Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mysterious Benedict Society, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Confidence and Growing Up
Deception vs. Truth
Loneliness vs. Friendship
Control vs. Freedom
Hope
Summary
Analysis
The only way to get to Nomansan Island is via a narrow bridge hidden by woods. Rhonda drives the children of the Mysterious Benedict Society through the woods, pointing out where Mr. Benedict and the others will watch for the children’s signals. She instructs the children to keep their messages cryptic, in case they are seen by outsiders; when Constance asks what “cryptic” means, Rhonda rephrases that the messages should be vague. She reminds the children to be careful, because even with precautions, their situation is extremely dangerous.
Nomansan Island is physically remote and inaccessible, mirroring how the children will be on their own at the Institute. As Rhonda makes clear, the children are in great danger, and they must face that danger alone. Though they can send messages to Mr. Benedict, those messages must obfuscate the truth, so only the children will know precisely what they are going through.
Themes
Rhonda pulls into the Institute, where two friendly young guards greet them. Reynie is incredibly anxious. He thinks back to leaving Mr. Benedict’s house, when all the adults looked exhausted and sad, but also hopeful. Reynie cannot muster hope through his fear, and beside him, the other children are visibly afraid. Finally, though, the guards verify the four children as new students and allow them into the Institute.
Just like the intruders who tried to kidnap Constance, the guards at the Institute are affable and charming. Their friendly appearances create a false sense of security that enables them to deceive victims. Faced with the reality of the Institute, Reynie struggles to find hope. He recognizes that hope will be important to drive the children in their goals, but in this moment his fear overpowers his hope.
Themes
Rhonda drops the children off, and they are told to wait on the side of the loading area, in order to avoid interfering with the many workers in white uniforms. Reynie notices that several of the workers appear to be working on the island’s turbines. Sticky and Kate notice this as well, but Constance is confused and asks if the workers are trying to repair the water. She cries out when two men in suits pass by, both wearing shock-watches like the men in the maze. Kate shushes Constance as the group’s escorts arrive. The escorts wear matching uniforms and introduce themselves as Jackson and Jillson. Reynie tries to introduce himself, but Jillson cuts him off, which makes Reynie feel foolish.
The other children do not know Constance well, and she does not appear to share their intelligence or maturity: she doesn’t understand what the workers are doing, and she cannot control her surprise at seeing men who resemble her potential kidnappers. This adds to the mystery of why Mr. Benedict considers her so important. When Jackson and Jillson greet the children, they make clear that the Institute will offer none of the warmth or friendship of Mr. Benedict’s home. Jillson snubs Reynie’s attempt to introduce himself, which reinforces his loneliness and insecurities.
Themes
Jackson and Jillson lead the children to the dorms, where the boys and girls are forced to separate. Reynie and Sticky’s room is a standard dormitory, though it surprisingly includes a television. It has a window through which they can send messages in Morse code, and thinking about this makes Reynie’s stomach churn. He knows that he is a secret agent, but it still doesn’t feel real. Jackson tells Sticky and Reynie of the school hierarchy: Messengers are students who enjoy secret, special privileges, and Messengers who excel at their jobs can be hired as Executives like Jackson and Jillson. Jackson adds that after the orientation tour, the children will meet Mr. Curtain.
The Institute enforces upon its students the order that Mr. Curtain looks to establish in the wider world. The televisions in the dorms allow him to transmit his messages to students at all times, and the strict hierarchy reflects Mr. Curtain’s desire for rigid control. The promise of special privileges also prompts students to vie for Mr. Curtain’s validation and incentivizes them to aid him in his schemes.
Themes
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Jackson leaves, and Sticky and Reynie plan to find the girls. Before they can, however, Kate and Constance come through a panel in the ceiling. They discuss what they’ve learned, and they all decide that the voices delivering the messages must be Institute Messengers. Reynie notes that Messengers’ responsibilities are secret, so they will have to become top students and earn the rank of Messengers themselves to learn Mr. Curtain’s plan. Kate suggests exploring before their tour. The boys agree, but Constance is tired. She eventually lets Kate give her a piggyback, and the Mysterious Benedict Society leaves the dorms.
The children launch their investigation as secret agents. They quickly determine the significance of the Messengers, and Reynie provides a strategy for a long-term goal. Kate suggests a more immediate plan of action, which reflects her enthusiasm and impulsiveness. The fact that Constance lets Kate carry her suggests that Constance might be warming to the other children, despite her prickly exterior.
Themes
The Institute is a beautiful place, and its appearance does not at all betray its sinister inner workings. Once the children are outside, Kate pulls out her “spyglass in disguise” and locates a window above the Institute flag, which is the highest window on the island. She concludes that something important must be there and plots a way to climb up. Reynie stops her, reminding her of Mr. Benedict’s warning against unnecessary risks. The children remain outside for some time. Kate is especially reluctant to go inside; exploring is what she does best, and she likes to do what she does best. She has spent her whole life trying to prove that she doesn’t need anyone’s help, and she genuinely believes this when she is doing what she is good at.
The Institute is like the people who populate it: appealing on the outside with danger lurking within. On the other hand, Kate’s spyglass is also “in disguise,” which hints that despite the children’s love of truth, deception might be able to serve them as well as it serves their enemies. Kate’s inner monologue when the children stop exploring reveals that she is just as insecure as Reynie and Sticky. Her apparent bravery and recklessness are actually symptoms of her fear of appearing vulnerable.
Themes
As the children walk back inside, Sticky notices a patch of a rare plant called drapewood. He points out that some of it was planted more recently than the rest, which he can tell by the color of the stems. Constance surmises that something has been buried there, and Kate asks Reynie if they should investigate. Reynie is pleasantly surprised that Kate wants his opinion. He tells her they should investigate, but the plant makes him uneasy somehow. Sticky regrets bringing it up and says the plant is probably nothing. He walks into the patch of drapewood, and the vines seem to swallow him.
Sticky’s encyclopedic knowledge proves to have real-world applications when he recognizes the disparity in the drapewood. He still doubts himself, however, and he is embarrassed to have drawn so much attention to the plant. Reynie is once again thrust into a leadership position when Kate instinctively looks to him for guidance. He does not know exactly what to do, but he advocates for investigating, which suits his natural curiosity and shows that Reynie can push through uncertainty when his friends depend on him.
Themes
