The Catcher in the Rye Characters: Who Is Who
The Catcher in the Rye has a large cast, but only a few characters matter deeply. Holden Caulfield narrates, Phoebe is the person he trusts, and Allie, his dead brother, shapes his mood. Most others pass in and out of his weekend.
Nearly sixty characters are named in the book, many only briefly.
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Holden Caulfield | Narrator, 16, expelled from Pencey Prep |
| Phoebe Caulfield | His 10-year-old sister |
| Allie Caulfield | His younger brother, who died years earlier |
| D.B. Caulfield | His older brother, a writer in Hollywood |
| Jane Gallagher | A girl Holden likes and respects |
| Mr. Antolini | Holden's former English teacher |
Who is in Holden's family?
Holden is a tall, sharp-tongued teenager who has been expelled from several schools. He tells the story himself in a slangy voice, and calls much of what he sees phony.
Phoebe is ten, smart and loyal, and she is the one person Holden never calls phony. Allie died of leukemia years before the story, and Holden still thinks of him often. D.B. is the older brother, who left serious writing for Hollywood, which Holden resents. Their parents are mentioned but barely appear.
↑ Back to the topWho does Holden know at school?
Stradlater is Holden's handsome, confident roommate, and his date with Jane Gallagher leads to a fight. Ackley lives next door, an insecure, untidy boy whom Holden finds annoying. Mr. Spencer is an elderly history teacher who tries without success to push Holden to take school seriously.
↑ Back to the topWhich women and girls matter?
Jane Gallagher never appears in person, but she matters more to Holden than almost anyone outside his family. Sally Hayes is a girl Holden has dated, more conventional than he is, and he asks her to run away with him, then insults her when she refuses. Sunny is a young prostitute sent to his hotel room. Holden lets her leave without anything happening, and her pimp Maurice later demands more money.
↑ Back to the topWho else does he meet in New York?
Carl Luce is an older former schoolmate, now at Columbia, whom Holden meets for a drink. Mr. Antolini is a former teacher, now at New York University, whom Holden respects. He gives Holden serious advice, but later behavior that Holden finds alarming sends him out of the apartment. Readers disagree about what it meant.
Holden also has brief encounters with two nuns, taxi drivers and various strangers, each of whom shows another side of him.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Catcher in the Rye
This guide covers the novel only. Details such as page counts vary by edition.