English 9 Midterm Review
Vocabulary
The Catcher in the Rye – pacifist, qualms, humble, sophisticated, atheist
“The Most Dangerous Game” – amenities, chateau, opaqueness, palpable
“Sonata for Harp and Bicycle” – encroaching, menacing, reciprocate, preposterous
“Checkouts”, “The Girl Who Can” – humble, dishevelment, comprehension, fertile
“The Gift of the Magi” – depreciates, scrutiny, instigates, coveted
“The Necklace” – pauper, privations, exorbitant, incessantly
Literary Terms
static character
dynamic character
foreshadowing
conflict
internal conflict
external conflict
protagonist
antagonist
irony
first-person point of view
omniscient point of view
limited third-person point of view
direct characterization
indirect characterization
situational irony
metaphor
Literary Analysis
rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, conflict, narrative essay
Characters
The Catcher in the Rye – Phoebe, D.B., Ackley, Stradlater, Jane, Allie, Sally
The Lovely Bones – Susie, Lindsey, Buckley, Jack, Abigail, Len Fenerman, George
Harvey, Ruth Connors, Ray Singh, Franny
Multiple Choice
The Catcher in the Rye
 About what did Holden write Stradlater’s composition?
 Where did Holden decide to go after getting expelled?
 What do we learn about Holden from his diversion about his gloves being stolen at
Pencey?
 What did Holden like about the museum so much?
 What advice did Mr. Antolini give Holden?
 How did Holden explain his catcher in the rye daydream?
The Lovely Bones
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Which member of the Salmon family has the hardest time accepting Susie’s death
How does Susie’s father explain her death to his son?
Why does Susie’s mother leave the family?
What does Susie mean when she says she falls to Earth?
How does Susie convince Ray that it is her in Ruth’s body, not Ruth?
What is the last symbolic touch of Susie in the story?
“The Most Dangerous Game”
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How does the author create suspense at the very beginning of the story?
Which of the following best describes Rainsford’s internal conflict?
Why doesn’t Zaroff consider his sport immoral?
In which of the following ways does the author make the plot more suspenseful?
“Sonata for Harp and Bicycle”
 How would you describe the story?
 What does the author mean when she writes that every evening “the staff hustled
like lemmings”?
 Which details lead you to predict that something very strange is going on?
 What is the climax of the story?
“Checkouts”, “The Girl Who Can”
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Which point of view does the author use in “Checkouts”?
Which point of view does the author use in “The Girl Who Can”?
Why is the ending of “The Girl Who Can” ironic?
In which story (or stories) does the point of view enable to narrator to reveal the
thoughts and feelings of all the major characters?
 How would you contrast “Checkouts” and “The Girl Who Can”?
“The Gift of the Magi”
 What material possessions did Della and Jim sacrifice for each other?
 What is the ironic situation in the story?
 What is the real “gift” referred to in the title? (Notice the author says “gift” and
not “gifts.”)
 Explain why the following statement is a paradox: Jim and Della were one of the
richest couples on earth.
“The Necklace”
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After Mathilde loses the necklace, what is ironic about her position?
Why was Mme Forestier’s revelation of the fake necklace ironic?
How are Mathilde and Della alike?
How are Mathilde and Della different?
Quotes
The Lovely Bones
Essay (Choose 1)
 The Catcher in the Rye includes many different forms of symbolism – the ducks in
Central Park, the broken record, Grand Central Station, and Holden’s red hunting
hat. Choose one of these symbols and describe how it relates to Holden’s life.
 Describe how the image of Susie’s father turning a snow globe with a penguin in it
in The Lovely Bones becomes a metaphor for Susie’s life.