Here are the most important characters of the novel:
Holden Caulfield:
Holden is the main character of the novel and we can see the world through his eyes. Holden is 16 years old at the time the events he describes us happen. He is a pretty confused young man by the fact of getting older, although he is from a stable background and his parents are quite wealthy. Holden´s language is compared to our language of today ( a teenager´s language). Holden has a younger sister and two brothers, one of whom is dead.
Over the novel, we see how his sense of unhappiness and depression increases as the novel progresses, until he has a breakdown, which leads him to a therapist.
Holden hates movies, although his brother D. B. creates some. He tries to behave like an adult by smoking and drinking, going out with girls and hanging out in bars, but when he is seeing other people doing this he is very critical and talks about his innocent childhood.
Phoebe Caulfield:
Phoebe is ten years old and has red hair. Phoebe likes going to the movies and can tell a good film from a bad one. She seems to be an intelligent girl and loves to write stories. Holden thinks, Phoebe is very grown up for her age. Phoebe becomes very important in the story, especially in the end, whilst she represents innocence and goodness and is a reminder of the time when life was happy at home for Holden. She is the main reason for Holden going home.
Allie Caulfield:
Allie was Holden´s younger brother, who died when Holden was thirteen. Holden describes Allie as a popular and sensitive boy. Although he is not often mentioned he is an important character as his death could started the change of seeing life.
D.B. Caulfield:
Holden´s elder brother D. B. is a writer. Over the story it is mentioned, that he moved to Hollywood to write for the film industry, which Holden feels is a waste of his talent and time. He visits Holden at the Hospital, where Holden is recovering as he tells his story to him.
Holden´s parents:
Holden´s mother is mentioned very briefly and is described as being strung, especially since the death of Allie. Holden´s father is only described very little, he is a lawyer who earns much.
Robert Ackley:
Robert Ackley has the room right next to Holden in Pencey, he is described as an unpopular boy. Holden gave him the nickname "Ackley boy" whilst he just likes it more than Robert. He is a senior pupil, has acne and bad teeth. Although Holden is talking often very bad about him I think he is very similar to him. They both try to start conversations or make friendships with people, but then they fail because of them being shy and uncomfortable.
Ward Stradlater:
Stradlater is Holden´s roommate in Pencey and described by Holden as a handsome and popular boy with the girls, someone who knows about the world. Stradlater is one of the only person he believes for having sexual intercourse. Stradtlater is pretty important in the novel, whilst he is the person who causes Holden to leave Pencey early. Stradtlater makes Holden jealous, particularly with his relationship with Jane Gallagher.
Jane Gallagher:
Jane seems to be Holden´s love, whilst she is one of the only person he felt comfortable with. They spent one summer together and had a nice time. However Holden does not want to phone her whilst he is scared that he could spoil his memory by doing that. Jane is the only person Holden forgives every time, also when he normally wouldn´t just because he likes her so much.
Mr. Spencer:
Mr. Spencer is Holden´s history teacher at Pencey. He is described as a very old, friendly and nice person.
Old Spencer, is very bad feeling, by having to let Holden fail on the exam. They really liked each other, but Holden had problems with the fact that Mr. Spencer was a real grown up.
Mr. Antolini:
Mr. Antolini, was Holden´s English teacher at Elkton Hills school. Holden thinks of him as a kind of hero, since he was the person who went to pick up the body of James Castle who killed him self at Elkton Hills. They have a very good relationship where the young age of Antolini and his understaning might play a big role. However, at the end of the book Holden runs away from his appartment and does not want any contact anymore just because Mr. Antolini went through Holden´s hair to wake him up.
Holden Caulfield:
Holden is the main character of the novel and we can see the world through his eyes. Holden is 16 years old at the time the events he describes us happen. He is a pretty confused young man by the fact of getting older, although he is from a stable background and his parents are quite wealthy. Holden´s language is compared to our language of today ( a teenager´s language). Holden has a younger sister and two brothers, one of whom is dead.
Over the novel, we see how his sense of unhappiness and depression increases as the novel progresses, until he has a breakdown, which leads him to a therapist.
Holden hates movies, although his brother D. B. creates some. He tries to behave like an adult by smoking and drinking, going out with girls and hanging out in bars, but when he is seeing other people doing this he is very critical and talks about his innocent childhood.
Phoebe Caulfield:
Phoebe is ten years old and has red hair. Phoebe likes going to the movies and can tell a good film from a bad one. She seems to be an intelligent girl and loves to write stories. Holden thinks, Phoebe is very grown up for her age. Phoebe becomes very important in the story, especially in the end, whilst she represents innocence and goodness and is a reminder of the time when life was happy at home for Holden. She is the main reason for Holden going home.
Allie Caulfield:
Allie was Holden´s younger brother, who died when Holden was thirteen. Holden describes Allie as a popular and sensitive boy. Although he is not often mentioned he is an important character as his death could started the change of seeing life.
D.B. Caulfield:
Holden´s elder brother D. B. is a writer. Over the story it is mentioned, that he moved to Hollywood to write for the film industry, which Holden feels is a waste of his talent and time. He visits Holden at the Hospital, where Holden is recovering as he tells his story to him.
Holden´s parents:
Holden´s mother is mentioned very briefly and is described as being strung, especially since the death of Allie. Holden´s father is only described very little, he is a lawyer who earns much.
Robert Ackley:
Robert Ackley has the room right next to Holden in Pencey, he is described as an unpopular boy. Holden gave him the nickname "Ackley boy" whilst he just likes it more than Robert. He is a senior pupil, has acne and bad teeth. Although Holden is talking often very bad about him I think he is very similar to him. They both try to start conversations or make friendships with people, but then they fail because of them being shy and uncomfortable.
Ward Stradlater:
Stradlater is Holden´s roommate in Pencey and described by Holden as a handsome and popular boy with the girls, someone who knows about the world. Stradlater is one of the only person he believes for having sexual intercourse. Stradtlater is pretty important in the novel, whilst he is the person who causes Holden to leave Pencey early. Stradtlater makes Holden jealous, particularly with his relationship with Jane Gallagher.
Jane Gallagher:
Jane seems to be Holden´s love, whilst she is one of the only person he felt comfortable with. They spent one summer together and had a nice time. However Holden does not want to phone her whilst he is scared that he could spoil his memory by doing that. Jane is the only person Holden forgives every time, also when he normally wouldn´t just because he likes her so much.
Mr. Spencer:
Mr. Spencer is Holden´s history teacher at Pencey. He is described as a very old, friendly and nice person.
Old Spencer, is very bad feeling, by having to let Holden fail on the exam. They really liked each other, but Holden had problems with the fact that Mr. Spencer was a real grown up.
Mr. Antolini:
Mr. Antolini, was Holden´s English teacher at Elkton Hills school. Holden thinks of him as a kind of hero, since he was the person who went to pick up the body of James Castle who killed him self at Elkton Hills. They have a very good relationship where the young age of Antolini and his understaning might play a big role. However, at the end of the book Holden runs away from his appartment and does not want any contact anymore just because Mr. Antolini went through Holden´s hair to wake him up.