What point does Holden make about what makes a paper good in relation to Stradlater's and Ackley's views on commas and basketball?

• A. Content matters more than punctuation.
• B. Commas determine a writer's talent.
• C. A good punch line improves writing.
• D. The more commas, the better the paper.

Answer: (A)

Holden is testing the idea that what makes a paper good is what you say, not how you say it with punctuation. In this moment he notes that Stradlater cares about punctuation (like commas) and how a piece should look on the page, while Ackley’s focus on basketball signals a more superficial way of judging people. Holden pushes back by saying the real value of a composition comes from the content—the ideas, the honesty, and the voice behind them—not from fancy punctuation or surface traits. So the best point is that content matters more than punctuation. It’s not about how many commas you use or about a clever line alone; the substance of what you convey is what makes writing good.