Phoebe Caulfield is the main character, Holden Caulfield's, little sister. She is a very intelligent little girl. Phoebe knows Holden very well, and she is one of the few people that Holden actually cares about.
From the beginning of the story we get Holden's point of view of his world. He thinks everyone is stupid, phony, and against him. Not until we meet Phoebe do we get a better, more realistic point of view. Phoebe understands that her brother is going through a tough time. She understands this even though she is a young girl, which tells us a lot about her intelligence and maturity. Phoebe believes that Holden is afraid to become an adult. She thinks that he wants to stay a child for as long as possible. He wants to always be innocent like a child, and he does not want the responsibilties that adults have.
Phoebe, on the other hand, looks forward to growing up. She knows it is something all people must go through, and she sees it as an adventure. Phoebe tries to convince Holden that he is being stupid about wanting to stay young forever.
When Holden decides he wants to run away, Phoebe demands that she goes with him. A reader could take this as a young girl not wanting to loose her brother, but I think the real reason she wanted to go with Holden was because she thought he needed her. She thinks Holden needs someone to take care of him because he is a little on edge. She is correct. Holden is being irrational about his entire situation, and he needs to Phoebe to show him the way through all the madness. When Holden takes Phoebe to the park to ride the carousel, he finally discovers what he must do. When he gets home he starts to go the therapy, which is where we hear this story from. Holden says he will try hard in school and try to do better in all aspects of life. Whether these statements are true and will be carried out the reader does not know, but if they are true, they are thanks to Phoebe Caulfield.
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