D.B. Caulfield Character Analysis in The Catcher in the Rye

D.B. is Holden’s older brother. A former army soldier who fought in World War II, D.B. is an author best known for his short stories, which Holden deeply admires. However, D.B. has recently started writing movies in Hollywood, which displeases Holden, who thinks his brother has sold out and is now practicing something close to prostitution. D.B. is the person who visits Holden most frequently when he’s in the rest home.

D.B. Caulfield Character Timeline in The Catcher in the Rye

The timeline below shows where the character D.B. Caulfield appears in The Catcher in the Rye. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...year. After all, this limited amount of information is all he told his own brother, D.B., who visits him every week. Holden notes that D.B. is a talented writer who has... (full context)

In Penn Station in New York, Holden wants to talk to someone, and considers calling D.B., Phoebe (his younger sister), Jane, or another friend named Sally Hayes. He even considers calling... (full context)

...away from the hotel, he decides to go to a piano bar called Ernie’s that D.B. once took him to. Accordingly, he hails a taxi and thinks about Ernie, the bar’s... (full context)

...in the scene, a young woman named Lillian Simmons approaches him. Lillian used to date D.B., and Holden thinks she’s a terrible “phony.” When she reaches his table, she says it’s... (full context)

...it so much. Because the movie is set during wartime, Holden thinks about his brother D.B.’s experience in World War II, and this leads him to consider the fact that he... (full context)

Holden thinks about the books D.B. gave him after coming home from World War II. Although D.B. said he hated being... (full context)

...way to Phoebe’s room but finds it empty. Remembering that Phoebe likes to sleep in D.B.’s room, he creeps there and turns on the light. At first, Phoebe doesn’t wake up,... (full context)

...startles Phoebe. When she tells him that he can spend the night with her in D.B.’s room if it’d make him feel better, he thanks her but says he has to... (full context)

...zoo, Holden and Phoebe start to walk toward a large carousel where Holden, Allie, and D.B. used to take Phoebe when she was little. Phoebe still isn’t talking to Holden, but... (full context)

D.B. visits Holden quite frequently. He recently asked how Holden feels about everything that has happened... (full context)