To check that you are prepared, each Monday we will have a short quiz. This will be on general comprehension questions for those chapters as well as one or some of the questions below. As these questions are given to you beforehand, it is expected that you will offer in-depth answers that show analysis and understanding - not just the basics! You are encouraged to prepare your ideas for the given questions but will not be allowed to use any notes during the quiz.
Week 1: Chapters 1-5 1. What is Pencey Prep, why does Holden dislike it, and why has he been expelled? 2. What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood ”being a prostitute” 3. What can you infer about Holden’s character through his note to Mr. Spencer? 4. Who is Ackley and what does he do that annoys Holden? 5. Who is Stradlater? Describe his physical and character traits. 6. Who is Allie, and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
Week 2: Chapters 6 - 10 1. Why is Holden so concerned about what happened with Jane Gallagher and Stradlater? What does this possibly reveal about Holden? 2. After his fight with Stradlater, Holden decides to go visit Ackley. Why might he do this? What does this reveal about his personality? 3. Why do you think Holden was crying as he left Pencey Prep? 4. What are some of the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow? Why might he do this? 5. Who does Holden call when he gets to the hotel? Why might he call her? 6. Who is Phoebe, and what is Holden's opinion of her? 7. Describe Holden’s experience in the Lavender Room. What do his interactions with Laverne, Marty, and Bernice reveal about Holden’s personality?
Week 3: Chapters 11 - 15 1. Why is Jane so special to Holden? Describe their past relationship. 2. Why does Holden leave Ernie’s? 3. Why does Holden stop when girls tell him to? Relate this to why Holden did not have sex with the prostitute. 4. What does Holden think about when he gets “really depressed”? What does this reveal about his character? Is his behaviour normal or abnormal? 5. What is the point that Holden tries to make about people when he elaborates about the suitcases of the nuns and of his former roommate?
Week 4: Chapters 16 - 20 1. Who does Holden make a date with in chapter 16? Why does he call her up if he thinks she's a phony? 2. How does Holden treat little kids? Give an example. 3. Why does Holden want to take off with Sally now instead of after college? What is the difference in his eyes? 4. Why did Holden think the woman who cried through the movie was a phony? 5. Why did Holden get mad at Luce for calling his (Luce's) old girlfriend the "Whore of New Hampshire"? Connect Holden’s response to your previous knowledge of Holden’s views on women. 6. What does Holden pretend happens to him at the Wicker Bar? Why might he do this? 7. Who does Holden call after he leaves the bar? Why might he do this?
Week 5: Chapters 21 - 26 1. What does Holden find so intriguing about Phoebe’s notebook? 2. Why did it depress Holden when an "old guy" told him that his days at Pencey were the happiest days of his life? 3. What does Phoebe do that makes Holden cry? 4. Why did Holden fail his speech class? 5. What does Antolini's quote mean:"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”? How does this relate to Holden? 6. How does Antolini upset and scare Holden? Can you relate this to Holden's previous digression about "flits"? 7. Why does Holden keep repeating, "Allie, don't let me disappear"? What does this reveal about Holden’s mental state? 8. With all the bad language that Holden uses, why was he so upset that curse words were written on a school wall? 9. Why is it so important to Holden that Phoebe not be mad at him? Relate this to his past, and Allie.
10. What do we finally find out about where Holden is while he is telling the story?
Week 1: Chapters 1-5
1. What is Pencey Prep, why does Holden dislike it, and why has he been expelled?
2. What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood ”being a prostitute”
3. What can you infer about Holden’s character through his note to Mr. Spencer?
4. Who is Ackley and what does he do that annoys Holden?
5. Who is Stradlater? Describe his physical and character traits.
6. Who is Allie, and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
Week 2: Chapters 6 - 10
1. Why is Holden so concerned about what happened with Jane Gallagher and Stradlater?
What does this possibly reveal about Holden?
2. After his fight with Stradlater, Holden decides to go visit Ackley. Why might he do this?
What does this reveal about his personality?
3. Why do you think Holden was crying as he left Pencey Prep?
4. What are some of the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow? Why might he do this?
5. Who does Holden call when he gets to the hotel? Why might he call her?
6. Who is Phoebe, and what is Holden's opinion of her?
7. Describe Holden’s experience in the Lavender Room. What do his interactions with
Laverne, Marty, and Bernice reveal about Holden’s personality?
Week 3: Chapters 11 - 15
1. Why is Jane so special to Holden? Describe their past relationship.
2. Why does Holden leave Ernie’s?
3. Why does Holden stop when girls tell him to? Relate this to why Holden did not have sex
with the prostitute.
4. What does Holden think about when he gets “really depressed”? What does this reveal
about his character? Is his behaviour normal or abnormal?
5. What is the point that Holden tries to make about people when he elaborates about the
suitcases of the nuns and of his former roommate?
Week 4: Chapters 16 - 20
1. Who does Holden make a date with in chapter 16? Why does he call her up if he thinks
she's a phony?
2. How does Holden treat little kids? Give an example.
3. Why does Holden want to take off with Sally now instead of after college? What is the
difference in his eyes?
4. Why did Holden think the woman who cried through the movie was a phony?
5. Why did Holden get mad at Luce for calling his (Luce's) old girlfriend the "Whore of New
Hampshire"? Connect Holden’s response to your previous knowledge of Holden’s views
on women.
6. What does Holden pretend happens to him at the Wicker Bar? Why might he do this?
7. Who does Holden call after he leaves the bar? Why might he do this?
Week 5: Chapters 21 - 26
1. What does Holden find so intriguing about Phoebe’s notebook?
2. Why did it depress Holden when an "old guy" told him that his days at Pencey were the
happiest days of his life?
3. What does Phoebe do that makes Holden cry?
4. Why did Holden fail his speech class?
5. What does Antolini's quote mean:"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”? How does this relate to Holden?
6. How does Antolini upset and scare Holden? Can you relate this to Holden's previous
digression about "flits"?
7. Why does Holden keep repeating, "Allie, don't let me disappear"? What does this reveal
about Holden’s mental state?
8. With all the bad language that Holden uses, why was he so upset that curse words were
written on a school wall?
9. Why is it so important to Holden that Phoebe not be mad at him? Relate this to his past,
and Allie.
10. What do we finally find out about where Holden is while he is telling the story?