What is the profession of Holden's older brother D.B.?

Holden’s older brother D.B. is a screenwriter in Hollywood. Holden once admired him as a talented short-story writer, but now views his work in the film industry as a betrayal of serious literature.

D.B. is introduced near the beginning of the novel, when Holden explains that he is staying in California and visiting Holden in the institution where Holden is recovering. D.B. had published a collection of short stories, including “The Secret Goldfish,” and Holden considers those earlier stories genuine and valuable.

Holden’s criticism is shaped by his strong suspicion of anything he considers “phony.” He believes D.B. has traded artistic independence for money, cars, and Hollywood success. Calling D.B. a “prostitute” is Holden’s metaphor for what he sees as that compromise; it does not mean D.B. literally works as a sex worker.

The character also parallels J. D. Salinger in a loose biographical sense. Salinger was a successful fiction writer who disliked Hollywood adaptations and eventually withdrew from public literary life. D.B.’s screenwriting career therefore helps establish the novel’s recurring conflict between artistic integrity, commercial success, and Holden’s idealism.