Catcher in the Rye quiz

What are the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow?

1. He lies about his name, claiming to be Rudolph Schmidt (the school janitor's name) 2. He says that her son, Ernest Morrow, is one of the most popular kids at Pencey 3. He tells her "a bunch of us wanted old Ernie to be president of the class." But because he was so honest and shy, he wouldn't let them elect him 4. Finally, he tells Mrs. Marrow that he is going home early because he has a brain tumor and has to have an operation

What does Holden see across the hotel courtyard in his room at the Edmont?

A man dressed in women's clothing, and a man and woman take turns spitting mouthfuls of their drinks in each other's faces

What does Holden believe women want?

A man who asserts power and control, unlike himself who thinks he is a coward

What does Holden consider himself to be?

A pacifist

What does Holden call Ackley when he says goodbye?

A prince. Holden says this is phony but it may actually be sincere. On some level, Holden has a genuine compassion for Ackley

How did Holden meet Jane?

After Holden's mom confronted Jane's mom about a Doberman pinscher (a dog) that frequently relieved itself on the Caulfield's lawn

Where does Holden go at the end of the chapter?

After the fight Holden goes into Ackley's room

The description Holden gives of Phoebe is similar to the description he gave of...

Allie

What questions does Holden ask the cab driver?

Asks about the ducks. Could be just to strike up harmless conversation but also may show how lonely he is. He asks the cab driver to have a drink with him. He puts up a persona with people

What is Holden's conversation with the cab driver like?

Asks him where the ducks in the Central Park lagoon go in the winter, but the cab driver is uninterested

Where does Holden meet the 2 nuns?

At a sandwich bar. He meets 2 nuns who are moving to Manhattan to teach in a school

What evidence is there that shows us that Holden probably doesn't look as old as he says he looks?

At the beginning of the book, he mentions he is tall and has a considerable amount of gray hair, which is why most people think he's older than he really is. He may be exaggerating because when he is sitting on the train with Mrs. Morrow, he asks if she would want a cocktail. She asks in response, "Dear, are you allowed to order drinks?"

How is Holden able to order alcohol?

Due to his height and his gray hair

Holden feels aroused and decides to call who?

Faith Cavendish, a promiscuous girl recommended to him by a boy he met at a party and tries to make a date with her. She refuses, saying she needs her beauty sleep. She offers to meet him the next day and doesn't want to wait that long so he hangs up on her

What does Holden give one of the nuns?

Forces them to take $10 as a charitable contribution

After the Lavender Room, Holden takes a cab to...

Greenwich Village nightclub called Ernie's

Who does Holden go to a movie with? How does he feel about movies?

He and his friend Amal Brossard decide to take a bus into Agerstown to see a movie. Holden hates movies. Holden convinces Mal to let Ackley go with them. Turns out Ackley and Mal have already seen the movie, so they grab burgers instead, play pinball, and head back to Pencey

Is Stradlater happy with the composition Holden wrote him?

He becomes visibly annoyed and says it is no wonder Holden is being expelled. Holden tears the composition up and throws it away angrily. He smokes a cigarette to annoy Stradlater

Where does Holden meet Mrs. Morrow?

He boards a train heading to New York and sits next to a nice woman named Mrs. Morrow. She recognizes the Pencey Prep sticker and starts a conversation with him. Mrs. Morrow asks Holden if he knows her son, Ernest Morrow

What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?

He constantly barges into the room. He has disgusting personal habits and poor hygiene. He doesn't seem to have many friends. He prevents Holden from reading by shuffling around the room and pestering him with annoying questions. He cuts his fingernails and leaves them on the floor, even though Holden tells him to stop. He doesn't take Holden's hints for him to leave

Describe Holden's reactions to the mention of Jane Gallagher

He doesn't want Jane to know he got kicked out. He gets very excited and tells Stradlater everything he knows about Jane and how he has a strong connection to her. He starts to talk to Stradlater differently and says, "He's using *my* Vitalis."

What excuse does Holden give Mrs. Morrow for why is he going home so early? How it significant?

He has a brain tumor and needs a small operation. It could be a reflection of his depression. But when he sees that Mrs. Morrow is upset, he tries to take it back. Holden may think there's something wrong with him

Why do Holden's parents want him psychoanalyzed?

He punched a window after Allie died. He got kicked out of a ton of school. They wanted it to seem like they were trying to fix him

What did Stradlater do to Holden's face?

He punched him in the nose and bloodied his face

What does Holden conclude about money?

He realizes he needs money to pay for his date with Sally and starts to regret having given $10. He says money always makes people depressed

In what ways is Holden's commentary on his reading habits significant?

He says he is illiterate but he reads a lot. Another contradiction shows he doesn't want to read when he's told to read. He thinks books are more real than movies. This shows his age, he doesn't give himself credit

Describe the opening scene of the chapter where Holden stays in the phone booth for an extended period of time.

He stays in the phone booth for 20 minutes but doesn't call anyone. He thinks about calling several people but doesn't. He talks himself out of it

What happens when Holden is in the Lavender Room?

He tries to order a cocktail but the waiter refuses. He flirts and dances with 3 women who are visiting from Seattle. After tolerating Holden for a while, they start to laugh at him and depress him for being obsessed with movie stars. When Holden lies to one of them about having just seen Gary Cooper, she tells the other two that she caught a glimpse of Gary Cooper too. Holden pays for their drinks, then leaves

Why was Holden kicked out of Pencey Prep?

He was failing 4/5 of his classes. The only class he actually passed was English

Why is Allie's mitt so special to Holden?

He wrote poems on it when he was bored in the outfield. He died at 13 years old

What is Holden's "goodbye" to Pencey Prep?

He yells, "Sleep tight, ya morons!"

Why does Holden cry as he leaves to go to New York?

He's lonely

At Penn Station, Holden wants to call someone but cannot think of anyone to call. What does this show?

His loneliness

What is Holden's red hunting hat a symbol of?

His uniqueness and individuality

What did Holden and Stradlater fight over?

Holden asked Stradlater about his date with Jane and Stradlater says, "I don't kiss and tell."

What happens with Holden and the prostitute?

Holden becomes flustered, especially when she tries to remove her dress. She tries to seduce him, but he is extremely nervous and tells her he is unable to have sex because he's recovering from an operation on his "clavichord"

Describe Holden's behavior while Stradlater is shaving. How might this scene be significant?

Holden doesn't want to be alone. For the rest of the book, he's always looking for someone to be with. This is a different dynamic than when he's with Ackley. Watching Stradlater shave shows Holden admires Stradlater in a sense

How is the scene with the scissors significant?

Holden gets the scissors for Ackley which shows Holden has a good heart and Holden likes Ackley, even though the scissors are already packed away

Describe Holden's conversation with Mrs. Morrow on the train. Why does he lie here about his name and her son?

Holden hates her son but tells Mrs. Morrow he likes him, that he's a great kid, but misunderstood. Instead of saying his own name, he says the name of the janitor which shows he can become someone else when he gives a fake name. Holden can't stop lying once he starts. He finds it amusing, but he has no malice. He's telling her what she wants to hear, like how he spoke to Mr. Spencer

Explain Holden's motivation when he tells Ackley that he needs to brush his teeth

Holden is genuine and wants Ackley to brush his teeth so he'll feel better

In what ways is the snowball scene significant?

Holden is holding onto the snowball the way he is holding onto his childhood. He makes a snowball but doesn't throw it because it looks too nice. He doesn't want to mess up the scenery because it's good the way it is. He sees its value and how he created it himself. Shows how Holden is unique

Describe Holden's interactions with Robert Ackley

Holden is horsing around with Ackley, annoying him. Ackley doesn't clean anything except his fingernails.

In what way is Holden's question about the monastery significant?

Holden isn't religious. So it's not even possible for him to join a monastery. Holden wakes Ackley up so he can deliberately ask this question. At this point, Holden may be desperate to fine any purpose for his life. Maybe he wants to escape. Monks are usually honest people and looking for companionship

What happens when Holden is at Ernie's?

Holden listens to Earnie play the piano and is unimpressed. He takes a table, drinks Scotch and soda, and listens to conversations around him, which he finds depressing and phony. He encounters an obnoxious girl named Lillian Simmons, whom D.B. used to date, and is forced to leave the nightclub to get away from her

Why does Holden choose Allie's baseball mitt as the subject of a descriptive essay? Describe Holden's relationship with Allie.

Holden loved Allie. They were close when Allie died. Holden broke all the windows in the garage with his fists. He thought highly of Allie

Describe Holden's demeanor at the end of the chapter.

Holden repeatedly says how depressed and lonesome he is and wishes he was dead

Describe Holden's demeanor when Stradlater leaves for his date

Holden starts to become more bitter towards Stradlater. After Stradlater leaves, he sits in his chair for a half hour by himself doing nothing. He is probably fidgeting and his thoughts are making him more anxious

Describe Holden's argument and subsequent fight with Stradlater. Why does Holden become so enraged?

Holden was so angry that he wanted to kill Stradlater. He wanted to punch the toothbrush Stradlater had in his mouth so he would get his throat and kill him. Holden detests violence and wants to preserve innocence. He sees his fight with Stradlater as noble (defending Jane's honor), but Holden genuinely wants to hurt him. Holden has no regard for his own physical being. He doesn't care if he gets beaten

Phoebe Caulfield

Holden's 10 year old sister. He loves her dearly. Although she's six years younger than him, she listens to what Holden says and understands him more than most people do. She's intelligent and a good dancer. Her childish innocence is one of Holden's only consistent sources of happiness throughout the novel

Allie

Holden's brother who died of leukemia. Holden describes him as the smartest Caulfield and keeps his baseball mitt

Jane Gallagher

Holden's childhood friend and one of the few girls he actually respects. She dated Stradlater

Mr. Spencer

Holden's history teacher at Pencey who tries to help Holden get himself together. He's very old

Ackley

Holden's next-door neighbor in his dorm at Pencey. He's a pimply, insecure boy with poor dental hygiene. He cuts his toenails and leaves them on the floor

DB

Holden's older brother who's a writer. Holden describes him a "prostitute" because he writes for Hollywood movies

Stradlater

Holden's roommate at Pencey who dates Jane Gallagher. He's handsome and popular

What is the cab driver's name?

Horwitz

What does Holden imagine happens instead of what actually happened between him and Maurice?

Imagines himself as a movie character, taking his revenge on Maurice after having been plugged in the gut with a gangster's bullet

Who is the author?

J.D. Salinger

What happened when Holden and Jane were playing checkers on the porch?

Jane's alcoholic stepfather asked Jane for cigarettes. Jane refused to answer him and when he left, she started or cry. Holden held her, kissed her face, and comforted her. Aside from that, their physical relationship was mild, but they used to hold hands a lot

When Holden goes into bed, he hears a knock on the door. Who is it and why?

Maurice is at the door with Sunny the prostitute who is demanding to collect the 5 extra dollars Sunny demanded. Holden refuses, and Maurice pins him against the wall while Sunny takes the money from his wallet. Maurice punches Holden in the stomach and leaves him on the floor

How does Holden describe his mother?

Notes that she "hasn't felt too healthy since my brother Allie died." Holden worries that the news of his expulsion will particularly distress his fragile mom

What does Holden talk to one of the nuns about?

Romeo and Juliet

The next morning when he checks out of the hotel, who does Holden call to make a date with?

Sally Hayes

What is Phoebe's only flaw according to Holden?

She is perhaps too emotional

What does Holden like about Selma Thurmer?

She's not fake like everyone else. She admits her dad isn't the best. She's an authentic and genuine girl

When Holden goes back to his hotel room and smokes, he remembers what incident?

Shortly before his death he excluded Allie from a BB-gun game. He still feels guilty for having left Allie out

What does Holden's commentary about sex reveal about his personality?

Shows he has a moral compass and respects girls, but he is still a teenage boy (hormonal). Says he's been intimate with girls before

Why is Holden nervous about Stradlater going out with Jane?

Stradlater was a player. Jane was Holden's crush and first love, and he probably still loves her. He's nervous Stradlater will try and make the first move on her

Where does Holden decide to go after having no one to call?

Takes a cab to the Edmont Hotel

What does Holden realize about himself?

That he is a coward at heart, afraid of violence and confrontation

What is the Lavender Room?

The Edmont's nightclub

Holden Caulfield

The protagonist and narrator of the story, 17 years old, and cynical. He was expelled from Pencey Prep

Why did Holden let his fencing team down?

They were going to New York and he left the team equipment on the subway

What was the past relationship like between Holden and Jane?

They were really close, and their families' summer homes in Maine we next door to one another. She's the only one he showed Allie's mitt to. They had an innocent relationship (a crush)

What does Holden think about when he walks the 41 blocks from the nightclub back to the hotel?

Thinks about his gloves, which were stolen at Pencey

After Holden and Stradlater fight, where does Holden go?

To Ackley's room

Where does Holden impulsively decide to go after Ackley's room?

To New York, he doesn't wait until Wednesday

When he reaches the Edmont, he takes the elevator up to his room? What does the elevator operator offer to Holden?

To send him a prostitute, Sunny, for $5, and Holden accepts because he's depressed and flustered

What comment does Holden make about presents? How is this significant?

Whenever Holden gets a present, it makes him sad. It shows that he might not feel he deserves them. He views gifts as something he has to reciprocate. This is a burden for Holden and causes a lack of self-esteem

What weird question does Holden ask Ackley?

Whether he could run off and join a monastery without being Catholic