Question

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet. On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street. What is the purpose of the author’s description of Della’s hair and clothing? The author emphasizes the value of Della’s hair by contrasting its beauty with the plainness of her possessions. The author is emphasizing Della’s poverty as she goes out to buy a gift for Jim. The author illustrates the drabness of Della’s life by describing her brown hair, brown jacket, and brown hat. The author expresses the idea that Della’s hair is a better garment than her jacket.

Answer 1

Answer:

The author emphasizes the value of Della’s hair by contrasting its beauty with the plainness of her possessions.

Explanation:

The author presents a contrasting picture of the things owned by Della. The difference between her old clothes and her beautiful hair has been presented in a very subtle way. It also presents a description of the things possessed by Della. The description of her long hair brings into consideration that it was the only materialistic thing that she possessed in her life. The beauty of her hair also presents a contrast to the 'plainness' of her life. In the story, the couple traded their most loved materialistic things to gift a materialistic gift to each other. They sacrificed their most valuable things to buy happiness for each other.