true it really is a statement
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.
In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young. "
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, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.
A.
dissatisfied
B.
humorous
C.
sarcastic
D.
unhappy
The tone of the opening passage in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry can be best described as unhappy, as the passage discusses Della's challenging financial situation and its impact on her emotional well-being.
The tone of the opening passage in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry is unhappy. The detailed and poignant description of Della's dire financial situation, her desperation, and the rundown state of her home all contribute to an overall feeling of unhappiness and sorrow. Her expected joy over the Christmas holiday is marred by her inability to purchase a worthy gift for her beloved husband, Jim. Thus, the tone reflects Della's poverty and the resultant sadness, despair, and frustration she experiences.
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The tone of the opening passage of "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry is best described as unhappy, shown through Della's distraught financial situation and emotional reactions.
The opening passage of "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry conveys a tone of unhappiness. The tone is displayed through the description of Della's minimal savings, her strong emotional response (i.e., howling on a couch), and the rather grim outlook of their financial situation and living conditions. The sentence 'life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating' suggests a melancholic and somber tone. Thus, the correct option is D. Unhappiness.
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