Catcher in The Rye

Question 1

Who is Holden Caulfield?

Answer 1

Holden Caufield is the main character of the book. He is an underacheiver, he dosen’t care much about school, I think this because he is failing four subjects.

Question 2

Where is Holden as he narrates the story? Why wouldn’t Holden be back to Pencey after Christmas vacation?

Answer 2

He is in a care institution near his brother who is in Hollywood.

Question 3

Why wasn’t Holden at the big football game?

Answer 3

Holden wasn’t at the football game because he just arrived from being in New York for the fencing competition

Question 4

Why wouldn’t Holden be back to Pencey after Christmas vacation?

Answer 4

Holden couldn’t go back to Pency after the Christmas vacation because he got kicked out for failing four subjects.

Question 5

What “dirty trick” did Mr. Spencer pull on Holden?

Answer 5

The “dirty trick” that Mr. Spencer pulled on Holden was that he was reading holden’s essay that he wrote for his test out loud to him, and the note that he wrote saying that Holden wouldn’t mind if Mr.Spencer failed him.

Question 6

Who was Robert Ackley?

Answer 6

Holden’s next-door neighbor in his dorm at Pencey Prep. Ackley is a pimply, insecure boy with terrible dental hygiene. He often barges into Holden’s room and acts completely oblivious to Holden’s hints that he should leave. Holden believes that Ackley makes up elaborate lies about his sexual experience.

Question 7

Who is Stradlater?

Answer 7

Holden’s roommate at Pencey Prep. Stradlater is handsome, self-satisfied, and popular, but Holden calls him a “secret slob,” because he appears well groomed, but his toiletries, such as his razor, are disgustingly unclean. Stradlater is sexually active and quite experienced for a prep school student, which is why Holden also calls him a “sexy bastard.”`

Question 8

. Identify Jane Gallagher

Answer 8

She is a girl that used to live near Holden and always used to play checkers with him the last two summers. She also danced Ballet and had lots of problems with her “booze-hound” father. According to Holden, she had a terrible childhood

Question 9

Why doesn’t Holden go down to see Jane when he has the chance to?

Answer 9

What Holden does is that he gives an excuse that he is not in the mood of seeing Jane at the time that he was able to, is because he was shy. I don’t believe Holden when he says that he is not in the mood of seeing Jane

Question 10

What did Holden write Stradlater’s composition about?

Answer 10

Holden wrote Stradlater’s composition about his brother who passed away. He wrote about the way he used to catch the baseball.

Question 11

Why did Holden tear up the composition he had written for Stradlater?

Answer 11

Holden started to tear up while writing the composition because he was talking about his brother who passed away, and he had missed the way they used to play around together.

Question 12

Why did Stradlater hit Holden?

Answer 12

Stradlater hit Holden because of the way Holden commented about Stradlater’s date, Jane and because Holden called Stradlater a moron.

Question 13

Where did Holden decide to go?

Answer 13

Holden decided to go after he got kicked out of Pencey to New York.

Question 14

Who did Holden meet on his train ride? Why did Holden lie to her about Ernie?

Answer 14

Holden met on his train ride Ernie’s mother. He lied to her about Ernie because he felt that he shouldn’t let her down because she was so proud of her son.

Question 15

Who is Phoebe?

Answer 15

Phoebe is Holden Caulfield’s little sister. He describes her as a smart and funny kid, and he makes it clear that he truly loves and admires her. She represents his love and admiration for him too. He calles her “Old Phoebe”. She has red hair and is unusually intelligent for her age.

Question 16

Identify Bernice, Marty and Laverne.

Answer 16

They are the three women who Holden dances with and buys drinks for in the hotel bar - The Lavender Room.
They are visiting from Seattle.

Question 17

Describe Holden’s relationship with Jane Gallagher.

Answer 17

Holden used to go out with jane to the movies and they used to play checkers and he used to comfort her alot.

Question 18

Why did Holden have to leave Ernie’s?

Answer 18

Because he told his brothers girl friend that he had to meet somebody

Question 19

What do we learn about Holden from his diversion about his gloves being stolen at Pencey?

Answer 19

that he does not like looking at people as he hurts them and that he doesnt want to get into a fight willingly.

Question 20

What was the “big mess” Holden got into when he got back to the hotel after being at Ernie’s?

Answer 20

when he gets back he gets the oportunity to lose his verginity but he doesnt take it and lies to the girl and says he just got surgery.

Question 21

Why did Maurice hit Holden?

Answer 21

Maurice hit holden because Holden refused to pay Maurice the full amount for the prostitute, Sonny.

Question 22

Holden said he felt like committing suicide. Why didn’t he?

Answer 22

Holden didn’t want to commit suicide because he didn’t want phonies stoping and staring at his body.

Question 23

Identify Sally Hayes.

Answer 23

According to Holden Sally Hayes is a good looking girl but Holden believes that she is the biggest phony ever.

Question 24

Why did Holden check out of the hotel, and where did he go?

Answer 24

Holden checked out of the hotel because he was feeling depressed, as usual. He went to the station.

Question 25

Who did Holden meet at the “little sandwich bar” after he locked his bags at the station?
What did they talk about?

Answer 25

Holden met two nuns at the “Little sandwich bar” At the station. They talked about books. Holden really liked one of the nurses, and was shocked when she said she liked the book “Romeo And Juliet”

Question 26

What record did Holden get for Phoebe? Why?

Answer 26

Holden got Pheobe an album called “Litlle Sherley Beans” Because he thought that it would “Knock Pheobe Out”

Question 27

What made Holden “not so depressed anymore” on his way to the record store?

Answer 27

What made Holden “not so depressed anymore” was a little boy singing and humming on the street near the side walk , on his way to the record store.

Question 28

Why didn’t Holden like actors?

Answer 28

Holden didn’t like actors because he thought that they were phonies and fake.

Question 29

Why did Holden like the museum so much?

Answer 29

Holden liked the museum so much because it never changes; whenever Holden went to the museum nothing changed.

Question 30

What did Holden think of “George something–”?

Answer 30

Holden thought that George had one of these tired, snobby and phony voices. He thought that he was boring and Holden didn’t really like him.

Question 31

How did Holden’s feelings for Sally change from the beginning of the date to the end?

Answer 31

When he first sees her, he is convinced he is in love with her. He then alternates between annoyance and rapturous passion for the duration of their date, until he finally tells her that she gives him “a royal pain in the ass.”

Question 32

What did Holden think of the show at Radio City?

Answer 32

The show at Radio City made him feel sick and leads him to another long “rant” about the movies.

Question 33

Why did Holden call Carl Luce even though he didn’t like him much?

Answer 33

Holden called Carl Luce even though he didn’t like him much because he was lonely.

Question 34

What did Holden and Luce discuss?

Answer 34

Holden and Luce discussed their sex life.

Question 35

Why did Holden go home so early (before Wednesday)?

Answer 35

Holden went home early because he wanted to see his sister, Phoebe.

Question 36

What was Phoebe’s reaction when she first saw Holden? What was her reaction when she
found out that he had been expelled?

Answer 36

When Phoebe saw Holden she was happy (over joyed to see him). When Phoebe found out that Holden was expelled she hit him and on his leg first, then she smacked him, and after that she put the pillow on his head.

Question 37

What was Holden’s reply when Phoebe asked him why he “got the ax again”?

Answer 37

Holden said it was because the president of the school board and his father had a political disagreement

Question 38

Identify James Castle.

Answer 38

James Castle is a guy Holden knows from Elkton Hills. He is a skinny little weak-looking guy that died. He died because he wouldn’t take back something he said about Stabile.
ames Castle is a guy Holden knows from Elkton Hills. He is a skinny little weak-looking guy that died. He died because he wouldn’t take back something he said about Stabile.

Question 39

Why did Holden go to Mr. Antolini’s house?

Answer 39

Mr. Antolini invited Holden to his house because he heard that he got kicked out of Pencey.

Question 40

Why did Holden leave Mr. Antolini’s home before morning?

Answer 40

Holden left Mr. Antolini’s home before morning because he was striking Holden’s head and Holden thought it was homosexual attempt so he left the apartment.

Question 41

What advice did Mr. Antolini give Holden?

Answer 41

Mr. Antolini advised Holden that he has to attened school because Holden is in love with knowledge.

Question 42

How did Phoebe surprise Holden? What was Holden’s reaction?

Answer 42

Phoebe’s surprize for holden was that she wanted to go with him.

Question 43

Why did Holden sit on the bench in the rain even though it was coming down in buckets?

Answer 43

Holden sat on the bench in the rain because he was so happy to see Phoebe going round and round on the carrousel

Question 44

How did Holden explain his catcher in the rye daydream?

Answer 44

He daydreams about Pheobe’s innocence and Jane’s warmth. He was able to protect his vision of an ideal world. Instead of dealing with real people and real life situations.