Holden Caulfield:

He is the adolescent protagonist of the novel who narrates his story from a sanatorium in California. Looking back, he begins his story just before Christmas break, when he is expelled from Pencey Prep, a private school. He is a tall boy sporting a crew cut, who smokes a lot and has a sarcastic manner of speaking. Despite the fact that he finds himself distanced from the world around him, he is good at heart and a sensitive soul.

D.B.:

He is Holden’s elder brother who once wrote excellent short stories. He has now sold out and writes screenplays in Hollywood.

Allie:

Allie is Holden’s younger brother who passed away in 1946 when he was eleven. Holden is deeply fond of his deceased younger brother, and often speaks to him when he is alone and in need of guidance.

Phoebe:

She is Holden’s ten-year-old sister whom Holden trusts and likes to talk to. She comes across as a sweet and innocent character.

Ackley:

Ackley is Holden’s neighbor in Pencey Prep who annoys him and repeatedly reminds him that he is two years older than Holden.

Ward Stradlater:

He is Holden’s roommate. When Holden gets into a physical fight with Stradlater, he punches Holden in the face. Stradlater is taller and more handsome than Holden.

Jane Gallagher:

She was Holden’s neighbor and a friend whose company he had genuinely enjoyed. He remembers playing checkers and going to the movies with her. Holden is bothered to learn that she is Stradlater’s date, and he also finds himself thinking of her a lot.

Mr. Cudahy:

He is Jane Gallagher’s alcoholic and abusive step-father. Holden remembers running into Jane after one of her fights with Mr. Cudahy. She’d been crying, and Holden had ended up kissing Jane in an attempt to comfort her.

Sally Hayes:

Holden meets Sally in New York. She is beautiful, but they do not have much in common and he finds her rather shallow. Nonetheless, Holden proposes marriage, but Sally refuses.

Old Spencer:

He is a teacher at Holden’s school, Pencey Prep. Rather notorious for his pontification, Mr. Spencer attempts to lecture Holden about his (Holden’s) study habits.

Mrs. Morrow:

She is Ernest’s mother, and Ernest is Holden’s classmate. She is a beautiful woman, and Holden meets her on a train. Holden uses his alias “Rudolph” to talk to her and spins some lies to entertain her.

Maurice:

He is a pimp who sets up Holden’s meeting with a prostitute. When Holden refuses to pay the extra five dollars the prostitute asks for, Maurice punches him.

Sunny:

She is the prostitute whom Holden meets at the hotel. In fact, “Sunny” is what Holden calls her; he does not know her real name. In the hotel room they only talk and do little else. He pays her five dollars, but she says her fee is ten. She later comes back with Maurice, her pimp, for more money.

The Nuns:

Holden encounters the two nuns at the Grand Central Station. He comes to know that they are teachers. He appears to be fond of them.

Carl Luce:

He is Holden’s acquaintance from school. Holden seeks out Carl for some advice, but Carl seems to have little patience for him. He tells Holden to seek psychiatric help. Holden later dismisses him as a phony.

James Castle:

A student at Hill, James refuses to recant his statement against a bully, and eventually jumps out of a window in what would prove to be a fatal act. At the time of his death, James had been wearing a turtleneck he had borrowed from Holden.

Mrs. Caulfield:

She is Holden’s mother. Readers meet her briefly when Holden goes home to visit his sister. Mrs. Caulfield seems plagued by worries, and it is apparent that she is deeply affected by the death of her son, Allie.

Mr. Antolini:

He is Holden’s old English teacher. Holden calls Mr. Antolini when he has something to discuss regarding work. Once, Mr. Antolini allows Holden to stay in his house for a night. When Holden awakens, he finds his teacher patting his head, a gesture he interprets as alarming and perverted. He leaves Mr. Antolini’s house immediately.

Richard Kinsella:

Kinsella is Holden’s acquaintance from the Oral Expressions class. Though other students yell “Digression” whenever Kinsella drifts from his assigned topic during his speeches, Holden quite enjoys these digressions.