Catcher in the Rye Test

Knowledge
1. What school did Holden get kicked out of?
a) Pencey,
b) Whooton,
c) Elkton Hills
d) All of the above
2. What was the event going on in Pencey while Holden was at Thomson Hill and why was
Holden missing the event?
a) Football game- Holden was annoyed at Stradlater
b) School dance- Holdens date cancelled on him last minute
c) Football game- Holden dislikes events that require school spirit
d) School dance- Holden dislikes social events
Comprehension
3. Compare Ackley to Stradlater
a) Ackley is conceited while Stradlater is unhygienic
b) Ackley is unhygienic while Stradlater is the complete opposite
c) Both characters are messy and unhygienic
d) Both characters are conceited
4. Choose the set of events that are in chronological order:
a) Holdens younger brother Allie dies, Holden gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden goes
on a date Sally, Stradlater goes on a date with Jane.
b) Holdens younger brother Allie dies, Holden gets kicked out of Pencey, Stradlater goes
on a date with Jane. Holden goes on a date Sally.
c) Holden gets kicked out of Pencey Holdens younger brother Allie dies, Holden goes on
a date Sally, Stradlater goes on a date with Jane.
d) Stradlater goes on a date with Jane, Holdens younger brother Allie dies, Holden gets
kicked out of Pencey, and Holden goes on a date Sally.
5. After Holdens fight with Stradlater he calls himself yellow. Interpret the meaning of the
word yellow based on the context.
a) tough
b) a coward
c) persistent
d) a sadist
Application
6. Which of the following characters demonstrates childhood innocence for Holden?
a) Carl Luce
b) Lillian Simmons
c) His brother DB
d) His brother Allie

7. Based on Holdens past what is the best reason as to why Holdens attitude towards
school is so negative?
a) Allies death has taken a toll on his life/attitude
b) School has been a difficult place to be at after Jane moved
c) His favorite teacher died
d) He lost motivation after he failed his mid-term
8. Conclude how Holden feels about Museums
a) They remind Holden of Allie
b) Theyre too boring
c) The museum never changes and Holden dislikes change
d) Both B and C
9. Why does Salinger choose to style Holdens speech in such a fashion, such as using the
word Whenja instead of When did you?
a) It emphasizes his carefree tone
b) Its showing his New York accent
c) It shows how easily he is influenced by his peers
d) He does it to seem more immature than he really is. .
10. Why does Holden keep repeating, Allie, dont let me disappear,?
a) Holden isnt over Allies death, and is going through denial
b) He is trying to keep the memory of Allie alive
c) He feels that Allie will stop him from metaphorically disappearing if he repeats his
mantra
d) He feels as though the death of Allie will drive him insane
Analysis
11. What can we infer that Mr. Antolini is insinuating from the following quote from the
context it is written in: Here's what he said: 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 (pg 207-208).
a) Mr. Antolini is explaining the importance of living life with honesty
b) Mr. Antolini is worried that Holden will commit suicide
c) Mr. Antolini is expressing the process of grief over a loved ones death
d) None of the above
12. Compare the emotions that Holden faces as an Adolescent as to a child
a) Holden is a lot more positive compared to how he was as a child
b) Holden is a more connected with his family as an adolescent compared to how he was
as a child
c) As a child Holden is a lot more upset over Allies death as compared to an Adolescent
he is over it
d) None of the above
13. How may Holdens feeling for Jane have developed over the years?

a) Holden talks to Jane a lot more as an adolescent

b) Holden was more comfortable with Jane when they were younger
c) Jane and Holden both hate each other
d) Holden talks with Jane regularly but just never gets the chance to meet with her
14. Determine the set of quotes that express the literary device, irony
a) (1)I ordered a Scotch and soda, and told him not to mix it (pg.) (2) the one side of my
head the right side is full of millions of gray hairs (pg. 10-11).
b) (1)"I'm very sorry, sir" he said, and beat it on me. I didn't hold it against him,
though. They lose their jobs if they get caught selling to a minor (pg. 77-78). (2) At
the end of the first act we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette (pg. 140).
c) (1)I ordered a Scotch and soda, and told him not to mix it. (2)"Boy!" I said. I also
say "Boy!" quite a lot. Partly because I have a lousy vocabulary and partly because I
act quite young for my age sometimes (pg. 11)
d) (1)You take adults, they look lousy when they're asleep, but kids don't. (pg. 176) (2)
The first thing I did when I got off at Penn Station, I went into this phone booth
(pg. 66).
15. 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 (pg. 165)...
1. He is oblivious to his own flaws
2. He is double-sided, and cant decide on which persona to take
3. He doesnt like innocence for those at his age.
4. He is so infatuated with saving other childrens innocence, he neglects his own.
16. Classify the quote that expresses the literary device allusion
a)If a body catch a body comin' though the rye(pg. 191).
b) "Oh, I feel some concern for my future, all right. Sure. Sure, I do." I thought about
it for a minute (pg. 17).
c) I'm not trying to tell you," he said, "that only educated and scholarly men are able
to contribute something valuable to the world. It's not so.
d) You never saw so many phonies in all your life, everybody smoking their ears off
and talking about the play so that everybody could hear and know how sharp they were
(pg. 140)
Synthesis:
17. Which two adjectives would accurately describe the tone of the book?
a) Cynical and compassionate
b) Upbeat and mysterious
c) Humorous and compassionate
d) Playful and hopeful
18. 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? (pg. 68), 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 and desire for conversation

19. Which answer choice best explains how Holdens opinion on Ackley has developed?
a) He sees him as inferior yet begins to sympathize him
b) He becomes more aggravated with him
c) Holden was always content with Ackley
d) He comes to realize that Ackley is truly conceited
20. Which word would NOT accurately describe the tone of the book considering the following
event: the death of Holdens younger brother Allie.
a) depressing
b) uplifting
c) traumatic
d) the following event is not relevant in determining the tone.
Evaluation
21. Do you believe that as a reader that you should feel sympathy towards Holden considering
his traumatic past? Or do you believe that Holden was unreasonable and was given several
opportunities and resources to overcome the grief?
22. Do you think Holden was ever in love with Jane? Which past occurrences prove his emotions
towards her?

ANSWER KEY MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. D
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. A
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. B
14. C
15. D
16. A
17. A
18. D
19. A
20. B