Even though people ultimately make the decisions for themselves, they are often influenced by the people around them. In the highly acclaimed novel The Catcher in the Rye, main character Holden Caulfield surrounds himself with many different types of people. There were many people that were active in Holden's life, such as Sally Hayes, Ackley, Mr. Spencer, the two nuns, and many others. Throughout the book, Holden learned which people influenced his life, for better or for worse.
In the beginning of the book, Holden gave the reader insight on three members of his family, other than his parents who he described as nice but "touchy as hell". Holden used to have a lot of respect for his older brother D.B. "He used to be a regular writer, when he was home. He wrote this terrific book of short stories 'The Secret Goldfish,' in case you never heard of him," (pg. 1). Holden thought D.B. had immense talent in literature. But D.B. soon gave up writing creative short stories for a job in Hollywood. "Now he's out in Hollywood, being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies," (pg. 2). When Holden described D.B. as being a "prostitute," I think he was saying that his brother dedicated his life to writing subpar stories for the movies for the sake of money. He no longer cared about writing because he was passionate about it. He wanted money. Holden often called his brother a "phony," as he referred to many people as. D.B. had neither a positive or negative influence on Holden's life. He was just a minor character who helped reveal some of Holden's biggest flaws. It showed how judgmental and narrow-minded Holden could be.
Secondly, the other family member that Holden brought up countless times throughout the book was Allie, his younger brother who died of cancer. Although Allie was dead, he was one of the most active characters in Holden's life. Holden idolized Allie.
"He was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent. He was terrifically intelligent... But it wasn't just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody," (pg. 38).
When Allie died, Holden couldn't handle his raging emotions. He broke all the windows in the garage and broke his hand. His life would never be the same, now that Allie was dead. Holden often compared everyone he met to Allie. No one was ever as smart as Allie, or as funny, or as nice. It's endearing to see how much Holden truly loved his brother. But it also made Holden more narrow-minded. Maybe most people in the world aren't like Allie, but that doesn't mean Holden shouldn't give them a chance. Holden needed to learn to appreciate people for who they are, not what they should be, or what they could be. Holden often felt lonely and couldn't find people to connect to. Maybe he needed to open up to people and accept them for their flaws. Allie would.
Thirdly, Phoebe Caulfield, Holden's little sister, was probably the most influential character in the book. I think Phoebe was supposed to mirror what Allie would be like if he were alive. Phoebe and Allie shared many of the same characteristics. "She put her arms around my neck and all. She's very affectionate. I mean, she's quite affectionate, for a child. Sometimes she's even too affectionate," (pg. 161). Holden also described her as being highly intelligent-the smartest kid he knew- and excitable and passionate, not to mention funny. Holden, who always had his head in the clouds, was brought back to reality by Phoebe. She woke him up from his dream that prevented him from living a real life. She was an admirable character that anyone can learn from. And even though Phoebe Caulfield was only ten years old, she proved to be wise beyond her years, having a very positive influence on Holden's life.
In conclusion, Holden's siblings played a major role in his life. He often thought about them, and wondered how they would handle situations. In times of great need, Holden "turned" to Allie for advice. He often had the urge to call Phoebe and talk to her. He relied on them, even though they weren't physically active in most of the book. Holden's decision not to run out West and abandon his family was motivated, not only by Allie and Phoebe, but Holden. He made the ultimate decision.
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