View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Miss Megley?

2. Who does Lee say is Arthur's worst enemy?

3. When does Arthur start thinking about leaving his wife?

4. What month is it when Lionel disappears in the story, Down at the Dinghy?

5. Who do the goggles that are thrown overboard once belong to?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator lie in his lengthy application letter to the art school in Montreal?

2. Who does Lee think Joanie goes with after the party?

3. Why does the narrator and Bobby move back to New York nine years later?

4. Why does Lionel run away so often?

5. Why does Sister Irma withdraw from classes at the art school?

6. Why does Arthur want to move to Connecticut?

7. What do the pickles, key chain and goggles tell us about Lionel?

8. Why does Arthur call Lee back and pretend Joanie is finally home?

9. Why does Arthur think his marriage isn't working?

10. What happens to the narrator after he leaves the training course?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The wealthy and bored housewife character is written about in a couple of the short stories in Salinger's collection. Explore this character by comparing and contrasting the women. What do they have in common? Why is this a returning type of character in the collection?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast your favorite story from Nine Stories to your least favorite story. Explain what you like and dislike from each story. Use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast your favorite and least favorite characters in the book. Use specific examples from the book to explain what you do and do not like about each character.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 713 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample