Question

read the excerpt from \the gift of the magi.\
\isnt it a dandy, jim? i hunted all over town to find it. youll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. give me your watch. i want to see how it looks on it.\
instead of obeying, jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.
\dell,\ said he, \lets put our christmas presents away and keep em a while. theyre too nice to use just at present. i sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. and now suppose you put the chops on.\
which best describes the use of irony in this excerpt?
○ the excerpt is an example of verbal irony, as jim tells della to put the presents away.
○ the excerpt is an example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows something that jim does not.
○ the excerpt is an example of situational irony, as jim has sold the watch for which della bought a chain.
○ the excerpt is an example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows something that neither one of the couple knows.

Explanation:

Situational irony occurs when actions have an opposite effect of what was intended. Here, Della bought a chain for Jim's watch, but Jim sold his watch to buy combs for Della—their gifts are rendered useless by each other's unforeseen actions, which fits situational irony. The other options are incorrect: there is no verbal irony (Jim does not say the opposite of his meaning), and dramatic irony requires the audience to know something the characters do not, which is not the case here.

Answer:

The excerpt is an example of situational irony, as Jim has sold the watch for which Della bought a chain.