Holden is the protagonist and the narrator in The Catcher in the Rye. He is a 16 year old boy who gets kicked out of several boarding schools. He often suffers from loneliness and suicidal thoughts. This results in him finding comfort with drinking and smoking. Holden is fond of intelligent, young, and innocent people, such as Phoebe and Jane. However, Holden often acts phony to try to cover up his lack of innocence.