Creator: Archana Sundar

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Catcher in the Rye Test

1) Is there a parallel between nonfiction and fiction when Holden says If theres one thing I hate, its the
movies. (Salinger 1)
a) No, Holden resembles Holdens brother, Allie
b) Yes, Holden resembles Salinger himself
c) No, Catcher in the Rye is a complete work of fiction
d) Yes, Salingers characters are taken from other literary works
2) What is the purpose of the passage:
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was
born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied ...They're nice
and all....I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything.... I mean that's
all I told D.B. about, and he's my brother and all. He's in Hollywood...He used to be just a regular
writer, when he was home... Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute...(Salinger 1)
a)
b)
c)
d)

To show Holdens situation

To shock the reader
To create a general picture of Holdens characteristics
To create sympathy for Holden

3)
a)
b)
c)
d)

When Holden says Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute...(Salinger 1), he means
His brother exchanged sex for fame
His brother is selling out to hollywood
His brother is selling out his body
Prostitutes are successful in Hollywood, so D.B. headed there for work.

4)
a)
b)
c)
d)

What did Holden lie about to Sunny to avoid having sex?

Sunny had gotten the wrong room
He was recovering from surgery on his clavichord
He was recovering from surgery on his sternocleidomastoid
He wanted someone more attractive, and told her to leave.

5)
a)
b)
c)

Where was the graffiti Holden comes across and what did it say?
School, fuck you
Park, innocence is ignorance
Telephone booth, friends and family, they dont understand

d) Museum, change is inevitable

6)
a)
b)
c)
d)

How would you classify Salingers style of writing?

Expository
Descriptive
Stream of consciousness
Narrative

7)
a)
b)
c)
d)

Which is not an effect of Allie being in the book?

The breakdown which led to his admittance in a psychiatric hospital
His presence affected the character development of Holden
Holdens continuous, emotional prayers bargaining for Allie back
Holden had stopped viewing situations negatively and for as they are

8) What theme does this quote reveal?

Would you like a cigarette? She looked all around. I dont believe this is a smoker....
Thats alright. We can smoke until they start screaming at us. (Salinger 30)
a)
b)
c)
d)

Alienation
Mental instability
Phoniness
Childhood/Aging

9) Which is not a logical assumption after reading this quote?

The reason I was standing way up on Thomsen Hill, instead of down at the game, was
because I'd just got back from New York with the fencing team. I was the goddam manager of the
fencing team. Very big deal. We'd gone in to New York that morning for this fencing meet with
McBurney School. Only, we didn't have the meet. I left all the foils and equipment and stuff on
the goddam subway. It wasn't all my fault. I had to keep getting up to look at this map, so we'd
know where to get off. So we got back to Pencey around two-thirty instead of around dinnertime.
The whole team ostracized me the whole way back on the train. It was pretty funny, in a way.
(Salinger 2)

a)
b)
c)
d)

Holden loves to socialize

Holden detached from reality
Holden is irresponsible and forgetful
Holdens family is financially secure

10) Which factor and quote contributes most to Holdens depression?

a) Holdens infatuation of childhood: I also say Boy! Quite a lot...partially because I act a lot younger for
my age sometimes. (Salinger 5)
b) The death of Holdens brother: Hes dead now...God, he was a nice kid, though... (Salinger 21)
c) Holdens tendency to lie: May I ask your name dear? Rudolf Schmitt, I told her. (Salinger 30)
d) His instability at school: I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving
them...when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. (Salinger 3)

11) When the taxi driver had Turned around and looked at me [Holden] like I was a madman. "What're ya
tryna do, bud?" he said. Kid me? (Salinger 33), what can be inferred about Holdens intentions?
a) Insecurity and desire to mature
b) Creativity and sense of humor
c) Need for guidance
d) Openness, desire for conversation

12)
a)
b)
c)
d)

What are the main tones portrayed by Holden?

Disgust, cynicism, bitterness, and nostalgic
Benevolent, innocent, lighthearted
Morbid, Grieving, Dark, Denying
Manipulative, humorous, Apathetic

13) What literary device is used in the following excerpt?

`
"You know what I'd like to be? I mean if I had my goddam choice?"
"What? Stop swearing."
"You know that song 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'? I'd like--"
"It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!" old Phoebe said. "It's a poem. By
Robert Burns."
"I know it's a poem by Robert Burns."
She was right, though. It is "If a body meet a body coming through the rye." I didn't know
it then, though. (Salinger 93)

a)
b)
c)
d)

Referring
Book Reference
Allusion
Metaphor

14) What tone is used in this passage?

I took her dress over to the closet and hung it up for her. It was funny. It made me feel
sort of sad when I hung it up. I thought of her going in a store and buying it, and nobody in the store

knowing she was a prostitute and all. The salesman probably just thought she was a regular girl when she
bought it. It made me feel sad as hellI don't know why exactly.
a)
b)
c)
d)

Compassionate and cynical

Compassionate and benevolent
Cynical only
Compassionate only

15) Why does Holden keep repeating, Allie, dont let me disappear, (Salinger 106)?
a)
b)
c)
d)

He feels that Allie will stop him from metaphorically disappearing if he repeats his mantra
Holden isnt over Allies death, and is going through denial
He is trying to keep the memory of Allie alive
He feels as though the death of Allie will drive him insane

16) What changes would best improve the grammatical errors in the sentence?
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where
I was born, and 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 don't feel like going into it,
if you want to know the truth.
a) Take out the all the underlined ands
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was
born, what my lousy childhood was like, how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, all
that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
(Salinger 1)
b) Take out the ands and break it into two sentences
i)
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was
born, what my lousy childhood was like, how my parents were occupied and all before they had me. All
that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the
truth.(Salinger 1)
c) Take out the ands and break it into three sentences
i)
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was
born, what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me.
All that David Copperfield kind of crap. But I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the
truth.(Salinger 1)
d) Take out the ands while adding other conjunctions where necessary.
i)
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was
born, but what my lousy childhood was like, how my parents were occupied and all before they had me,
and all that David Copperfield kind of crap. But I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the
truth.(Salinger 1)
i)

17) If Holden is so obsessed with saving children's innocence, why doesnt he worry more about his own,
such as when he says I kept sitting there getting drunk, waiting for old Tina and Janine... (Salinger 80)
a) He is oblivious to his own flaws
b) He has a personality disorder
c) He doesnt like innocence for those at his age
d) He isnt obsessed with innocence, just sobriety

18)
a)
b)
c)
d)

How does Holdens perspective of Ackley shift throughout the book?

He admires Ackley throughout the book
He despises him throughout the book
He sees him as inferior, but gains maturity and begins to sympathize with him
He is of great importance in the beginning, and slowly fades as the book progresses.

19) How rhetorical device does Holden use when giving biased description for characters, such as using the
word sonuvabitch show character?
a) Ethos
b) Pathos
c) Logos
d) There is no rhetorical device here.

20) Considering Holdens irresponsible drinking at 16, which past experience would have most likely led to
this behaviour?
a) The abandonment of his parents affection
b) The hardship of making friends at new schools
c) The coping of Allies death
d) The coping of Phoebe's death

Essay Questions
1) What exactly does the extended metaphor of the Catcher in the Rye refer to? Why is it an essential
allusion, and what ties to the themes does it make?

2) What does the ring in the carrousel represent? What ties does it make to major themes in the novel?