In about one hundred words, explain direct characterization and give an example of it for Della in "The Gift of the Magi."
Answers
Answer:
The narrator, although omniscient, tells most of the story from Della’s perspective. She’s described as young, affectionate, selfless, and somewhat hysterical, requiring Jim to comfort her when she’s upset. She cares deeply for Jim, and the story revolves around her predicament of procuring a worthy Christmas present for him when she’s only saved $1.87 throughout the year. Her most prized possession at the beginning of the story is her hair, which falls below her knee, but in her selflessness, she sells this in order to buy a proper watch chain for Jim.
Answer:
The answer to this question is down below. Hope it helps!
Explanation:
In this story, direct characterization is used to describe Della. In the story, it says, “So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.” In this sentence from the story, I can tell you that the narrator is telling you that Della has beautiful brown hair. The narrator of this story is in the third-person omniscient point of view. This meaning, the narrator is all-knowing. The narrator knows all about the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and actions. In the story, it states, “There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.” We know that Della loves James so much so that she sold her most prized possession to get him a Christmas gift. We also know that James loves Della so much that he too would sell his most prized possession to buy her a Christmas gift. What I have cited above from the story helps me understand the direct characterization in this story.
The paragraph above is 190 words.
I hope this helps!