Chapter 21 Quiz — The Catcher in the Rye

How does Holden get past the elevator operator to reach his family's apartment?

• He waits until the elevator operator goes on break and uses the stairs
• He tells the new operator, Pete, that he is visiting the Dicksteins in the same building
• He calls ahead and asks Phoebe to let him in through the service entrance
• He bribes the doorman to let him through without being announced

Why is Holden more concerned about waking his mother than the maid?

• The maid sleeps in a separate wing of the apartment and cannot hear anything
• The maid, Charlene, is partially deaf, while his mother has suffered insomnia since Allie's death
• His mother is already suspicious about his school situation
• The maid is on vacation and not in the apartment

Why is Phoebe sleeping in D.B.'s room?

• Her own room is being redecorated by their parents
• She had a nightmare and wanted to sleep somewhere else
• She likes to sleep in D.B.'s room whenever he is away in Hollywood
• Her room is too cold because the heater is broken

What fake middle name does Phoebe use in her school notebooks?

• Phoebe Elizabeth Caulfield
• Phoebe Margaret Caulfield
• Phoebe Weatherfield Caulfield
• Phoebe Charlotte Caulfield

What role is Phoebe playing in her school's Christmas pageant?

• George Washington
• Betsy Ross
• Benedict Arnold
• Martha Washington

What does Phoebe's role as Benedict Arnold ironically parallel?

• D.B.'s decision to leave New York for Hollywood
• Holden's betrayal of his family's expectations by getting expelled again
• Allie's death and the family's sense of being abandoned
• The elevator operator's deception of the building management

How does Phoebe initially react when Holden wakes her?

• She is frightened and screams before recognizing him
• She is immediately overjoyed, throws her arms around him, and begins chattering excitedly
• She is groggy and annoyed at being woken in the middle of the night
• She quietly asks why he is home early from school

How does Phoebe figure out that Holden has been expelled?

• She overhears a phone call between their parents about the expulsion
• She finds the expulsion letter in his coat pocket
• She realizes he is home before the semester has ended, which can only mean expulsion
• Holden confesses directly without her needing to guess

What does Phoebe do after learning Holden has been expelled?

• She cries quietly and asks him to explain what happened
• She says 'Daddy's going to kill you,' pulls the pillow over her head, and refuses to talk
• She gets angry and tells him to leave D.B.'s room immediately
• She suggests they run away together so he does not have to face their parents

How does Holden try to justify his expulsion to Phoebe?

• He tells her his grades were unfairly low because the teachers disliked him
• He describes the phoniness of Pencey Prep and the people there
• He says he left voluntarily because he was bored with the coursework
• He blames his roommate Stradlater for causing problems that got him expelled

Which of the following events actually happen in Chapter 21?

Which of these statements about Phoebe in Chapter 21 are true?

What does 'surreptitious' mean in the context of Holden's entry into his family's apartment?

• Bold and confident, carried out in plain view
• Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of; done stealthily
• Careless and noisy, without regard for consequences
• Planned well in advance with careful preparation

What does 'idealization' mean as it relates to Holden's view of Phoebe?

• Criticizing someone's flaws in order to help them improve
• Feeling jealous of another person's accomplishments
• Regarding or representing something as perfect or better than it actually is
• Ignoring someone entirely because they do not meet your standards

What does 'deflection' mean in the context of Holden's response to Phoebe's accusation?

• Accepting full responsibility for one's actions without making excuses
• A defense mechanism of redirecting attention away from uncomfortable truths
• An honest and direct admission of wrongdoing
• The act of physically turning away from someone during a conversation