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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Holden shout as he leaves the dorm?

2. Who does Holden decide to call?

3. What operation does Holden tell the woman he has to have?

4. What does Holden think Mr. Spencer yelled at him as he shut the door?

5. Who does Holden tell the girls in the club he saw?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Holden decide not to have sex with Sunny? What does he tell her?

2. Why does Holden like writing about Allie's baseball mitt?

3. Why does Holden feel bad about not telling Mrs. Morrow his real name?

4. Why does Ackley grunt a response when Stradlater says hello to him?

5. What does Holden think of his siblings?

6. Compare and contrast Ackley and Stradlater, according to Holden's descriptions.

7. Why does Holden think Jane cried when her stepfather asked about his cigarettes?

8. Why do the girls say they have to leave the Lavender Room so abruptly? Why do they really leave?

9. Why does Holden shout to the boys in his dorm as he leaves?

10. Why does Mrs. Morrow think her son is not a good mixer with other boys?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Holden's view of women, particularly as they relate to intimate relationships and sex. How does Holden react when faced with the prospect of sex? How does Holden express genuine affection for women? What women in the novel does he care about? How can you tell?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the importance of perception in literature. How does the author use perception to affect the reader's interpretation of events in the novel? Give one example from The Catcher in the Rye that shows the importance of perception. Is this an effective use of perception? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the significance of the phrase “catcher in the rye.” What does this phrase mean to Holden? What does it mean to the reader? What does this phrase mean to the overall novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 629 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample