Question

If the author of "The Gift of the Magi" had made the reader aware of the gift that Jim had purchased in the beginning of the story, this would be an example of

direct characterization.
indirect characterization.
dramatic irony.

Answer 1

Dramatic irony.

Explanation: Dramatic irony occurs when the reader/audience knows something that the characters do not. If the reader were told about Jim’s gift at the start while the characters remained unaware, that would create dramatic irony. (Direct/indirect characterization refer to how traits are revealed, not to what the reader knows.)