The Mysterious Benedict Society

Reynie is the main protagonist, and much of the novel is told from his perspective. He is 11 years old, average in appearance, and was orphaned as an infant. He grew up in Stonetown Orphanage. Due to his exceptional intelligence, he was given a tutor, Miss Perumal. He particularly skilled at problem-solving and logical deduction. He is generous, kind, trustworthy, and an excellent judge of character. Reynie is startled to hear Mr. Benedict refer to him as a hero, but he is clearly a hero figure in the story.

Reynie emerges as the group’s natural leader, due to his level-headedness and teamwork skills, as well as his ability to solve problems. The other children look to him to come up with plans and strategies, which wears on Reynie as time goes on. Reynie wants to be a good person, but he is not always confident that he is strong enough to do the right thing. Reynie’s greatest fear is being alone, which he developed during his years of isolation in the orphanage. When the Whisperer gives him a false feeling of belonging, Reynie comes to crave that emotional connection, and it becomes like a drug to him. Like an addict, Reynie finds himself wanting to do and say things to ensure he can experience contact with the Whisperer again, though he intellectually knows that would be a bad thing. In the end Reynie loves his friends so thoroughly that he overcomes the Whisperer’s temptation, aware that his connection to them is genuine. At the end of the story Reynie gains his heart’s desire: a new mother to love him and an extended family of friends and their parents.

Sticky is 11 years old, thin, and bald (due to a mishap with hair remover), and he wears glasses. He is a former quiz show champion, as he has an uncanny ability to remember everything he reads or experiences. Sticky is timid, shy, and lacking in confidence. He ran away from home when his parents pushed him to earn money in quiz shows, which caused to Sticky believe they did not want him just for himself. Sticky becomes flustered when nervous and frequently polishes his glasses to soothe himself. Despite his lifelong fears and low self-esteem, Sticky emerges as another hero of the story.

Sticky insists on being called by his nickname, since he feels that being called George Washington sets him up for unrealistic expectations. Despite his amazing, almost photographic memory, Sticky does not feel worthy of high expectations. He does not feel worthy of love, since he felt emotionally abandoned by his parents. This leads to Sticky’s greatest fear of not being wanted. It takes time for Sticky to internalize that his friends love and want him, which is epitomized when Reynie tells him that he needs him as a friend. They do not want Sticky because of what he can do for them but purely because they care about him. This gives Sticky the internal resources to discover his bravery and volunteer for the Whisperer. After this transformation, Sticky never feels the need to clean his glasses. His happiness is complete when he is reunited with his parents, who desperately wanted him all along.

Kate is 12 years old, tall, and broad-shouldered. Her mother died when she was an infant, and she was seemingly abandoned by her father as a young child. She grew up in a circus, where she developed extraordinary skills of physical dexterity and fearlessness. Kate has an innate sense of measurement, and she can gauge distance and weight by sight. She is brash, outgoing, and resourceful.

Kate grew up trying to prove that she did not need anyone else, not their help or their presence, due to her apparent abandonment by the one person she truly relied upon, her father. Kate desperately wishes to be the solo hero of the story, by defeating Mr. Curtain and the Whisperer in a dramatic, independent fashion. When that proves impossible, Kate is dismayed and disappointed. Her fear is that she cannot rely solely on her own abilities. She is afraid of being vulnerable, because when she trusted her father to return, he had abandoned her. Kate learns that her true value comes from acting as a team player rather than a lone wolf when she saves Constance from the Executives, a truly heroic act. Kate’s belief in her father is restored when it is revealed that he is Milligan, who could not return to her because his memories had been erased.

Constance is two years old, tiny, and clumsy. She was living alone in a public library when she saw Mr. Benedict’s advertisement. She is stubborn, ill-mannered, and has an extremely sensitive mind. She picks up the boosted messages from the Whisperer to a greater degree than the other children. Constance can make up rhymes and poems instantly, and she uses this skill to cover her lack of knowledge and uncertainty about how to answer questions. Her consistent rudeness is sometimes a way to avoid acknowledging her weaknesses, though she is often rude because she has never been taught polite manners.

It is never explained how a two-year-old managed to survive on her own, though it indicates that she is highly resourceful. Constance refuses to say anything about her background or share personal details like her birthday, possibly because she does not know them. Constance is fixated on the primary pursuits of a toddler—eating and sleeping—probably because finding food to eat and a safe place to sleep consumed her time when she lived on her own. Constance knows that others find her annoying, but she does not know how to behave differently. In the end she realizes that the team needs her, and she takes on the Whisperer. Her emotional development progresses throughout the story, as she sees how Mr. Benedict is kind to her despite her disrespect and how the other children care for her even though she complains and complicates their lives. She proves stronger than their enemies, and her stubbornness makes her a hero.

Mr. Benedict is kindly, gentle, and humble, though he is clearly a genius. Mr. Benedict feels great empathy for the children, since he himself was orphaned at a young age and grew up without a family. Despite his difficult early life, Mr. Benedict is jovial and friendly and greatly respects the abilities of children. He feels an almost unbearable responsibility for putting the team in danger, which he does only because there is no choice. Mr. Benedict represents acceptance for all abilities and gifts, as well as the strength of working with others as a team.

Mr. Benedict suffers from narcolepsy, which is triggered by strong emotions such as happiness or sadness. Despite this, he does not try to suppress his emotions, which are part of himself. He adopted Number Two and Rhonda when they were children, and he inspires extreme devotion from them. His life is happy and fulfilled with this chosen family. Mr. Benedict is a fine role model for Reynie and the other children, for he demonstrates that kindness, respect, and family are what make life worth living.

Mr. Curtain is narcissistic, controlling, and malicious. He is the story’s antagonist, an evil genius bent on world domination. The perfect foil to his twin brother Mr. Benedict, Mr. Curtain demonstrates the consequences of choosing a life of fear and intimidation. It is curious that identical twins could be so different in nature. Mr. Curtain refuses to allow the appearance of vulnerability, so he keeps himself strapped in a wheelchair and wears dark glasses to conceal his narcolepsy, which is triggered by anger. He and his nefarious plan are defeated by his insistence on maintaining complete control over his project.