An example of irony in "The Gift of the Magi" is that...

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Jim purchased combs, but Della no longer has long hair.
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Della's hair was only worth $20.
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the magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but Jim and Della were poor.
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after months of saving, Della had only $1.87.

1 answer

An example of irony in "The Gift of the Magi" is that Jim purchased combs, but Della no longer has long hair. This situational irony highlights the sacrifice each character makes to buy a gift for the other, only to render the gifts useless. Della sells her hair to buy Jim a chain for his watch, while Jim sells his watch to buy Della combs for her hair, creating an ironic twist in their love and sacrifice.