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Quiz about The Catcher in the Rye The Beginning
Quiz about The Catcher in the Rye The Beginning

The Catcher in the Rye: The Beginning Quiz

"The Catcher in the Rye" is definitely a literary masterpiece. Take a look at some of what happens in the first chapters of J.D. Salinger's book. Good luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by Lpez. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Lpez
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
363,109
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
2087
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Holden Caulfield, the main character, is a sixteen year-old teen with quite a lot of problems. One of them, described right at the start of the book, is that he is being expelled from his school. Which school is he being expelled from? Hint


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Question 2 of 10
2. In Chapter 2, Holden decides to visit his teacher, Mr. Spencer, before he leaves. Spencer is at home when Holden shows up. Which subject does Mr. Spencer teach? Hint


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Question 3 of 10
3. In Chapter 3, we are introduced to a character Holden considers annoying. He is a senior at Pencey and is two years older than Holden. Which character, also noted for his terrible personal hygiene, is this? Hint


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Question 4 of 10
4. Holden's roommate at Pencey, Stradlater, is a tall, strong, and very good-looking (according to the book) guy, and frequently goes on dates with girls. Which of the following makes him different from many of his Pencey fellow students? Hint


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Question 5 of 10
5. Stradlater dates Jane Gallagher, whom Holden has a crush on. While the date is going on, Holden agrees to write a composition for Stradlater, which has to be about a house or other place. Holden, however, doesn't care and writes it about another topic.

Which object did he write about? Hint


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Question 6 of 10
6. Holden decides to leave to New York on that very night. In the train, he meets Mrs. Morrow, mother of Ernest Morrow. He tells her many lies about her son, he even lies about his name, claiming he's called Rudolf Schmidt. Who actually has this name? Hint


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Question 7 of 10
7. While at the Edmont Hotel, Holden describes some of the things he sees. Which of the following is NOT one of them? Hint


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Question 8 of 10
8. Holden, feeling lonely, goes to a night club which is very close to the hotel. What is the night club called? Hint


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Question 9 of 10
9. Desperate for company, Holden goes to another night club, Ernie´s, to which his older brother D.B. used to go. What is D.B. doing now? Hint


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Question 10 of 10
10. When Holden goes back to his hotel, Maurice, the elevator guy, offers him a prostitute. Holden accepts but when she is in his room, he does not want to have sex with her. What does he want to do instead? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Holden Caulfield, the main character, is a sixteen year-old teen with quite a lot of problems. One of them, described right at the start of the book, is that he is being expelled from his school. Which school is he being expelled from?

Answer: Pencey Prep

 Holden, as he says, "got the axe" and was expelled from Pencey Prep, as he was flunking four out of five subjects, all subjects except for English. He had also been kicked out from Whooton School and Elkton Hills in the past.

Pencey Prep is an exclusive school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania, a fictional town.
2. In Chapter 2, Holden decides to visit his teacher, Mr. Spencer, before he leaves. Spencer is at home when Holden shows up. Which subject does Mr. Spencer teach?

Answer: History

 Mr. Spencer, or as Holden calls him, "Old Spencer", was very sick that day, which Holden described as disgusting as he "isn't too crazy about sick people". Even though Holden flunked History, he kind of likes Mr. Spencer, and vice versa.

Spencer even tells him he didn't want to flunk Holden but had to, and he shows him a test Holden took, in which Holden wrote a little note telling Spencer that although his lectures are interesting, he just can't get interested.
3. In Chapter 3, we are introduced to a character Holden considers annoying. He is a senior at Pencey and is two years older than Holden. Which character, also noted for his terrible personal hygiene, is this?

Answer: Robert Ackley

 Robert Ackley, who according to Holden is called "Ackley" by everyone, is Holden's next-door neighbor. He always tries to hang out with Holden, who tries to ignore him. His personal hygiene, especially dental, is depicted as terrible. His teeth are "mossy and awful".

Ackley hates Holden's roommate, Stradlater, which is why he never goes into Holden's room if he is in there.
4. Holden's roommate at Pencey, Stradlater, is a tall, strong, and very good-looking (according to the book) guy, and frequently goes on dates with girls. Which of the following makes him different from many of his Pencey fellow students?

Answer: He has had sexual intercourse

 Holden clearly states that although mostly everyone at Pencey talks about sex, Stradlater is one of the few guys who really had experienced it.

Stradlater is described as a "sexy bastard" and although apparently Holden dislikes him, he does agree to write a composition for him.
5. Stradlater dates Jane Gallagher, whom Holden has a crush on. While the date is going on, Holden agrees to write a composition for Stradlater, which has to be about a house or other place. Holden, however, doesn't care and writes it about another topic. Which object did he write about?

Answer: A baseball glove

 Holden's younger brother, Allie, died aged seven from leukemia. It is very clear that Holden still suffers from this loss and is deeply affected by it. Remembering his brother, he writes about a baseball glove Allie used to write poems on.

When Stradlater is back, he tells Holden that isn't what he was supposed to do, causing Holden to tear the composition up.
6. Holden decides to leave to New York on that very night. In the train, he meets Mrs. Morrow, mother of Ernest Morrow. He tells her many lies about her son, he even lies about his name, claiming he's called Rudolf Schmidt. Who actually has this name?

Answer: The school janitor

 Actually, Holden dislikes Ernie Morrow, but he sort of likes his mother which is why he tells her a bunch of lies like "he would've been elected class president if he had let other students nominate him".

Holden also falsely tells her he is on his way to New York to get a brain tumor operation, which is why he left Pencey. This is obviously yet another of Holden's lies.
7. While at the Edmont Hotel, Holden describes some of the things he sees. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Answer: Two men kissing

 The reader gets a lot of description on what Holden is seeing out his window. There's a man dressing up as a woman, which was not common at all in the 1950s and really surprises Holden, a man and a woman drinking and then spitting mouthfuls of it on each other's faces.

Although two men kissing are not depicted in the book, there are a lot of sexuality-related issues that the book addresses. This caused plenty of controversy.
8. Holden, feeling lonely, goes to a night club which is very close to the hotel. What is the night club called?

Answer: The Lavender Room

 Although he usually gets alcohol because he appears to be older, the waiter at the Lavender Room does not care and refuses to give him alcohol.

Holden then sort of flirts with three girls that were in the club, but at the same time he kind of mocks them. He ends up paying for their drinks, after they leave.
9. Desperate for company, Holden goes to another night club, Ernie´s, to which his older brother D.B. used to go. What is D.B. doing now?

Answer: Writing in Hollywood

 D.B. Caulfield is Holden's brother, who writes for Hollywood's movies. He visited Holden very often.

At Ernie's, Holden bumps with Lillian Simmons, who was accompanied by her boyfriend, a Navy officer. She is friendly at first (as she used to date D.B.) but after Holden tells her he has to meet someone, Lillian leaves with obvious discontent.
10. When Holden goes back to his hotel, Maurice, the elevator guy, offers him a prostitute. Holden accepts but when she is in his room, he does not want to have sex with her. What does he want to do instead?

Answer: Talk with her

 Holden describes himself as a very perverted guy in his mind, but reveals he is a virgin. Sunny, the prostitute, is clearly uncomfortable with being there with Holden trying to engage in conversation with her.

Even though Maurice told Holden the fee was $5 dollars, Sunny says it's $10, and then Maurice confirms it. When Holden refuses to pay, Maurice beats him up.
Source: Author Lpez

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Referenced Topics
Movies   Literature   History   People   English   Trains   Names   New York   Pennsylvania   J. D. Salinger   Teachers  

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