Asked by andres

Read this characterization of Della from "The Gift of the Magi."

Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment.

The phrase "she turned white for just a moment” is mainly used to show that Della

is afraid of Jim’s reaction.
is beginning to get an illness.
had become extremely angry.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
"is afraid of Jim’s reaction."

Explanation: In the story Della has just cut and sold her hair to buy Jim a present; hearing him approach makes her suddenly nervous and fearful about how he'll respond to her changed appearance. "Turned white for just a moment" signals a brief shock or fear, not illness or anger.