BULLETIN: 'The Gift of the Magi' Paedeia Discussion Questions

Literary Paedeia Discussion: The Gift of the Magi
Pre-AP English I

Task: Using only their knowledge of literary elements, and the story The Gift of the Magi students will assemble in a circle and discuss the following discussion questions. During the discussion, students are expected to respond aloud to all each question and write individual responses on a sheet of paper. DO NOT WRITE RESPONSES ON THIS SHEET OF PAPER. (NOTE: a considerable point deduction will take place if this occurs.) Also, each response (objective or subjective) must be supported with textual information. Page numbers are required. Any response presented without a page number will be disregarded. During the discussion, the instructor will moderate, observe, and chime in occasionally.

Objective: Students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge of literary elements, and their ability to produce objective (factual or provable) responses and subjective (opinionated) responses. They will also be evaluated on their ability to make inferences and identify the main idea of specific passages, as well as their ability to participate in a group discussion.

Standards: ESL 1, 2, 3

Materials: Discussion questions, textbook copy of The Gift of the Magi, notebook paper, and pen/pencil.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Present an overall definition of irony and then discuss various examples of it, both literary and non-literary based. Explain why the outcome of the story is ironic.

2. Who were the Biblical Magi? How are Jim and Della like the Magi? Explain. To make the comparison, use knowledge of the Biblical Magi and compare it to the characters Jim and Della.

3. Are Jim and Della’s actions truly altruistic, or is their behavior indicative of a personal agenda? Subjective responses, as well as objective responses must be supported with text based information.

4. Theme is often defined as the moral lesson that is presented within the plot of the story. It can often have an inspirational or educational value that transcends the page. What is the overall theme of this story? What lesson, if any is taught?

5. In the last paragraph of the story, O. Henry says that Della and Jim “unwisely sacrificed,” but later, he says that “such as they are the wisest.” How can Jim and Della be both wise and unwise? Explain in detail.

6. In this story, O. Henry often exaggerates his descriptions. For instance, on page _____, the narrator says that Della repaired “the ravages made by generosity added to love…-a mammoth task.” Check the meaning of the words ravages and mammoth in the dictionary. How do the words ravages and mammoth exaggerate the description? What emotional effect do exaggerations such as these have on you as you read the story?

7. Point of view is always an important element in prose fiction. What role does point of view play in this story? Could a different point of view have affected the way in which the reader understood the plot? Discuss specific possible alternatives.

8. Through intelligent subjective reasoning, make specific inferences regarding the characters in the story. Discuss their motivations, intentions, and possible faults. Be specific…support with text based information.

9. O. Henry’s use of symbolism is pervasive. Present an overall definition of symbolism/symbol and then provide literary and non-literary based examples. Discuss O. Henry’s use of symbolism throughout this story. How does symbolism affect the plot of the story? What are the symbols, but more importantly, what do they represent? Objective and subjective responses must be supported by textually based information.

10. Main idea is defined as the author’s reason or purpose for writing the literary work. What is O. Henry’s reason or purpose for writing The Gift of the Magi? You MUST be able to answer this question. This question will produce both objective and subjective responses, so more importantly; you must be able to SUPPORT it with textually based information. You must be able to pull specific passages from the story (with page numbers) to offer as evidence. This is a highly important question…mastery is essential to productive scholarship in this course.


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