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Vocabulary
"Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird"
"The Gift of the Magi"
Literary Elements
Quotation Analysis
100
Code of etiquette.
What is formality.
100
Name one technique that is characteristic of Bambara's writing style.
What is imagery/symbolism/dialect.
100
When does the story take place and why is the setting important?
What is It takes place on Christmas Eve, which means that Della is running out of time to find a gift for Jim.
100
What is the irony of the gifts given by Jim and Della?
What is Each has sold what the gift requires.
100
"So here comes... this person... with a camera... takin pictures of the man in his misery about the jump... This person takin up the whole roll of film practically."
What is Demonstrates Granny's belief in a person's right to privacy and feeling how they want to feel. Helps to characterize Granny as a private individual.
200
To persuade gradually.
What is coax.
200
How is Grandaddy Cain described?
What is tall, dignified, and intimidating (because of his stature).
200
What is significance about Jim's (and Della's) last name?
What is "Dillingham Young" gives the impression of wealth, when really, Della and Jim have become quite poor.
200
What is a theme from "The Gift of the Magi"?
What is Be content with what you have, Selfless love leads to true happiness, Sacrificing for someone you love is a wise decision.
200
“The ‘Dillingham’ had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of ‘Dillingham’ looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D."
What is This demonstrates that Jim and Della had known wealth before, but do not resent their state of poverty. It connects with the theme to "Be content with what you have."
300
Synonym for parsimony.
What is stingy, cheap.
300
What is the literary technique demonstrated by how the characters speak?
What is dialect.
300
What point of view(s) is/are used in the story?
What is Third person limited and first person.
300
Name the literary element demonstrated by the narrator's reference to the "Magi."
What is allusion.
300
"Go tell that man we ain't a bunch of trees."
What is Granny says this as a means of characterizing herself as a human - not something to admire or to gawk at behind the lens of a camera.
400
Antonym for prudence.
What is rash, brazen.
400
What is the point of Granny's anecdote?
What is It shows how Granny values privacy and the sacredness of that privacy.
400
How are Jim and Della both wise and foolish at the same time?
What is They are wise because they recognize the value of sacrifice for someone whom they love, but they are foolish because they lose their most valuable possessions in doing so.
400
What are two possible symbolic meanings of the chickenhawks?
What is Loyalty (representative of Granny and Grandaddy Cain) and Invasion of privacy (representative of Camera and Smilin).
400
"You standin in the misses' flower bed... This is our own place."
What is Grandaddy Cain says this to demonstrate how he and Granny have built a life for themselves, and despite whatever opinions the cameramen may have, they are both proud of what they have become.
500
Use imputation correctly in a sentence.
What is "I despise the imputation that I am cheap simply because I will only buy something when it is on sale!"
500
What is the figurative meaning of the titles "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird"?
What is The song style of the "blues" can not be repeated or imitated by someone who has never truly felt such deep sadness in their life.
500
What about the watch fob attracts Della?
What is It reminds her of Jim's personality.
500
What is a theme of "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird"?
What is Everyone has a right to live the way that they want to live, Where you live and how you speak does not reflect your level of intelligence or dignity.
500
“And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest.”
What is This quote highlights the paradox of the Dillinham-Youngs. They were wise in that they knew the true value of gift giving and respected/loved one another in order to sacrifice their prized possessions. However, both are also foolish because they were caught up in the excitement of gift giving and neglected to recognize that their relationship was not defined by what they had or gave to one another.