Question

Read the following excerpt from “The Gift of the Magi” and answer the question.

"For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim! And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!" Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit."Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled."Della," 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."

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi."

What is the purpose of the author’s description of the beauty of the combs?

The author wants the reader to understand Jim’s disappointment in Della.
The author is emphasizing the sense of loss that Della must feel when she realizes she can’t use them.
The author is contrasting Della's poverty with her extravagant tastes.
This description is included as a part of the setting of the story.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Discussion

The author is emphasizing the sense of loss that Della must feel when she realizes she can’t use them.

The irony of the Gift of the Magi is that each of the main characters, out their love for the other, have sacrificed what they valued most to give something that the other person wanted.

The combs were beautiful. Della had good taste in wanting them. She never imagined that Jim would sacrifice his watch to get them for her. She probably had never asked for anything in all the time they had been married.

Of course the combs were detailed. We had to know how much they meant to her and why.