Why does Holden get mad at Luce for calling his old girlfriend a derogatory term?

• A. He agrees with Luce's comment.
• B. He laughs it off and doesn't care.
• C. He thinks the girlfriend should have kept kissing him.
• D. He is upset because Luce disrespected his girlfriend and Holden believes she deserves respect.

Answer: (D)

Holden’s reaction centers on respect and loyalty to someone he cares about. When Luce uses a derogatory term to refer to Holden’s old girlfriend, Holden feels that Luce is treating her with disrespect. This bothers Holden because he values people being treated with dignity, and he wants his friends to acknowledge that the woman he cared for deserves basic respect, even if she isn’t present. The moment isn’t about agreeing with the remark or about trivial amusement; it’s about a sense that Luce’s careless language degrades someone Holden cares about. The other ideas don’t fit because they miss that protective, morally charged impulse—Holden isn’t endorsing the insult, nor does he find it funny, and it isn’t about who should have kissed whom.