Question

select the correct answer.

read the excerpt from the passage.

(7) suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its colour within twenty seconds. rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

what does the author mean when he writes that dellas \face had lost its colour\?

dellas hair is her only element of beauty.
della has realized what she must give up for jim.
dellas complexion is fair and exquisite.
della has become sick with worry about jims gift.

Explanation:

Analyze the context of the excerpt

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," Della decides to sell her most prized possession—her beautiful long hair—to buy a Christmas gift for her husband, Jim. The sudden realization of this sacrifice causes her face to lose its color (turn pale) from the emotional weight of the decision.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1 suggests her hair is her only beauty, which is incorrect.
• Option 2 correctly identifies that she has realized the immense sacrifice she must make (selling her hair) for Jim's gift.
• Option 3 refers literally to her skin tone, missing the symbolic and emotional meaning.
• Option 4 is incorrect because she is not sick with worry about his gift, but rather reacting to the sudden realization of selling her hair.

Answer:

• Della's hair is her only element of beauty.
• Della has realized what she must give up for Jim. (Correct answer)
• Della's complexion is fair and exquisite.
• Della has become sick with worry about Jim's gift.