According to Jean-Maxime Moris, Creative Director at Dontnod, Max Caulfield's surname is a reference to the character Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the J. D. Salinger novel "The Catcher in the Rye". The two works share similar themes, such as the difficulties in making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Like Max, Holden is a student at an exclusive boarding school, and both characters have similar personality traits such as the urge to preserve innocence. There are several other references to the book throughout the game.