Holden's family life
Holden has a complex family life. As he is often away from his family he doesn't have a lot of communication with his parents.
D.B.- Holden's brother who moved to Hollywood. Holden and D.B. have an interesting relationship, Holden admires that D.B. wrote stories, but he hates that he went out to Hollywood to make movies. "If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me." Holden ultimately relies on D.B., as D.B. drives Holden to and from therapy shown at the beginning of the book.
Allie- Allie is, was Holden's younger brother. Allie provides Holden emotional relief. Holden took his death really hard and still hasn't gotten over the fact that he died. "I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist." that was after Allie died, later when Holden is going through troubles he "talks" to Allie. At one point in the novel Holden pleads with Allied to keep him real, "I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. I'd say to him,'Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie.'" This shows that Holden hasn't gotten over Allie's death and that Holden needs some help.
Phoebe Weatherfield Caulfield- Holden's younger sister. Phoebe is what grounds Holden to reality at the end of the book. She is everything that Holden enjoys about life. She is innocent, and smart, things that Holden wishes that he could protect and preserve. This is shown in Holden's actions and thoughts. At one point Holden expresses his desire to be "the Catcher in the Rye" and he also wipes away the swear words in Phoebe's school and the museum. Phoebe convinces Holden that he should stay and confronts him on how he views life and what he enjoys. Phoebe tells Holden, "you don't like anything that's happening." This makes Holden realize that he has a very hard time naming what he does like. Holden then names Allie as one of the things that he likes and this goes to show that Holden still hasn't gotten over the fact that Allie is dead.
"Just because somebody's dead, you don't stop liking them, for God's sake-especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all."
-Holden