The Catcher in the Rye

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Why does Holden call DB a "prostitute?"

A) Holden disapproves of DB's choice to move to LA

B) Holden disapproves of DB's romantic relationship.

C) Holden disapproves of DB's career as an actor.

D) Holden disapproves of DB's actions in New York City.

2. What is the one class Holden is passing?

A) English

B) Social Studies

C) Science

D) History

3. What tactic does Mr. Spencer use to try to inspire Holden?

A) Encouragement

B) Modeling

C) Positivity

D) Shame

4. What is Holden's main criticism of other people?

A) People are abusive.

B) People are negative.

C) People are inauthentic.

D) People are opportunistic.

5. Holden loves to read yet fails out of school. What is this an example of?

A) Symbolism

B) Irony

C) Foreshadowing

D) Repetition

6. Why does Holden like to wear the red hunting cap?

A) He believes it makes him unique.

B) He believes it gives him strength and protection.

C) He wears it to fit in with the others at Pencey Prep.

D) He wears it to show off his wealth.

7. What is Holden's relationship to Jane Gallagher?

A) Holden and Jane once had a romantic affair.

B) Holden and Jane were childhood friends.

C) Holden and Jane dated in high school.

D) Holden and Jane have always held a grudge against one another.

8. Why does it bother Holden to think about Stradlater and Jane together?

A) Holden does not want to tarnish his innocent memory of Jane.

B) Holden believes he and Jane will one day be married.

C) Holden thinks that Stradlater is too good for Jane.

D) Holden does not want to imagine two "phonies" together.

9. Which of the following does Holden struggle with throughout the novel?

A) His separation from his parents

B) His argument with Phoebe

C) His relationship with Mr. Spencer

D) His understanding of Allie's death

10. Why is Holden's hand injured?

A) He got into a fight with Ackley.

B) He punched out the windows in his parents' garage.

C) He was born with a deformed hand.

D) He was prone to fistfights which got him kicked out schools.

11. Which of the following do the ducks by the pond represent?

A) Adapting to circumstances

B) Remaining close to family

C) Stasis and fixed thinking

D) Romantic relationships

12. Why is Holden curious about psychoanalysis?

A) Holden was psychoanalyzed as a child, but he doesn't remember.

B) Allie was psychoanalyzed before his death.

C) Holden was supposed to undergo psychanalysis, but he never did.

D) Phoebe is undergoing psychoanalysis.

13. What does it mean to be a "catcher in the rye"?

A) To preserve innocence and childhood

B) To mature and become more experienced as an adult

C) To grieve the deaths of family members

D) To grow old and reflect on childhood memories

14. What does Mr. Antolini advise Holden not to do?

A) Mr. Antolini advises Holden not to give up on his dreams.

B) Mr. Antolini advises Holden not to worry too much about becoming successful.

C) Mr. Antolini advises Holden not to become overly optimistic.

D) Mr. Antolini advises Holden not to die for a cause.

15. What does Holden realize as he watches Phoebe on the carousel?

A) Phoebe should be protected from making the same mistakes he did.

B) Phoebe will have to make her own mistakes and learn from them.

C) Phoebe is much smarter and more interesting than most other people.

D) Phoebe will have a more difficult time growing up than he did.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Why does Holden write a descriptive essay about Allie's baseball mitt? What does this reveal about his relationship with Allie?

2. Holden seems to view others in a very black-and-white sense. People are either complete phonies, like Ackley, or perfect, like Phoebe. Is Holden a reliable narrator? Should we believe that these characters are all good, or all bad?

3. JD Salinger leaves the novel's ending open. Why? What does this suggest about Holden and Holden's problems?