What’s the age limit to be considered a child? 15? 18? 21? Consider Holden acting like a child, at the age of 17. Throughout The Catcher In The Rye Holden shows that he doesn't act like an adult. He does some things that an adult would do but to be 17 he shouldn’t be wondering what the “time” feels like. Holden really cares for little kids for example, Allie his little brother. When he finds out about the death he punches all the windows out the garage. When Holden arrives in New York, he goes to the Wicker Bar and gets drunk, then pretends he got shot so he holds his chest, then he breaks into his house to talk to his little sister Phoebe. He talks to Phoebe until his parents come then he leaves, then ends up spending a night at Mr. Antolini’s