<Tr> <Th> Family </Th> <Td> D.B. Caulfield (brother) Phoebe Caulfield (sister) Allie Caulfield (deceased brother) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Nationality </Th> <Td> American </Td> </Tr> <P> Holden Caulfield is a fictional character in author J.D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye . Since the book's publication, Holden has become an icon for teenage rebellion and angst, and now stands among the most important characters of 20th - century American literature . The name Holden Caulfield was used in an unpublished short story written in 1942 and first appeared in print in 1945 . </P> <P> Although it has been conjectured that J.D. Salinger got the name for Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye when he saw a marquee for the 1947 film Dear Ruth, starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, Salinger's first Holden Caulfield story, "I'm Crazy," appeared in Collier's on December 22, 1945, a year and a half before this movie was released . </P>

What is the main character's name in the catcher in the rye