The Gift of the Magi

I found myself with an extra class period for some of my Humanities classes last week (we just broke for Christmas break) and I thought I'd do something a little seasonal. O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi made a perfect filler session. O. Henry was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), an American author living near the end of the nineteenth century. He was famous for his short stories with surprise endings. The Gift of the Magi is among these stories. The story itself can be found here. Below I have posted the questions I gave my class to consider as we talked through the story. If you decide to use this in any way, let me know. I'd love to know what you think of the questions and the discussion they create.
Merry Christmas!

Comprehension
1. Why is Della upset about her $1.87? What does she want to do with her money?
2. How does she feel about Jim? About his watch?
3. What asset does she have with which to get his present? How does she accomplish this?
4. What does Della fear when Jim comes home?
5. What is Jim’s reaction when he sees Della?
6. How does Jim feel about Della? About her hair?
7. What has he purchased for her? How has he purchased this gift?
8. In O. Henry’s opinion, what is the gift the Magi?
Connections
1. Why did the Young’s have the very pretentious name, Dillingham, in their name?
2. Why were they considering dropping it now?
3. Are the Young’s wealthy? How can you tell?
4. Define irony. What is ironic about this story? Briefly describe some other ironic event you have read about or of which you have been a part.
Application
1. What biblical allusions does O. Henry draw from to make his story?
2. Who were the biblical Magi? What gifts did they bring?
3. What parallel does O. Henry draw between the imagery of the biblical Magi and the gifts that Della and Jim offer to each other?
4. Why do we give gifts to each other at Christmas or other times of the year?
5. How do you feel when you receive a gift?
6. How do you feel when you give a gift?
7. What is the most a gift has ever cost you personally?