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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the film about that Zooey made with Dick Hess?

2. Who does Zooey say that Franny should act for?

3. In the book Franny has been reading, who does the pilgrim find to help him learn about the prayer?

4. What made Franny quit the Bible and go straight to Buddha?

5. Why doesn't Zooey want to leave New York?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is it so odd that the curtains have been removed from the living room?

2. How did Zooey and Franny become freaks in Zooey's eyes?

3. What does Zooey tell Franny about her understanding of Jesus that should prevent her from saying the prayer?

4. Zooey finally confronts Franny about the Jesus prayer. He points out she is being hypocritical. How so?

5. How is it ironic that Franny tells Zooey that he is the most unsympathetic person that she has ever known?

6. Why does Bessie ask Zooey's opinion about whether she should call her son the priest to help Franny when Zooey treats his mother the way that he does?

7. What does the setting of Buddy and Seymour's bedroom say about their characters?

8. Zooey attempts to get through to Franny on many levels. One of them is as a daughter. How so?

9. How does Zooey feel about Lane and why does he feel this way?

10. How does the phone call redeem Zooey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What central question does the novel raises in reference to the book "The Way of the Pilgrim" and Franny's reading of it and to what extent does the novel offer answers. Explain how Salinger's treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole.

Essay Topic 2

Ego and phoniness are recurring themes in the novel. What is Salinger expressing about his feelings on each of these themes?

Essay Topic 3

Are humans a product of their environment or their upbringing or a combination of both? Is Franny's breakdown a product of her childhood or her environment? Take a stance on the topic and using examples and quotes from the novel. Defend your stance in a well-organized essay. Avoid plot summary.

(see the answer keys)

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