prized gold watch, which had been passed down from his grandfather and father, to buy the beautiful tortoise-shell combs that Della had longed for. In my opinion, he did well because he chose his love for Della over a material possession.
(e) Why did Jim and Della want to present the gifts?
They wanted to present gifts to each other out of their immense love and devotion. They wanted to celebrate Christmas by giving something fine, rare, and worthy of the deep honor and affection they held for one another.
(f) Why did Della feel sad on losing her hair?
Della felt sad because she lost her most prized possession, and she was terrified that Jim might not find her pretty anymore without her beautiful long hair.
(g) What did Jim bring out from his coat? Describe the scene.
Jim brought out a package and threw it upon the table. When Della unwrapped it, she let out an ecstatic scream of joy, which quickly turned into hysterical tears and wails. The package contained a set of beautiful, expensive tortoise-shell combs with jeweled rims that Della had yearned for but now could not use because her hair was gone.
(h) How beautiful was the gold watch chain? Would you have liked to own it?
The chain was a platinum fob chain, simple and chaste in design. It proudly proclaimed its true value by substance alone, without any flashy ornamentation. Yes, I would have liked to own something so elegantly and quietly valuable.
(i) How did the Magi want to celebrate their Christmas (OR) Who were the first people to give Christmas gifts?
The Magi were the wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe (Jesus) in the manger. They were the first people to give Christmas gifts, inventing the art of giving Christmas presents.
(j) What is the moral of the story?
The moral of the story is that the greatest and most valuable gift of all is unconditional, selfless love and sacrifice. Material gifts lose their value, but the thought, sacrifice, and affection behind them are what truly matter.
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- Problem: Della doesn't have enough money to buy Jim a present for Christmas.
- Problem: Jim doesn't have enough money to buy a Christmas gift for Della.
- 1. Her solution: She sells her beautiful long hair for $20 to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch.
- 2. His solution: He sells his prized gold watch to buy a set of beautiful tortoise-shell combs for Della's hair.
- 3. Their new problem: The expensive gifts they bought for each other are now entirely useless because Della has no long hair for the combs, and Jim has no watch for the chain.
- 4. Their new solution: They decide to put their Christmas presents away and keep them for a while, realizing that their mutual love and sacrifice is the ultimate gift.
(A) Say WHAT
- (a) troubled Della on Christmas Eve? — She had only $1.87 to buy Jim a present.
- (b) was the current family income? — $20 per week.
- (c) could have outshone Queen of Sheba's jewels? — Della's beautiful, long hair.
- (d) was the cost of the fob chain? — Twenty-one dollars.
- (e) sent Jim into a trance, on his return? — Seeing that Della had cut off her beautiful hair.
(B) Say WHY
- (a) did Della sell her lovely long hair? — To get enough money to buy a worthy Christmas present for Jim.
- (b) was Della a bit apprehensive after she had sold her hair? — She was afraid that Jim wouldn't think she was pretty anymore.
- (c) did Jim avoid checking the time in his gold watch, in a public place? — Because he used an old, shabby leather strap in place of a proper chain.
- (d) did Della's scream of joy change to loud wails? — Because she realized she had cut off the very hair that the beautiful combs were meant to adorn.
- (e) in the end, did Jim ask Della to put the chops on? — Because their presents were too nice to use at present, and they needed to eat dinner and celebrate their love.
(C) Say WHEN
- (a) had Jim added 'Dillingham' as his middle name? — During a former period of prosperity when he was being paid $30 per week.
- (b) did a tear or two drop on the old red carpet? — When Della faltered for a minute before making the decision to cut her hair.
- (c) did Della go through goods in the stores? — When she was excitedly ransacking the stores looking for Jim's present.
- (d) did Della say a silent prayer to God? — Just before Jim opened the door, she prayed he would still think she was pretty.
- (e) did Jim try to divert their attention for ten seconds, at least? — When Jim woke out of his trance after realizing what Della had done, to give them a moment to process the shock.
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | |
|---|---|
| What Della plans: She plans to sell her prized hair to buy a beautiful platinum chain to upgrade Jim's cherished gold watch. | What actually happens: Jim has already sold his prized gold watch to buy combs for her hair. Her gift for him becomes completely useless. |
| What Jim plans: He plans to sell his prized gold watch to buy a set of beautiful tortoise-shell combs to adorn Della's long hair. | What actually happens: Della has already sold her hair to buy a chain for his watch. His gift for her becomes completely useless. |
Word List: agile, cascade, instigate, prudence, inconsequential, coveted, assertion, chronicle, predominating, subside, gobbling
- 1. A small waterfall — [C] A S C A D E
- 2. You wished greedily for something — C [O] V E T E D
- 3. This describes something important — P R E D O [M] I N A T I N G
- 4. You hope a loud siren will do this — S U [B] S I D E
- 5. Troublemakers do this — I N [S] T I G A T E
The boxed letters spell out what Della receives: COMBS.
- Opening Exposition: Della has only $1.87 and is crying because tomorrow is Christmas.
- Conflict: Both Della and Jim are too poor to buy Christmas presents for each other.
- Inciting Moment: Della looks in the mirror and realizes her hair is valuable.
- Rising Action: Della sells her hair for $20, buys the platinum fob chain for Jim, and goes home to nervously curl her remaining short hair.
- Climax (Top of the peak): Jim arrives home, stares at Della in a trance, and gives her the combs. Della gives Jim the chain, and Jim reveals he sold his watch.
- Falling Action: They realize their material gifts are useless for now.
- Resolution: Jim suggests they put the gifts away and have dinner. The narrator concludes they are the wisest gift-givers (the Magi).
| (1) reluctance to spend money | parsimony (N) |
| (2) relating to | appertaining (V) |
| (3) urge | coax (V) |
| (4) reduce in value | depreciate (V) |
| (5) wisdom | prudence (N) |
| (6) very huge | mammoth (Adj) |
| (7) foolishness | idiocy (N) |
These are open-ended thought questions. Model answers are provided below for reference.
(a) What would you do if you ran short of money, to buy a birthday gift for one of your parents/siblings?
If I ran short of money, I would create a handmade, personalized gift like a heartfelt letter, a scrapbook of our memories, or bake a cake at home. True gifts come from the heart, not the wallet.
(b) Think of two alternatives that could have prevented Della and Jim from selling their most precious possessions.
1. They could have communicated openly about their financial struggles and agreed to skip buying expensive gifts for that year. 2. They could have opted to craft handmade gifts or spend quality time together as their gift to each other.
(c) Justify the title of the story, 'The Gift of the Magi'.
The original Magi were the wise men who brought the first Christmas gifts to baby Jesus. Jim and Della, though foolishly sacrificing their greatest physical treasures, gave each other the ultimate gifts of unconditional love and sacrifice. Therefore, O. Henry calls them the true "Magi" of modern times.
(d) Gifts that you buy have fixed prices/rates. How can the buyer increase the value of a gift bought for someone very dear in the family?
A buyer can increase a gift's value by personalizing it, wrapping it beautifully, pairing it with a handwritten emotional note, or giving something that exactly matches the receiver's long-standing desires or needs, demonstrating deep observation and love.
(e) What situation is the climax of the story? How does it end up as an anticlimax?
The climax is the tense moment when Jim arrives home, stares blankly at Della's short hair, and they exchange their meticulously planned gifts. It ends as an anticlimax because the highly anticipated gifts turn out to be completely useless for both of them in their current physical state.
(f) If you share this story with some friends in a junior class, how would they react in the end?
They would likely find the ending both funny and a bit sad. They might laugh at the irony that both gifts were useless, but they would also feel touched by how much the husband and wife loved each other.
(g) Who were the very first people to give Christmas gifts? What had inspired them to do so?
The very first people to give Christmas gifts were the Biblical Magi (the wise men or kings). They were inspired by the birth of Jesus (the Babe in the manger) and wanted to honor him with valuable gifts like gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
(h) At the end of the story, O Henry remarks that of all who give gifts, Della and Jim were the wisest. Think and explain this paradoxical remark.
It is paradoxical because logically, they acted foolishly by selling their most prized possessions for items they couldn't use. However, they were the wisest emotionally because they understood that material things are temporary, but the willingness to sacrifice everything for the person you love is the truest expression of the Christmas spirit.
- (a) Della was not too happy about bargaining for grocery etc.
"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." - (b) The flat was in a dilapidated condition.
"A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the look out for the mendicancy squad." - (c) King Solomon would express his jealousy of Jim.
"Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy." - (d) Della spent a joyful time, for two hours.
"Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings." - (e) Della's elated mood underwent a change as she opened her gift.
"And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat." - (f) The weekly income amount does not matter.
"Eight dollars a week or a million a year what is the difference?" - (g) Let us set aside our gifts and get ready for dinner.
"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."
- (1) Life is made up of sobs, sniffles and smiles.
What is life made up of? - (2) Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him.
What had she spent many a happy hour doing? - (3) Her hair reached below her knee.
Where did her hair reach? - (4) She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.
Why was she ransacking the stores? (or) What was she ransacking the stores for? - (5) At 7 o'clock the coffee was made.
When was the coffee made? - (6) The magi were wise men.
Who were the magi?
- (1) Della leaped up, didn't she?
- (2) You'll have to look at the time, won't you?
- (3) They were expensive combs, weren't they?
- (4) I just had to do it, didn't I?
- (5) I am still pretty, aren't I?
- (6) Give it to me quick, will you?
- (7) There was clearly nothing to do, was there?
- (8) My hair grows so fast, doesn't it?
- (9) Let's put our Christmas presents away, shall we?
- (10) She had a habit of saying a silent prayer, didn't she?
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| (1) Don't you like me? | Yes, I do. |
| (2) Have you cut off your hair? | Yes, I have. |
| (3) Shall I put the chops on? | Yes, you shall. |
| (4) Isn't it a dandy? | Yes, it is. |
| (5) Does it make difference? | No, it doesn't. |
| (6) Will you buy my hair? | No, I won't. |
| (7) Can you afford it? | No, I can't. |
| (8) Are you fooling me? | No, I am not. |
- (1) I want to see how it looks.
to see — Infinitive - (2) I don't like frightening stories.
frightening — Participle (Present participle functioning as an adjective) - (3) We decided to settle in Pune.
to settle — Infinitive - (4) Playing sitar is Arjun's hobby.
Playing — Gerund - (5) It was a horrifying experience for all of us.
horrifying — Participle