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Catcher in the Rye

1. What causes Holden to be kicked out of Pencey Prep?
A. He forgot all the fencing equipment.
B. He failed 4 out of 5 of his classes.
C. He got in a fight with Ackley.
D. He got caught smoking cigarettes.
2. Explaing why Holden is so angry when Stradlater ignores his question
about his date with Jane.
A. Holden wants to know if Stradlater gave Jane a good time.
B. Holden is worried that Stradlater hurt Jane.
C. Holden is curious on what his dates are like.
D. Holden is worried that Stradlater broke the law.
3. Why is the passage below significant to understanding Holden and the
novel?
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 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.
A.
B.
C.
D.

It
It
It
It

shows
shows
shows
shows

Holdens favorite poem.

that Holden loves kids.
how Holden feels about innocence vs. adulthood.
that Holden was to save kids from jumping off the cliff.

4. Which quote shows how Holden contradicts himself by calling other

people fake and phony?
A. I am always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all
glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff,
though.
B. Mothers are all slightly insane.
C. All morons hate it when you call them a moron.
D. Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every
time I hear it.

5. Who says the quote below?

The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a
cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live
humbly for one.
A. Mr. Spencer
B. Holden
C. Holdens dad
D. Mr. Antolini
6. How can Holdens red hunting hat be seen as symbolism?
A. It represents his love for hunting.
B. It symbolizes his love for New York since that is where he got it.
C. It represents his love for hats even though others dont like them.
D. It symbolizes his individuality and his feeling of being an outsider.
7. Describe why Holden feels a connection to the boy singing on the
street?
A. It reminds him of his brother Allie who used to sing.
B. It worries him that the parents are letting him sing in the street.
C. It reminds him of childrens innocence and it makes him happy.
D. He doesnt have any feelings towards this.
8. What literary device is used in this passage?
"I'm quite illiterate, but I do read a lot."
A. Symbolism
B. Foreshadowing
C. Irony
D. Metaphor
9. What tone does the author use in this passage below?
"When you're dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die
somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or
something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery. People
coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday,
and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody."
A.
B.
C.
D.
10.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Uplifting
Negative
Sarcastic
Depressing
Translate what Holden means when he says It killed me.
He uses it when something sad happened.
He uses it to express his anger towards people and Pencey.
He doesnt mean anything by it.
He uses it to point out shams or normal human failings that he finds
funny.

11.
What literary device is used in this passage to help the reader
understand?
..the whole lobby was empty. It smelled like 50 million dead cigars. It
really did."
A. Imagery
B. Metaphor
C. Irony
D. Allusion
12.
Explain what Holden means when he calls himself yellow in this
passage below?
"What you should be is not yellow at all. If you're supposed to sock
somebody in the jaw, and you sort of feel like doing it, you should do
it."
A. Holden is trying to tell the reader not to turn the color yellow.
B. Holden is telling the reader to follow their instincts.
C. Holden is telling the reader to not be a coward and to not back
down.
D. Holden is telling the reader to not initiate a fight.
13.
Why is Holdens trust in his sister, Phoebe, significant?
A. Holden is attracted to Phoebes child-like innocence.
B. Holden thinks she is the best dancer.
C. Phoebe is Holdens only sibling.
D. Holden wants Phoebe to be like him.
14.
Infer the tone the author was trying to display in the passage
below.
What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like
jumping out the window. I probably wouldve done it, too, if Id been
sure somebodyd cover me up as soon as I landed. I didnt want a
bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory.
A. Holden is infuriated.
B. Holden is blissful.
C. Holdens tone is sarcastic.
D. Holdens tone is depressing and suspicious.
15.
What changes would best improve this sentence?
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing youll probably want
to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood was like, and
how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that
David Copperfield kind of crap, but I dont feel like going into it, if you
want to know the truth.
A. If you really want to hear about it. The first thing

B. kind of crap. I dont feel like going into it, if you want to know the
truth.
C. I was born and what my lousy childhood was like. How my parents
were occupied and all before they had me
D. Start the sentence with I dont feel like going into it, if you want to
know the truth.
16.
Revise this sentence to make it better.
All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and
buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot. And besides. Even
if you did go around saving guys lives and all, how would you know if
you did it because you really wanted to save guys lives, or because
you did it because what you really wanted to do was be a terrific
lawyer, with everybody slapping you on the back and congratulating
you in court when the goddamn trial was over, the reporters and
everybody, the way it is in the dirty movies? How would you know you
werent being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldnt.
A. All you do is make a lot of dough, play golf, play bridge, buy cars,
drink Martinis, and look like a hot-shot.
B. Gt rid of the first sentence.
C. Besides, even if you did go around saving guys lives and all, how
would you know if you did it because you really wanted to save
guys lives? Or
D. with everybody slapping you on the back and congratulating you
in court when the goddamn trial was over. The reporters and
everybody
17.
Analyze Holdens 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 doesnt.
B. They seem to be good friends, playing checkers, going to movies,
and talking, but there was no advanced romantic involvement
between them.
C. They used to be romantically involved, but now they cant stand
each other.
D. They have only spoken a few times, but Holden would like to get to
know her better.
18.
Choose the answer that best improves this passage.
Thats the whole trouble. You cant ever find a place thats nice and
peaceful, because there isnt any. You may think there is, but once you
get there, when youre not looking, somebodyll sneak up and write
Fuck you right under your nose. I think, even, if I ever die, and they
stick me in a cemetery, and I have a tombstone and all, itll say

Holden Caulfield on it, and then what year I was born and what year I
died, and then right under that itll say Fuck you. Im positive, in
fact.
A. I think, if I ever die and they stick me in a cemetery and I have a
tombstone and all, itll say Holden Caulfield on it, the year I was
born and the year I died, and right under that itll say Fuck you.
B. You cant ever find a place thats nice and peaceful. Because there
isnt any.
C. You may think there is but once you get there when youre not
looking somebodyll sneak up and write Fuck you right under your
nose.
D. Thats the whole trouble, you cant ever find a place thats nice
and peaceful,
19.
Compare how Holden felt when he was talking about the ducks
and when he was talking about the half-frozen pond.

20. How does Mr. Spencers advice compare or contrast with Mr. Antolini?