Phoebe Caulfield

Phoebe Holden Caulfield is Holden Caulfield's ten-year-old sister, the emotional center of his affection and the primary motivation for much of his anguished search for meaning. She is intelligent, articulate, and mature beyond her years, yet still innocent and unspoiled in Holden Caulfield's eyes. Holden Caulfield adores her with genuine, uncynical tenderness that stands in sharp contrast to his hatred and contempt for almost everyone else in his life. She sits and listens to him with an attentiveness and understanding that comforts him during his crisis. Phoebe embodies everything that Holden Caulfield fears losing—childhood innocence, purity, and authenticity—and his desire to protect her from the corruption of the adult world drives much of his emotional desperation.