Question

Which of the following circumstances in The Gift of the Magi is ironic?

A Della is able to buy exactly the gift she wants for Jim by selling her long, beautiful hair.
B Jim is unhappy with the watch fob Della gives him and refuses to put it on his watch.
C Jim and Della learn that gifts don’t really matter as long as they are together.
D Della sells her hair and receives hair combs as a gift. Jim sells his watch and receives a watch fob as a gift.

Answer 1

D.
They are giving away necessities in order for the gift to function properly. No hair= nothing to comb, no watch= no use for watch fob.

Answer 2

D Della sells her hair and receives hair combs as a gift. Jim sells his watch and receives a watch fob as a gift.

Step-by-step explanation:

Irony refers to something that signifies the opposite that one intends. As a result, in "The Gift of the Magi," the irony is in the fact that neither Della nor Jim will be able to take pleasure in using each other's gifts, since Della sells her hair to buy a watch chain for her husband and Jim sells his watch to buy her hair combs.