Question

What evidence has O.Henry provided in the text to support the inference that Della and Jim do not have a lot of money?

Answer 1

He explains that Della has to be very vigilant with her expenses, and what she spends at the grocery store and she was saving for months and only was able to round up $1.87.

Answer 2

There are various ways in which O. Henry shows that Della and Jim do not have a lot of money. We learn that the couple lives in a small apartment with rented furniture. The description of the apartment is far from fancy. Moreover, we learn that Della watches her expenses very carefully, and that the couple struggles to save money. Finally, we also learn that, even after great effort, they are unable to afford the gifts that they wanted to buy.