Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Period: ______________
The Catcher in the Rye, Chapters 1-5
Reading Guide, Pages 1-39
Assignment Date
Due Date & Quiz
Chapters 1-5
Monday, 11/2
Wednesday, 11/11
Chapters 6-11
Tuesday, 11/10
Wednesday, 11/18
Chapters 12-16
Tuesday, 11/17
Wednesday, 11/25
Chapters 17-21
Tuesday, 11/24
Friday, 12/4
Chapters 22-26
Thursday, 12/3
Wednesday, 12/9
Chapters 1-26
Test
Week of 12/14
Chapter 1 (Pages 1-6)
1.
What is the main character going to tell you?
2.
Who is going to drive the narrator home? From where (infer)?
3.
Where was the narrator a year ago? Describe.
4.
Who was Selma Thumer? This connects to question #9.
5.
What happened on the way to the fencing match?
6.
Who is Mr. Spencer? What did he know about the main character?
7.
What is physically with wrong the main character? (This passage gives you another clue to his current location.)
Chapter 2 (Pages 6-16)
8.
What was wrong with Mr. Spencer?
9.
What did Mr. Thurmer compare life to? Who is he? What did he mean?
10.
About how many schools has the narrator attended?
11.
How old is the main character currently? How old does he act sometimes?
12.
What is unusual about the main character’s appearance?
13.
How many subjects did the narrator fail? Pass?
14.
What is the main character’s full name?
15.
What was Holden really thinking about when he was explaining to Mr. Spencer what he would have done in his
teacher’s place?
16.
What was one of the Holden’s biggest reasons he left a previous school, Elkton Hills?
17.
When will Holden feel concern for his future according to Mr. Spencer?
18.
How did Holden feel as he shook hands with his teacher?
19.
What terrible thing did Mr. Spencer yell to Holden as he was leaving?
Chapter 3 (Pages 16-26)
20.
What kind of liar does Holden consider himself?
21.
What had Holden purchased that morning in New York? Describe.
22.
Who was Holden’s roommate?
23.
Is Holden really illiterate? Explain. Remember how he began this chapter. This applies to movies too.
24.
Who interrupted Holden while he was rereading part of “Out of Africa”? Describe him.
25.
What will Holden do to keep from being bored (pages 21-22)?
26.
What kind of hat does Holden claim his new one is?
27.
Why did Stradlater want to borrow Holden’s jacket?
Chapter 4 (Pages 26-35)
28.
According to Holden, both Ackley and Stradlater are slobs. How are they different kinds?
Ackley:
Stradlater:
29.
What favor does Stradlater ask of Holden? Be specific.
30.
What about his (Stradlater’s) request annoys Holden?
31.
What did he do to Stradlater because he was in the mood for horsing around?
32.
Who is Stradlater’s date? She knows Holden.
33.
What did she and Holden used to play? What was her distinctive move or strategy?
34.
What was Jane’s childhood like? Why did Holden say it was lousy?
35.
Why doesn’t Holden go to say hello to Jane like he keeps mentioning?
36.
How does Holden feel about Jane going on a date with Stradlater?
Chapter 5 (Pages 35-39)
37.
Why did the school serve steak on Saturdays?
38.
Why does Holden eventually kick Ackley out?
39.
What does he write about?
40.
What is descriptive about this item?
41.
What happened to Allie?
42.
According to Holden, what was his younger brother like?
43.
What did Holden do the night his brother died?
44.
What did Holden have in his suitcase?
45.
What had happened to Holden’s typewriter? What does this reveal about his character?
Chapters 1-5: Quotes, Questions, and Predictions
Directions: Record three observations from the reading. Write in complete sentences.
Quotes: Record something funny, significant, poignant, or sad.
Questions: Something to clarify or something to discuss.
Predictions: What do you think Holden will do or say next?