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The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry

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Student Question

How does Della's slenderness aid her in "The Gift of the Magi"?

There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.

Quick answer:

Della's slenderness aids her in "The Gift of the Magi" by allowing her to see her reflection in the narrow pier-glass mirror. Living in a cheap apartment with a low-quality mirror, Della's thin frame helps her master the art of viewing her reflection in a series of narrow, longitudinal strips.

Expert Answers

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The passage refers to the fact that the pier-glass mirror is a long, narrow strip of mirror placed between the windows.  This particular one must have been particularly narrow.  Della is a thin (slender) woman, so her thinness makes it easier for her to see all of herself in the mirror at once.  The apartment that Della and Jim live in is a very cheap apartment because they do not have much money, so the quality of apartment is cheap, too.   The quality of the mirror is, therefore, cheap.  Della has to observe her reflection in narrow strips at a time, so it makes sense that a thin person would be better at seeing her reflection.  That is the "art" referred to in the passage: the art of being able to see one's reflection.

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