Holden’s older brother, the Hollywood screenwriter, is nicknamed D. B.
D. B. is short for Donald Budd Caulfield, Holden’s eldest brother. He is a successful writer who has moved to Hollywood to write screenplays. Holden admires D. B.’s literary talent but resents what he sees as its commercialization. In Holden’s view, D. B. has “sold out” by writing for movies instead of producing the kind of serious fiction Holden believes he should be writing.
D. B. also serves as the implied audience for Holden’s narration. The novel begins with Holden addressing the reader in a conversational way, and near the end he mentions that D. B. visits him at the sanatorium in California. This framing makes the story feel like a personal account rather than a conventional third-person narrative.
D. B. should not be confused with Allie, Holden’s deceased younger brother, or Phoebe, his younger sister. Mr. Antolini is a former teacher. Holden’s complicated feelings about D. B. mirror his broader suspicion of adult success and the entertainment industry.