E
JERICHO
HIGH
SCHOOL
NAME ________________________________
PERIOD ___________
DATE ___________
MS. FISCHER
THE CATCHER
IN THE RYE
J.D. SALINGER
Tracking Words
The frequency of certain words may help to illuminate some meaning from the work. This is an
inexact count and may be wrong by one or two on each word, but you get the general idea.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Fiend = 5 times
Madman = 16 times
Crazy = 77 times
Depress = 50 times
Alone = 18 times
Lonesome = 8 times
Sad = 20 times
Sorry = 35 times
Suicide = 6 times
Goddam [sic] = 245
God = 321 (this includes goddamn)
Jesus = 21 times
Christ = 40 times (3 of these are Jesus Christ; 33 of these are Christmas)
Chrissake [sic] = 32 times
Holy = 3 times
Hell = 281 times
Fall = 17 times
Death = 7 times
Dead = 27 times
Kill = 64 times
Game = 40 times
War = 48 times
Phony = 35 Times
Father = 36 times (remember that Holden's dad doesn't ever make a personal
appearance in the novel, yet the word father is printed 36 times.)
Is Holden a Christ Figure?
The following bullets outline the traits that are typically portrayed in literary Christ figures. You
will need to reflect on the novel to decide which traits Holden possesses. If Holden only
matches a few traits, well, so do many people, but if he matches many of them… it is a literary
evaluation, and there may be no definitively correct answer.
 Crucified, wound in hands, feet, side, and head
 Holden has a wounded hand. "My hand still hurts me once in a while."
 He gets punched in the stomach.
 His head is bleeding after Stradlater fights with him. Holden walks into
Ackley's room with blood dripping on his face. There is a light shining behind
his head. We might picture a halo. Holden turns on the light, and the first
word Ackley says is "Jesus!"
 In agony
 We can argue that Holden himself is agony
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Self-sacrificing
Good with children
 He wants to catch / save them from falling. Plus, he helps children in many
different places in the novel. Think about his experience at the museum.
Think about the end of the novel and the writing on the wall.
Good with loaves, fishes, water, wine
Thirty-three years of age when last seen
Employed as carpenter
Known to use humble modes of transportation, feet or donkeys preferred
 Holden certainly is moving about on foot.
Believed to have walked on water
Often portrayed with arms outstretched
Known to have spent time alone in the wilderness
 students said that New York works as a metaphorical wilderness
Believed to have had a confrontation with the devil, possibly tempted
 Students point to the passages where the word fiend is used.
Last seen in the company of thieves
 Yes. The people at the hotel.
Creator of many aphorisms and parables
Buried, but arose on the third day
 Holden's journey is three days long. Some students were dealing buried as a
metaphor. Holden is buried with depression and angst. On the third day,
thanks to Phoebe, he comes out of it.
Had disciples
 no, unless we consider Phoebe to be one in some way
Very forgiving
 Holden says at the very end, "I sort of miss everybody I told about. Even old
Stradlater and Ackley, for instance. I think I even miss that goddam Maurice."
It seems as if he has forgiven these people.
Came to redeem an unworthy world
 He is not succesful, but Holden certain wishes he could redeem the world
that he perceives as being unworthy.