English Catcher in the Rye final test

What was Holden's reply when Phoebe asked him why he "got the ax again"?

". . . A million reasons why. It was one of the worst schools I ever went to. It was full of phonies. And mean guys. You never saw so many mean guys in your life."

Why wouldn't Holden be back to Pencey after Christmas vacation?

He has been kicked out because he failed four out of five subjects.

What made Holden "not so depressed anymore" on his way to the record store?

He heard a kid singing "If a body catch a body coming through the rye."

How did Holden's feelings for Sally change from the beginning of the date to the end?

He started out saying he loved her and they talked of marriage. By the end of the date, he hates her and she hates him.

Why did Holden go home so early (before Wednesday)?

He wanted to see Phoebe.

Allie

Holden's dead brother

phoebe

holden's sister

antolini

English teacher

Where is Holden as he narrates the story?

He is in a California rest home undergoing some treatment.

What did Holden think of "George something--"?

He thought George was a snobby phony and resented his butting in on his date

Who was Stradlater?

He was Holden's roommate. Holden said he was good looking but conceited.

D.B

Holden's brother in Hollywood

Jane Gallagher

Holden's former friend that was a girl

29. What did Holden like best about the museum so much? a. It was free on Sundays. b. Everything always stayed where it was. c. It reminded him of fun times with his parents and brothers when he was young. d. It was warm and cheerful, and no one bothered him.

b

ackley

roomed next to Holden at Pencey

Lillian Simmons

D.B. old girlfriend

sally

Holden's theater date

James Castle

committed suicide

13. Where did Holden decide to go? a. He thought he would go to California to see his brother. b. He decided to visit Jane Gallagher. c. He thought it best to go directly to his parents' house. d. He decided to leave Pencey early and stay in a hotel in New York for a few days.

d

How did Holden explain his catcher in the rye daydream?

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around -- nobody big, I mean -- except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff -- I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."

Holden said he felt like committing suicide. Why didn't he?

"I didn't want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory."

Why did Holden like the museum so much?

"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was

What advice did Mr. Antolini give Holden?

"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."

What was Phoebe's reaction when she first saw Holden? What was her reaction when she found out that he had been expelled?

At first she was glad to see him and gave him affectionate hugs. When she found out that he had been expelled, she said, "Daddy'll kill you!"

Why did Holden leave Mr. Antolini's home before morning?

Because he woke up to find Mr. Antolini stroking and patting his head, he thought Mr. Antolini might be making advances towards him; he thought Mr. Antolini might be a "flit."

What record did Holden get for Phoebe? Why?

He bought "Little Shirley Beans" which was about a "kid who wouldn't go out of the house because two of her front teeth were out, and she was ashamed to." He liked it and thought Phoebe would, too.

Where did Holden decide to go?

He decided to leave Pencey early to go to a hotel in New York and wait until Wednesday to go home to give his parents time to get the letter from school and get over the fact that he has been kicked out of yet another school.

About what did Holden write Stradlater's composition?

He described his dead brother Allie's baseball glove, which had poems written on it in green ink.

Why did Holden check out of the hotel, and where did he go?

He didn't want to meet Maurice again, so he checked out. He went to Grand Central Station and checked his bags in one of the lockers there.

Why did Holden go to Mr. Antolini's house?

He didn't want to stay at home, and he was out of money for hotels. It was really his last resort.

Why wasn't Holden at the big football game?

He had just returned with the fencing team and he had to go see his history teacher, Mr. Spencer

Who is Holden Caulfield

He is the main character, the narrator telling us about the things that happened to him.

Who was Robert Ackley?

He lived in the room next to Holden at the dormitory. He had a pimpley face and he didn't go anywhere often. Holden said he was nasty and thought he was a nuisance.

Why did Holden have to leave Ernie's?

He met Lillian Simmons there and chatted with her for a while. Rather than sitting with her and her date for the evening, he told her he was just about to leave, anyway. Then he felt like he had to leave so she wouldn't think he was lying.

Who did Holden meet on his train ride? Why did Holden lie to her about Ernie?

He met the mother of a school mate. He didn't like Ernie, but since his mother seemed nice, he wanted her to feel proud of her son and wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear.

Who did Holden meet at the "little sandwich bar" after he locked his bags at the station? What did they talk about

He met two nuns. They talked mostly about literature and Holden's thoughts about Romeo and Juliet.

What "dirty trick" did Mr. Spencer pull on Holden?

He orally read back Holden's exam essay answer and the note Holden had written to him, truly embarrassing Holden.

Why didn't Holden like actors?

He thought actors were the biggest phonies of all.

What did Holden think of the show at Radio City?

He thought the "Christmas thing" was phony and stupid, and the picture was "so putrid [he] couldn't take [his] eyes off it."

Identify James Castle.

He was a student who happened to borrow a sweater from Holden. He committed suicide

Why did Holden sit on the bench in the rain even though it was coming down in buckets?

He was enjoying watching Phoebe ride the carousel; it made him happy

Why doesn't Holden go down to see Jane?

He wasn't "in the mood."

Identify Sally Hayes

Holden called her for a theater date for Sunday afternoon. "She gave me a pain in the ass, but she was very good looking."

Why did Stradlater hit Holden?

Holden got mad because of Stradlater's attitude towards Jane Gallagher, and he started calling Stradlater a moron. Holden threw the first punch in the fight, but Stradlater hit Holden in the face, knocked him down and gave him a bloody nose.

Why did Maurice hit Holden?

Holden refused to give Maurice the extra $5 for Sunny. After Sunny had taken the money from his wallet, Maurice "snapped his fingers very hard on [Holden's] pajamas . . . . it hurt like hell." Holden called Maurice a dirty moron, so Maurice slugged him in the stomach.

Why did Holden call Carl Luce even though he didn't like him much?

Holden was desperate for a companion with whom to pass the time. He also thought that since Carl Luce was quite intellectual, Luce might be able to help him.

spencer

Holden's history teacher

Stradlater

Holden's roommate at pencey

Identify Jane Gallagher

Jane lived next door to Holden before he came to Pencey. They played checkers together and became friends. One can tell he really liked her. Stradlater had a date with her.

How did Phoebe surprise Holden? What was Holden's reaction?

She had packed her bags to go with Holden and she said she would not go back to school. Holden told her she could not go with him, which made her angry. He later said he wasn't going anywhere, either

Who is Phoebe?

She is Holden's little sister. He likes her a lot and apparently they communicate well.

Why did Holden tear up the composition he had written for Stradlater?

Stradlater complained that it was about a baseball glove instead of a room or some more typical composition topic. He insulted Holden, so Holden ripped up the paper.

Luce

Student at Whooton; has a drink with Holden

What was the "big mess" Holden got into when he got back to the hotel after being at Ernie's?

The elevator operator, Maurice, set him up with a prostitute. When she arrived, he didn't want her services. They talked for a little while, then he paid her the $5 he owed her. She insisted the fee was $10. Holden refused to pay the extra $5.

What did Holden and Luce discuss?

They mostly talked about Luce's romantic life and Holden's lack of one.

Describe Holden's relationship with Jane Gallagher

They seem to have been good friends, playing checkers and going to movies and talking. There was no advanced romantic involvement between them.

Identify Bernice, Marty and Laverne

They were three young women from Seattle on vacation in New York. Holden met them and danced with them in the Lavender Room.

What do we learn about Holden from his diversion about his gloves being stolen at Pencey?

We know he doesn't like to fight because he doesn't like to look at the other guy when he hits him. He calls himself a coward -- "yellow" -- but he is really just too humane to hurt someone else.

15. Who is Phoebe? a. She is Holden's little sister. b. She is an old friend of Holden's brother. c. She is Holden's aunt, in whom he confides. d. She is a playmate from his early childhood.

a

19. What do we learn about Holden from his diversion about his gloves being stolen at Pencey? a. He calls himself a coward, but he is really too humane to hurt anyone. b. He is very selfish and materialistic. c. He will jump at any chance to fight. d. Possessions don't mean a lot to him.

a

20. What was the "big mess" Holden got into when he got back to the hotel after being at Ernie's? a. He was drunk and lost his temper. He started destroying the furniture and punching holes in the walls in his room. The hotel security came to subdue him. b. He was being chased by a group of young boys. He ran into the hotel for safety and they followed him in. The management came to his rescue. c. He didn't have enough money to pay his cab fare. The cab driver followed him into the hotel and up to his room, complaining loudly that Holden had not paid. d. The elevator operator set him up with a prostitute, and told him the fee was $5.00. When she arrived, he decided he didn't want her services, and paid her the $5.00. She said it was $10.00, but Holden refused to pay the extra $5.00.

a

21. Why did Maurice hit Holden? a. Maurice was roughing Holden up to make him pay Sunny the extra fee. Holden called Maurice a dirty moron, so Maurice hit him in the stomach. b. Holden had made insulting remarks about the caliber of the hotel, the prostitute, and Maurice's job. Maurice didn't want to hear it from a teenager, so he hit Holden to shut him up. c. Sunny had lied and told Maurice that Holden had hit her. Maurice believed he was defending Sunny. d. Maurice was just a bully. He enjoyed roughing up the young rich boys.

a

26. What record did Holden get for Phoebe? Why? a. He got "Little Shirley Beans." He liked it and thought Phoebe would too. b. He got "The Skaters' Waltz" by Strauss because it was her favorite skating song. c. He got Shirley Temple singing, "On the Good Ship Lollipop." Phoebe liked to pretend she was Shirley Temple. d. He got "The Twelve Days of Christmas," because he knew she had to learn it for the school play.

a

31. Describe Holden's feelings for Sally at the beginning of the date and at the end. a. He started out by saying he loved her and they talked of marriage. By the end of the date he hated her. b. He didn't like her much at the beginning, but by the end he was in love and proposed to her. c. He liked her somewhat at the beginning, by the time the date was over he was in love. d. He didn't like her at first, and really hated her by the end.

a

33. Why did Holden call Carl Luce even though he didn't like him much? a. Holden was desperate for companionship, and also though Luce was intellectual and could help him. b. He wanted to borrow money. He knew Luce was rich, and was a sucker for a sob story. c. Luce has his own apartment. Holden wants Luce to let him stay with him until Wednesday, when he can go home. d. Holden knew Luce was an A student. He wanted Luce to tutor him over the holidays.

a

43. Why did Holden sit on the bench in the rain even though it was coming down in buckets? a. He was enjoying watching Phoebe ride the carousel. b. He wanted to get sick enough to have to go into the hospital for a while. c. He was drunk and didn't realize what he was doing. d. He was punishing himself for behaving so badly.

a

9. Why doesn't Holden go down to see Jane? a. He wasn't in the mood. b. Stradlater threatened to punch him if he did. c. He didn't think she would remember him. d. He didn't want to get stuck taking her out.

a

What "dirty trick" did Mr. Spencer pull on Holden? a. He orally read back Holden's exam answer and the note Holden had written. b. He had a surprise going away party, even though Holden had said he didn't want a party. c. He pretended to be dead to scare Holden. d. He called Holden's parents while Holden was present and discussed his (Holden's) situation with them.

a

What was Phoebe's reaction when she first saw Holden? What was her reaction when she found out that he had been expelled? a. She was glad to see him, and hugged him. Then she said their father would kill Holden when he found out. b. At first she was scared, because she thought he was a thief. Then she worried about what would happen to him if her parents came home and found him there. c. She was angry that he woke her up, and even angrier that he had been expelled. d. At first she was selfish, and asked if he had brought her a present. Then she got sarcastic and said their father was used to Holden being expelled.

a

Why wouldn't Holden be back to Pencey after Christmas vacation? a. He had been expelled because he failed four of five subjects. b. He had lost his athletic scholarship and could not afford the tuition. c. He had been given an early acceptance to college and was starting the next semester. d. His father was sick and he had to go to work to help support the family.

a

11. What happened to the composition Holden wrote for Stradlater? a. Stradlater turned it in and got an "A" on it. b. Stradlater insulted Holden about the topic and Holden ripped it up. c. The English teach recognized Holden's style and failed Stradlater. d. Stradlater didn't use it because Jane wrote one that he liked better.

b

14. Whom did Holden meet on his train ride? Why did he lie to her? a. He met a friend of his mother's. He lied because he was afraid she would tell his mother she saw him. b. He met the mother of a school mate. He lied because he wanted the mother to feel proud of her son, and he wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear. c. He met a friend who had graduated from Pencey the previous year. He lied because he was embarrassed to admit that he had flunked out. e. He met one of his teachers from elementary school He lied because she had always had a good opinion of him, and he didn't want to change that.

b

17. Describe Holden's relationship with Jane Gallagher. a. They have been romantically involved for over a year, although they are currently having a disagreement because Jane wants to date others and Holden doesn't. b. They seem to be good friends, playing checkers, going to movies, and talking. There was no advanced romantic involvement between them. c. They used to be romantically involved but now they can't stand each other. d. They have only spoken a few times, but Holden would like to get to know her better.

b

24. Why did Holden check out of the hotel, and where did he go? a. He was out of money, so he went to sit in the subway station. b. He didn't want to meet Maurice again, so he went to Grand Central Station and checked his bags in a locker there. c. Sally had invited him to spend the rest of the weekend at her parents' house. d. The heat broke down in the hotel, so he went to a YMCA and got a room there instead.

b

25. Whom did Holden meet at the sandwich bar? What did they talk about? a. He met Sunny. They talked about what had happened the night before. b. He met two nuns. They talked about literature and Holden's views on Romeo and Juliet. c. He met Stradlater. They talked about school and Holden's personal problems. d. He met Ernie, the piano player. They talked about Holden's brother.

b

34. What did Holden and Luce discuss? a. They discussed Holden's career possibilities. b. They discussed Luce's romantic life and Holden's lack of one. c. They discussed books they had both read recently. d. Holden told Luce all about his adventures of the last few days.

b

39. Where did Holden go and why? a. He went to a nearby church. He though it would help him to talk to a minister, regardless of their denomination. b. He went to a former teacher's (Mr. Antolini) house. It was his last resort, because he was out of money. c. He went to see Jane Gallagher, to warn her about Stradlater. d. He went to the convent to see the two nuns he had met earlier. He wanted to talk to them some more about Shakespeare.

b

42. How did Phoebe surprise Holden? What was Holden's reaction? a. She brought her mother along. Holden was secretly glad, although he did not tell her that. b. She had packed her bag to go with him. He told her she couldn't go, which made her angry. Then Holden told her he wasn't going, because he didn't want her to be angry. c. She packed a lunch for him and gave him the rest of her savings. He cried because she was so trusting and so good to him. d. She didn't show up at lunch time. Holden was upset that he wouldn't get to see her, but deep down he believed she made the wisest choice.

b

8. Identify Jane Gallagher. a. She was the sister of a boy on the fencing team. She usually attended the games, hoping to attract Holden's attention. b. She had lived next door to Holden before he came to Pencey. They played checkers and became good friends. c. He was the headmaster's daughter. Holden had been dating her until her father made them stop seeing each other. d. She was the daughter of his mother's best friend. Holden introduced her to Stradlater because he didn't want to date her himself.

b

Who is Holden Caulfield? a. He is a writer for a New York newspaper. b. He is a sixteen year old student at a prep school in Pennsylvania. c. He is a psychiatrist at a well-known hospital in California. d. He is an up and coming movie star in Hollywood.

b

12. Why did Stradlater hit Holden? a. Holden cursed at Stradlater for stretching out his jacket. b. Holden refused to turn the lights out and stop smoking. c. Holden called him a moron, and then threw a punch at him. d. It was Stradlater's way of showing that he didn't want Holden to leave the school.

c

16. Identify Bernice, Marty and Laverne. a. They are three chambermaids in the hotel where Holden stays. b. They are characters in a short story Holden is writing. c. They are three women whom Holden met and danced with in the Lavender Room. d. They are Jane Gallagher's school friends. Holden met them in the hotel dining room.

c

22. Holden said he felt like committing suicide. Why didn't he do it? a. He wanted to write a letter to Phoebe first, but he didn't have paper or pencil, so he decided to wait. b. He was afraid he might not succeed, and then he would have to face his parents. c. He didn't want a bunch of "stupid rubbernecks" looking at him all gory. d. He was going to jump out the window, but he couldn't get it open. He got tired of trying, and fell asleep.

c

27. What made Holden "not so depressed anymore" on his way to the record store? a. He was energized by the lights and all of the activity on Broadway. b. He watched some jugglers and street mimes and they made him laugh. c. He hears a young boy singing, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye." d. He started praying and realized that praying helped him a lot.

c

3. Why wasn't Holden at the big football game? a. He couldn't afford the ticket. b. He was on academic probation and was not allowed to attend any extra-curricular activities. c. He had just returned to school with the fencing team and had to see his history teacher. d. He had to finish a term paper that was due the next Monday.

c

30. What did Holden think of "George something--"? a. He thought George was nice guy, and he was glad to be rescued from Sally for a while. b. He thought George was better than him, and he was afraid he would lose Sally. c. He thought George was snobby, phony and resented him butting in on his date. d. He thought he and George would have a lot in common, and wanted to get to know him better.

c

35. Why did Holden go home so early (before Wednesday)? a. He decided the most noble thing to do was go ahead and face his parents. b. He was feeling very ill, and was afraid he would get worse if he didn't take care of himself. He knew his mother would care for him, even if she were angry with him. c. He wanted to see Phoebe. d. He knew they were out. He wanted to get food and cigarettes while they were gone.

c

38. Identify James Castle. a. He is the president of Holden's class at Pencey. b. He is a psychiatrist Holden had visited a few times. c. He was a student who borrowed a sweater and later committed suicide. d. He was a business associate of Holden's father. He had once offered to help Holden get a job.

c

41. What advice did Mr. Antolini give Holden? a. "Only educated and scholarly men are able to contribute something valuable to this world." b. "I simply find Eastern philosophy more interesting than Western." c. "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die only for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." d. "You're a real prince; a gentleman and a scholar."

c

7. Who was Stradlater? a. He was Holden's English professor. He tried to encourage Holden to stay in school. b. He was the coach of the fencing team. He wanted Holden to pay for the lost equipment. c. He was Holden's good-looking, but conceited roommate. d. He was a shy boy who lived down the hall from Holden.

c

10. About what did Holden write Stradlater's composition? a. It was about his bedroom when he was a little boy. b. It was about the inside of a New York subway car. c. It was about the shower stall between his room and the adjoining one. d. It was about his dead brother's baseball glove.

d

18. Why did Holden have to leave Ernie's? a. They evicted him because he was underage. b. He ran out of money. c. He was drunk and felt like he was going to get sick. d. He didn't want to sit with his brother's friend and her date.

d

23. Identify Sally Hayes. a. She was the girl his roommate often dated. He was mad at Stradlater for going out with Jane, so he decided to get even by taking Sally out. b. She was the receptionist at the hotel. She saw that Holden was having some difficulties, and offered to call a doctor or one of his friends to help him. c. She was another girl who worked with Maurice. She tried to seduce Holden, but he wisely refused this time. d. She was a girl Holden sometimes dated. He didn't like to too much, but he thought she was good looking.

d

28. What was Holden's opinion of actors. a. He said they were all snobs. b. He said they were morons who couldn't get decent jobs. c. He said they were jerks who only thought about money. d. He said they were the biggest phonies of all.

d

32. What did Holden think of the show at Radio City? a. He said it was the best show he had ever seen. b. It was supposed to be religious, but he didn't think it was. c. It was phony and stupid. d. It was a comedy of errors.

d

40. Why did Holden leave Mr. Antolini's home before morning? a. Mr. Antolini was having a wild party. Holden was afraid to get caught there if the police were called. b. Mr. and Mrs. Antolini were having a fight, and Holden didn't want to be caught in the middle of it. c. He though he could see Phoebe on her way to school. d. He woke up and found Mr. Antolini patting his (Holden's) head. He though Mr. Antolini might be making advances towards him.

d

44. How did Holden explain his catcher in the rye daydream? a. He would be running through a field of rye and farmers with pitchforks would be chasing him. b. He would play baseball wearing his brother's glove, and stand in the outfield, ready to catch anything that came his way. c. He would stand guard over all of the rye whiskey in the world and make sure no one got drunk. d. He would stand in a field of rye, where his job would be to catch any children who started to go over the cliff.

d

6. Who was Robert Ackley? a. He was tall and athletic, with a good sense of humor., b. He was fair-skinned and had a large birthmark on his right cheek. He was intelligent and friendly. c. He was short and heavy with a mean disposition. d. He had a pimply face. He was a nuisance and rather nasty.

d

What was Holden's reply when Phoebe asked him why he "got the ax again"? a. He said the work was too hard because he had not been adequately prepared at the last school. b. He said it was unfair, that the teachers just didn't like him and were out to get him. c. He said it was because the president of the school board and his (Holden's) father had a political disagreement. Holden was being expelled to get even with his father. d. He said it was one of the worst school he ever attended, full of phonies and mean guys.

d

Where is Holden as he narrates the story? a. He is at his parents' house in New York. b. He is on a plane flying to Europe. c. He is in the school library. d. He is at a rest home in California.

d