Which fictional family is central to JD Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Raise High the Roof-Beams, Carpenters, and Seymour: An Introduction?

• A. The Bennet family
• B. The Glass family
• C. The Bundren family
• D. The March family

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is recognizing a recurring family that links several of Salinger’s works. The central family across Franny and Zooey, Raise High the Roof-Beams, Carpenters, and Seymour: An Introduction is the Glass family. In Franny and Zooey, the focus is on Franny and Zooey Glass, siblings whose conversations and inner struggles illuminate themes of spirituality and intellectual doubt. The two later pieces continue to explore the Glass family, especially the older brother Seymour and the family’s dynamics, with his presence and philosophy shaping the surrounding stories. This shared cast and interconnected storytelling earn them all the label of the Glass family, forming a single, cohesive family circle across the volume. The other families mentioned belong to different authors and works—Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, Bundren from As I Lay Dying, March from Little Women—so they don’t fit the Salinger collection in question.