Compare/Contrast “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi” After reading “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi,” consider the following:

In each story, the setting, including the mood created by the setting, plays an important role in the actions and the development of the characters. In “The Gift of the Magi,” because of their extreme poverty, Della and Jim must sacrifice their most prized possessions in order to buy a present for each other. In “The Necklace” M. Loisel and Mme. Loisel are forced to live in extreme debt for ten years because of a lost necklace. Both stories involve women who are faced with poverty, but the women confront their poverty in a different manner. Your task is to analyze this difference.

Task: Write three paragraphs analyzing the characters of Mathilde and Della. How are they similar? How are they different? You should look closely at the setting in “The Gift of the Magi” to help you gain a better understanding of depth of Della’s personality. In “The Necklace” you should look closely at Mathilde’s speech, thoughts, and actions to help you gain a better understanding of her personality.

Requirements:
 You need three quotations from each story for a total of six quotations. (Yes, you can use more than six quotes if you like.)
 You should identify author and title in the topic sentence of each paragraph
Format:

Paragraph One: Your first paragraph should be about Della. Follow the TIQA method that we discussed in class:
T=Topic Sentence (remember your topic sentence is the main idea of your paragraph)

I=Introduce your quotations
Example:
Q=Quotation

A=Analysis (Analysis is your explanation of how the quotation supports your topic sentence. It should reinforce the main idea of your paragraph.)
T=Transition (Now you will transition into your next piece of evidence/support.)

Paragraph Two: Your second paragraph should focus on Mathilde. Follow the TIQAT method described above.

Paragraph Three: In this last paragraph you are to draw a conclusion from the information you have provided about Della and Mathilde. What are their differences? Are they in any way similar? Which women (if either) has a stronger character? You are not to use any quotation in this paragraph.

You should not use
 I, me, my, you
 contractions
 the words to me, I think, I believe, I’m not sure, but . . . (or any variation).