Asked by: Lilliam Lileev
books and literature fiction

What does Dillingham mean in The Gift of the Magi?

35
Expert Answers info
The card on the mailbox associated with the flat of the couple in "The Gift of the Magi" is inscribed "James Dillingham Young." The young couple probably had the card made up right after they were married.


Thereof, what is the purpose of the name Dillingham in The Gift of the Magi?

What is the purpose of paragraph 5's discussion of the name “Dillingham”? It acts as a symbol of their decreasing wealth. It shows that they do not like their last name. It shows that last names are not important.

Likewise, what really is the gift Both Della and Jim give each other? Jim gives Della her present – a set of combs, useless now that her hair is shortened. Della then shows Jim the chain she bought for him, to which Jim says he sold his watch to get the money to buy her ornamental combs.

Keeping this in view, what is the characterization of the Gift of the Magi?

One example of indirect characterization in “The Gift of the Magi” is when Della is looking at her hair and the narrator states “her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds.” The reader could infer from this that she is very fond of her hair and wants to keep it, but

How is the ending of the Gift of the Magi ironic?

The irony of the ending of "The Gift of the Magi" is the fact that both Della and Jim unselfishly sacrificed their most prized possessions in order to purchase gifts that the other would be thrilled about receiving, but each of them sacrificed the very thing for which the other bought the gift.

Related Question Answers

Azhar Kochwagner

Professional

What does the Gift of Magi teach us about love?

"The Gift of the Magi" teaches the meaning of true love: Della and Jim love each other more than they love themselves, for they are willing to sacrifice the object of which they are proudest--her hair and his watch--in order to buy something which they hope will please the other.

Eudocia Shin

Professional

What does Dillingham mean?

Dillingham Name Meaning. English: habitational name, probably from Dullingham in Cambridgeshire, named in Old English as 'homestead (Old English ham) of the people (-inga-) of Dull(a)' (an unattested personal name).

Valdecir Rogerio

Professional

What is the purpose of paragraph 5 in The Gift of the Magi?

Paragraph five of "The Gift of the Magi" evokes the connotation between long names and the upper echelons of society. That is, royalty, professionals, and those belonging to the "upper classes" typically identify with their full names.

Sienna Gala

Explainer

What does Magi mean in the Bible?

The biblical Magi (/ˈme?d?a?/ or /ˈmæd?a?/; singular: magus), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, were – in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition – distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Ayshe Martinez Pardo

Explainer

What is the meaning of family in the gift of the Magi?

In The Gift Of The Magi, the watch symbolizes heritage, character, and love. It is an heirloom watch, passed down to succeeding generations, bound by the ties of family and love. Character: In the story, Della compares her husband's honorable and dependable character to the priceless, elegant watch.

Donelia Jay

Explainer

How are Jim and Della similar to the Magi?

Jim and Della are considered the Magi because they gave each other the ultimate gift. Della sold her most prized possession--her hair--to buy Jim a platinum chain for his watch. Jim and Della are considered the Magi because they sacrificed their most prized possessions one for the other.

Leonardo Zaranclona

Pundit

What does the term pier glass mean as it is used in paragraph 7?

A pier glass, otherwise known as a trumeau mirror is used in decorating a room. You may often find it being in the same shape as the rooms windows. Pier glass can also be described as a mirror which is placed on a rooms pier. The pier being a wall between two windows that is supporting an upper structure.

Yosyp Pampiona

Pundit

What happened to Jim's weekly salary in the gift of the Magi?

The Gift of the Magi. Jim and Della are a husband and wife living in a rented room in New York. They are quite poor and recently Jim has had his salary cut back to only $20 a week from the $30 a week he used to make. After rent and groceries, the couple hardly have any money left.

Emerida Feigl

Pundit

What is the conflict of the Gift of Magi?

In "The Gift of the Magi," the main conflict is that Della does not have enough money saved to buy the gift she thinks Jim deserves.

Billye Tenholter

Pundit

What is the point of view of the Gift of Magi?

The term 'point of view' describes the perspective from which the story is told. In "Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, the point of view is third person omniscient; the narrator, like a comfortable, old storyteller, explains and describes the fictional account of Della and Jim at Christmas time.

Adella Korbmacher

Pundit

What is the falling action in the Gift of Magi?

The climax of the story occurs when Della decides to sacrifice her beautiful hair for $20 to buy Jim's gift: a gold chain for his watch. The falling action of the story occurs when Jim comes home and the couple (The entire section contains 3 answers and 564 words.)

Nosheen Cadena

Teacher

Who are the two main characters in The Gift of Magi?

The two main characters in "The Gift of the Magi" are Jim and Della Young, a young married couple without much money. Ironically, Della sells her hair to buy a watch chain for Jim's watch, and Jim sells his watch to buy a beautiful comb and brush set for Della's hair.

Christoper Dionisio

Teacher

What is the setting in The Gift of Magi?

The story takes place in New York during the Christmas holiday season. Della and Jim, the couple who are the main characters in the short story, live in a tiny but well-kept apartment. It is sparsely furnished due to the couple's meager income.

Delcho Zambrano

Teacher

What does della buy for Jim?

Della gave up her prized possession, her long hair, to buy a fob chain for Jim's watch. Jim gave up his prized possession, his gold watch, to buy combs for Della's hair.

Kattie Aronstam

Teacher

Why is Della unhappy when the story begins?

Della is unhappy because she doesn't have enough money to buy her husband a good present, and she continues to be unhappy because she is ashamed of the way she looks in the mirror after she has had all her hair cut off.

Daouia Seletti

Reviewer

Who is the protagonist in The Gift of Magi?

Della

Nahla Lalwani

Reviewer

What are the two valuable possessions of Jim and Della?

Jim's most valued possession was his watch, and Della's was her hair. Jim and Della were a young couple who loved each other very much, but were not wealthy. What they did have they valued highly. Jim placed great importance on a gold watch that had been passed down through the family for generations.

Truman Andreescu

Reviewer

How has Della saved money for Jim's gift?

Henry says that Della has been trying to save money for Jim's Christmas present by haggling with the merchants she traded with: ONE DOLLAR AND eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.

Kawthar Purujit

Reviewer

Why did della feel sad on losing her hair?

Ans: Della felt sad on losing her hair because it was the most beautiful part of her person (body). It was long, brown, thick and silky that everyone liked. But more than anyone, Jim liked it most. Della feared that without it he may not like her so much.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

11

24th January, 2020

35

96% of readers found this page helpful.

4.9/5

Click a star to add your vote

Similar Asks
Trending