The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 10 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Why does Holden decide not to call Phoebe at the beginning of Chapter 10?

   • Phoebe told him she did not want to talk to him
   • The hotel does not have a working telephone
   • He does not have her phone number
   • Correct answer: He worries his parents would answer the phone

   Holden wants to call Phoebe but decides against it because she "wouldn't have been up" and he is afraid his parents would answer and learn he was kicked out of Pencey.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How old is Phoebe in The Catcher in the Rye?

   • Seven years old
   • Eight years old
   • Correct answer: Ten years old
   • Twelve years old

   Phoebe is ten years old. Despite her young age, Holden describes her as remarkably intelligent, creative, and emotionally perceptive.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What is the name of the fictional detective Phoebe creates in her stories?

   • Phoebe Weatherfield
   • Correct answer: Hazle Weatherfield
   • Helen Weatherby
   • Hazel Caulfield

   Phoebe writes stories about a girl detective named 'Hazle Weatherfield,' who is an orphan but somehow has a twenty-year-old father who keeps appearing in the stories.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What is the Lavender Room?

   • Correct answer: The nightclub inside the Edmont Hotel
   • A restaurant Holden visits with friends
   • A clothing store near Holden's hotel
   • The lobby of the Edmont Hotel

   The Lavender Room is the nightclub located in the Edmont Hotel where Holden goes after deciding not to call Phoebe.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What happens when Holden tries to order a scotch and soda in the Lavender Room?

   • A sympathetic customer at the next table orders it for him
   • The waiter serves him immediately, never questioning his age
   • Correct answer: The waiter refuses to serve him alcohol because he is underage
   • The waiter secretly adds a little rum to his Coke instead

   The waiter recognizes that Holden is underage and refuses to serve him alcohol, asking for proof of age. Holden is forced to order a Coke instead.

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6. 6

   Question 6. Where are the three women Holden meets in the Lavender Room from?

   • Boston
   • Correct answer: Seattle
   • Los Angeles
   • Chicago

   Bernice, Marty, and Laverne are tourists from Seattle. They all work at the same insurance company and are visiting New York City.

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7. 7

   Question 7. Which of the three women does Holden think is the best dancer?

   • All three are equally skilled
   • Marty
   • Laverne
   • Correct answer: Bernice

   Bernice, the blonde whose last name Holden thinks is "Crabs or Krebs," is "some dancer," Holden says, which genuinely surprises and impresses him. He enjoys dancing with her despite finding her personality lacking.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What band performs in the Lavender Room?

   • Correct answer: The Buddy Singer band
   • The Manhattan Players
   • The Lavender Five
   • The Edmont Orchestra

   The Buddy Singer band plays in the Lavender Room. Holden considers them terrible, describing their music as 'putrid' and 'corny.'

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9. 9

   Question 9. What are the three women most excited about during their trip to New York?

   • Shopping for fashionable hats at department stores
   • Visiting museums and galleries along Fifth Avenue
   • Eating dinner at El Morocco and the Stork Club
   • Correct answer: Spotting celebrities and visiting Radio City Music Hall

   The three women are preoccupied with celebrity sightings and excited about visiting Radio City Music Hall, interests that Holden considers shallow and touristy.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What happens with the check at the end of the Lavender Room scene?

    • The women split the check evenly
    • Bernice pays for everyone
    • Correct answer: Holden gets stuck paying the entire check
    • The waiter comps the drinks because of the poor service

    The three women leave without offering to pay even for the drinks they had before he joined them. Holden thinks they "should've at least offered," but he says he didn't care much.

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11. 11

    Question 11. Which of the following events actually happen in Chapter 10?

    • Holden thinks about calling Phoebe but decides against it.

      Happened

      He feels like talking to her, but she "wouldn't have been up" and he is afraid his parents would answer.

    • Holden successfully orders and drinks a scotch and soda.

      Didn't happen

      The waiter asks for verification of his age, so Holden orders a Coke and ends up drinking only Cokes.

    • Holden dances with Bernice in the Lavender Room.

      Happened

      Bernice, the blonde, gets up to dance with him, and Holden says she "was some dancer."

    • Phoebe visits Holden at the Edmont Hotel.

      Didn't happen

      Phoebe never appears in Chapter 10; Holden only thinks about calling her and describes her.

    • The three women from Seattle stick Holden with the check.

      Happened

      The check comes to about thirteen bucks, and the women never offer to pay even for the drinks they had before he joined them.

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12. 12

    Question 12. Which of these statements about Holden's description of Phoebe are true?

    • Phoebe has red hair, like Allie.

      Happened

      Holden says she has "this sort of red hair, a little bit like Allie's was."

    • Phoebe writes stories about a detective named Hazle Weatherfield.

      Happened

      Holden says Phoebe writes books about a girl detective named Hazle Weatherfield, though she never finishes them.

    • Holden says Phoebe is a terrible student.

      Didn't happen

      Holden says she has had "all A's ever since she started school."

    • Holden says Phoebe is a wonderful dancer.

      Happened

      He tells Bernice that his kid sister "can dance better than anybody living or dead."

    • Holden says Phoebe's favorite movie is The Baker's Wife.

      Didn't happen

      The Baker's Wife "killed her," Holden says, but her favorite is The 39 Steps, which she knows by heart.

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13. 13

    Question 13. What does 'putrid' mean as Holden uses it about Buddy Singer's band in the Lavender Room?

    • Correct answer: Extremely unpleasant, like something rotten
    • Old-fashioned and noticeably out of date in style
    • Soothing, gentle, and pleasantly relaxing
    • Remarkably impressive and highly skillful

    Putrid literally means rotten and foul; Holden uses it to call Buddy Singer's band terrible: "The band was putrid."

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14. 14

    Question 14. What does 'affectionate' mean as Holden uses it to describe his sister Phoebe?

    • Pretending to experience false emotions
    • Correct answer: Showing love and fondness for others openly
    • Easily irritated or offended by trifles
    • Unfriendly, distant, and emotionally cold

    Affectionate means showing love and fondness openly. Holden says Phoebe is "a little too affectionate sometimes" and "very emotional, for a child."

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15. 15

    Question 15. What does 'conversationalist' mean as Holden uses it when he speaks to Bernice?

    • Someone who argues constantly in order to win debates
    • Correct answer: Someone who is skilled at talking with others
    • Someone who works to protect forests and wildlife
    • Someone who converts others to a different religion

    A conversationalist is someone who is good at conversation. Holden tells Bernice she is "a very good conversationalist" after she has barely answered him, then says the remark "was over her head."

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