Kate Wetherall Character Analysis in The Mysterious Benedict Society

Kate Wetherall is a cheerful, energetic, 12-year-old member of the Mysterious Benedict Society. She fails Mr. Benedict’s written exams, but her resourcefulness and kindness to Rhonda and Number Two during the tests secure her a place on Mr. Benedict’s team. Kate is an orphan; her mother died when she was a baby, and her father left when she was a toddler. Kate has therefore grown up on her own, and she is desperate to prove that she can function without help from anyone. She is capable of amazing feats of strength and acrobatics, which she picked up during her years with a traveling circus, and she has a natural gift for measuring exact distances by sight. She carries every survival tool she might need in a red bucket that she brings everywhere. Though she keeps up good spirits during the children’s adventures at Mr. Curtain’s Institute, she occasionally hints that her cheerfulness is an act to prevent her from seeming vulnerable. Her need to prove her self-reliance gets her into trouble when she is nearly caught on a reconnaissance mission that she insists on undertaking alone. She only comes to understand this in the climax, when she sacrifices herself to save Constance and realizes that she now needs her friends to save her. Kate is rescued by Milligan, who reveals himself to be her long-lost father. The two reunite, both happy to finally have a family again.

Kate Wetherall Quotes in The Mysterious Benedict Society

The The Mysterious Benedict Society quotes below are all either spoken by Kate Wetherall or refer to Kate Wetherall . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“Do you suppose we’re going to meet anybody normal today?” Kate asked.

“I’m beginning to doubt it,” Reynie said.

Related Characters: Reynie Muldoon (speaker), Kate Wetherall (speaker), Number Two, Milligan, Rhonda Kazembe

Page Number and Citation: 50

Explanation and Analysis:

Exploring was what she did best, and Kate liked always to be doing what she did best. Not that she was a bad sport; in fact, she was a very good one, and she rarely complained. But Kate had spent all her life––ever since her father abandoned her, which affected her more than she cared to admit––trying to prove she didn’t need anyone’s help, and this was easiest to believe when she was doing what she was good at.

Related Characters: Kate Wetherall , Ledroptha Curtain

Page Number and Citation: 160

Explanation and Analysis:

Reynie wasn’t surprised by his friends’ responses. He too had been wary of the notion when it occurred to him. But were they not secret agents? Was not their very presence on the island a deception? Kate and Sticky’s reaction was just an instinctive response, he thought; they would come around in a minute. Still, Reynie was troubled….Where was his powerful love of truth?...Was he perhaps not quite the truth-loving brave soul Mr. Benedict and everyone else thought him to be?

Related Characters: Reynie Muldoon, Kate Wetherall , Sticky Washington, Mr. Benedict

Page Number and Citation: 225

Explanation and Analysis:

Reynie’s face fell. “It’s not funny, Kate.”

For a moment––a fleeting moment––Kate looked desperately sad. “Well, of course it’s not funny, Reynie Muldoon. But what do you want me to do? Cry?”

Related Characters: Reynie Muldoon (speaker), Kate Wetherall (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 284

Explanation and Analysis:

You shouldn’t let her go alone, Reynie thought. She ought to have help. But when he opened his mouth to argue, he found nothing would come out. A fog seemed to have rolled into his mind, and on top of that he felt bone-weary. He was tired, very tired, of always trying to do the right thing.

Related Characters: Kate Wetherall , Reynie Muldoon

Page Number and Citation: 365

Explanation and Analysis:

[Kate] had grand visions of sabotaging the Whisperer, destroying all its computers by herself. Ripping out cables, crushing components, stealing mysterious gizmos that could not be replaced. Not only would she be regarded as a hero, she could prove once and for all that she could do everything alone––that she needed no one’s help. But now she saw she could do no such thing. Not this time.

Related Characters: Kate Wetherall

Page Number and Citation: 375

Explanation and Analysis:

It has to be all four of us, but Constance can’t handle them. You can handle them, though. It will be rough, but you can handle them.

(Part of Kate believed this––a very important part, for Kate’s sense of invincibility was the main thing that had sustained her all her young life alone. But another part did not believe this––and it, too, was an important part, for unless you know about this part it is impossible to understand how brave a thing Kate was about to do.)

Related Characters: Kate Wetherall (speaker), Constance Contraire, Reynie Muldoon, Ledroptha Curtain, Sticky Washington

Page Number and Citation: 434

Explanation and Analysis:

“Just a few minutes more, Number Two. Let them play. They are children, after all.”

And this was certainly true, if only for the moment.

Related Characters: Mr. Benedict (speaker), Number Two, Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall , Constance Contraire

Page Number and Citation: 485

Explanation and Analysis:

Kate Wetherall Character Timeline in The Mysterious Benedict Society

The timeline below shows where the character Kate Wetherall appears in The Mysterious Benedict Society. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...to the room, since the test administrator told her to come. She introduces herself as Kate Wetherall, and Reynie introduces himself and Sticky. He asks why Kate was running, and she... (full context)

Reynie asks what Kate’s bucket is for. She explains that it is for carrying things, and she opens it... (full context)

Unlike Reynie or Sticky, Kate didn’t pass the second test, since she didn’t notice the puzzle or know the answers,... (full context)

Room 7-B is on the 7th floor, and when the children reach it, Kate knocks loudly on the door over and over until she is told to stop by... (full context)

Reynie and Sticky wait quietly in the other room and watch while Kate completes the test. Using tools from her bucket, she fashions a tightrope and expertly lassoes... (full context)

...tries to ask Sticky about his parents, but Sticky changes the subject and asks if Kate shared their experience with the test administrator and her telephone. She shrugs and says she... (full context)

Reynie asks if Kate ever misses her parents. He doesn’t miss his, since he never knew them, but at... (full context)

...test: they must each find their way through a maze and ring a bronze bell. Kate asks if the test will be difficult, and Rhonda says they should be able to... (full context)

...that very few children ever point that out. Reynie waits for his friends, and soon Kate arrives. She completed the test by unscrewing a grate and crawling through a heating duct,... (full context)

Finally, Reynie and Kate hear the bell ring, very softly, indicating that Sticky has made it through the maze.... (full context)

...is the most gifted one who took the tests, which makes the pencil woman blush. Kate interrupts to ask when they can meet Mr. Benedict, and the pencil woman says that... (full context)

...As Number Two departs, Mr. Benedict offers to answer any of the children’s questions, so Kate asks who they are waiting for. Mr. Benedict answers that they are waiting for Constance... (full context)

...what they all have in common. Constance guesses that they all passed the “boring tests,” Kate guesses that they’re all gifted, and Sticky guesses that they’re all children. (full context)

...the children who passed the first test came by themselves. He knows that he and Kate are orphans, so he guesses that Constance is, too. Reynie can tell Sticky has been... (full context)

Eventually, all the children decide to join the team. Kate joins immediately, though Constance is skeptical about following instructions. Reynie pauses to weigh his fear... (full context)

...what Sticky ran away from. He feels like he has been friends with Sticky and Kate for ages, and he resolves that even if nothing else comes of Mr. Benedict’s team,... (full context)

...startled by the emergency bell. Abruptly, the bell stops ringing and the lights turn off. Kate manages to get her flashlight, but when she turns it on, Constance is gone. The... (full context)

...children that one of the repeated coded messages tells listeners not to defy the Institute. Kate is appalled that children can go missing, and Mr. Benedict reminds her that “The missing... (full context)

Kate eagerly accepts the role of secret agent, but the other children hound Mr. Benedict with... (full context)

After the story, Constance uses Morse code to apologize to Sticky, which surprises everyone. Kate remarks that they are a depressing group, and Constance asks why Milligan is so sad.... (full context)

...an enemy will recognize him, and that he will not recognize them as an enemy. Kate asks if his memory might return, but Milligan says that he has lost hope. Reynie... (full context)

Kate asks what will happen when the Sender boosts the power, and Mr. Benedict tells her... (full context)

...children’s admittance to the Institute, so the children spend the evening by themselves. Sticky helps Kate and Reynie practice Morse code, while Constance composes a rude poem about the other three.... (full context)

...that he understands, and Mr. Benedict asks him to convey this information to Sticky and Kate and make sure they still want to participate. (full context)

Reynie tells Sticky and Kate about his discussion with Mr. Benedict, and they reluctantly agree to do the mission with... (full context)

Early in the morning, the children gather together. Kate has suggested that their group needs a name, and the others agree, even Constance. They... (full context)

...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... (full context)

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... (full context)

...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... (full context)

...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.... (full context)

Sticky is just close enough to his friends that Kate can grab him as he falls through the drapewood. She stumbles forward, and Constance falls... (full context)

...meet Jackson and Jillson, but the Executives arrive more than 30 minutes late. Jillson asks Kate and Constance why their television is off, and she seems confused when Kate lies that... (full context)

Jackson and Jillson leave the children alone in a classroom to wait for Mr. Curtain. Kate wonders why the Executives would warn them about the mine shafts when they are clearly... (full context)

...gently reminds the boys to be quiet, and then he moves on. Once he’s gone, Kate and Constance come down through the ceiling panel. The children puzzle over Mr. Curtain’s identity,... (full context)

Sticky uses Kate’s flashlight to send a brief, cryptic message in Morse to the mainland, conveying that Mr.... (full context)

Kate asks why Mr. Benedict hadn’t told them that he had a twin on the island,... (full context)

Reynie and Sticky have been earning perfect scores, but Kate and Constance are struggling academically. The four are in a class taught by S.Q. Pedalian... (full context)

At lunch, Reynie and Sticky tell Constance and Kate about their encounters with S.Q. and Martina. Kate is furious about how Martina is treating... (full context)

...he is dismayed by the glares that their success inspires from Martina and other students. Kate and Constance continue to fail the Institute’s constant quizzes. After classes, the Mysterious Benedict Society... (full context)

That night, only Kate comes through the ceiling panel to visit the boys, since Constance fell asleep in the... (full context)

...and distracted, Sticky falls asleep in class. Martina gets him in trouble, and in revenge, Kate ties Martina’s shoelaces to her desk. Constance scolds Kate for making more enemies, but Kate... (full context)

Kate and Sticky are horrified by Reynie’s suggestion. Reynie does not want to cheat, but he... (full context)

...members of the Mysterious Benedict Society spend the night practicing their cheating. They arrange for Kate and Constance to cheat off Sticky and Reynie, and their teamwork helps the girls improve... (full context)

The next day, the Mysterious Benedict Society climbs a tall hill so Kate can survey the landscape with her spyglass. She spots another drapewood trap, and Reynie wonders... (full context)

...since they’re children, without proof, nobody will take their word over that of an adult. Kate expresses a desire to steal Mr. Curtain’s notebook or, barring that, to take action. Sticky... (full context)

...keeping watch, surprisingly doing what the others asked her to do. Hidden behind a cactus, Kate is on her hands and knees, and Sticky stands on her back, peering through her... (full context)

...Reynie realizes the Executives might use the gym for something important. With Constance as lookout, Kate and Reynie hurry off to peek into the gym. Reynie stands on Kate’s shoulders to... (full context)

...going inside, then tells himself he must at least pretend to be brave. He joins Kate and Constance in the cafeteria, and the Executive on duty doesn’t pay Reynie any attention.... (full context)

...the Waiting Room. Reynie assures him that he will not have to go back, and Kate agrees as she and Constance come in through the ceiling panel. She makes a little... (full context)

...partner in crime, and the situation has led to new codes for the door locks. Kate is thrilled that both Sticky and Reynie are no longer in trouble, but Reynie feels... (full context)

...Messengers. Sticky and Reynie are relieved and excited, and they return to their room, where Kate and Constance are waiting, to tell the girls the news. (full context)

...the plaza, and the children are left unsure what the message is supposed to mean. Kate and Constance leave, and the boys go to bed. Reynie is writing a mental letter... (full context)

...a large metal armchair affixed with two helmets, one blue and one red. Reynie recalls Kate saying that something important is behind the highest window, as he knows now that she... (full context)

At lunch the next day, Reynie and Sticky tell Kate and Constance about the Whisperer. They reveal that Mr. Curtain is considering training Reynie and... (full context)

...but the boys pretend to have a contagious stomach virus to get out of it. Kate compliments Sticky on his boldness, but Sticky is ashamed; he actually wanted to join the... (full context)

...that their eyes were previously closed––or, Reynie realizes, blindfolded. The children use Sticky’s memory and Kate’s gift for estimating distances to track the path the boys took to the Whispering Gallery.... (full context)

...if it might be a trap. They have no chance to investigate further, however, because Kate hears Mr. Curtain’s wheelchair approaching. The children hurry through the door. (full context)

...crate to hide as Mr. Curtain comes in. Within the crate, Sticky desperately gestures to Kate, and she sees that his spectacles fell on the floor. She manages to reach her... (full context)

Kate notices a door behind the tables, and what she sees horrifies her. She fetches the... (full context)

...completed, and he has come to take them off the island. Reynie is relieved, but Kate resists. She asks if Mr. Benedict has formed a plan, and Mulligan reluctantly says that... (full context)

Reynie thanks Milligan, but he says that he plans to stay. Kate hugs Reynie and says the same. Sticky looks longingly toward the mainland, but he agrees... (full context)

...look to him for a plan, and he doesn’t have one. When the meeting comes, Kate looks to him for a plan. Reynie admits he doesn’t have a plan beyond disabling... (full context)

Reynie doesn’t want to let Kate go alone, but she insists, and he doesn’t argue. He is “tired, very tired, of... (full context)

As Reynie is gaining hope, Kate is losing it. She has broken into the Institute Control Building, but the air vents... (full context)

Kate makes the exhausting climb up the elevator cable, but the foyer outside the computer room... (full context)

From her hiding place in the drain, Kate hears Mr. Curtain send S.Q. away. She suspects a trap and hurries out of the... (full context)

Kate comes to Reynie and Sticky’s room. She is cold, in pain, and disappointed in her... (full context)

The next morning at breakfast, Reynie loudly spills juice on Kate’s shoes. He whispers that the Executives know someone swam away from the culvert, and Kate’s... (full context)

...of licorice when he found the marble last night, and the Executives want to check Kate’s shoes to see if the licorice is stuck there. She scrapes the licorice off her... (full context)

...is too ashamed. His friends are troubled, too. Sticky feels the same as Reynie, and Kate still wishes she managed to sabotage the computers. Constance fears what will happen to her... (full context)

...to the students. Sticky comments that he feels a little guilty about making everyone sick. Kate accuses him of sympathizing with the enemy, but Reynie and Sticky remind her that not... (full context)

...which is on Mr. Curtain’s wheelchair. They have no plan for that, nor for how Kate and Constance will get inside, nor for how they will destroy the Whisperer, nor for... (full context)

...the shore to draw. He had initially drawn his own rendering of the island, but Kate produced a much better version in only a few minutes. Reynie carefully makes his way... (full context)

...up. The children try to solve the riddle, but Reynie is distracted and Sticky and Kate do not share his natural gift for puzzles. They eventually give up for the night... (full context)

...in order to stretch out the session long enough for Reynie to signal Constance and Kate. Sticky is horrified. He argues that Mr. Curtain will notice his resistance and brainsweep him.... (full context)

...the glass. The message he wrote on his palm tells Mr. Benedict that they need Kate and Constance. (full context)

Kate sleeps poorly that night as she thinks about Milligan’s sacrifice. She is further irritated by... (full context)

Kate reaches the flag tower, which houses the Whispering Gallery. She enters the secret passage, only... (full context)

Kate and Constance steal a ladder to climb up the flag tower. The Morse code message... (full context)

Once she retrieves her bucket, Kate starts to climb the ladder with Constance still on her back. They climb over the... (full context)

Kate grabs hold of the rope and jumps off the flagpole, positioning the rope like a... (full context)

...the Whisperer despite his fear because Reynie asked him to. He remembers all the risks Kate has taken. Reynie sits in the Whisperer and remembers the last question of Mr. Benedict’s... (full context)

...the window, and Reynie does so. Outside, Reynie finds Constance clinging to the flagpole and Kate on the ground fighting Executives. He is filled with pride and hope as he understands... (full context)

...reflective glasses to the floor, rises from his wheelchair, and charges at the children. Below, Kate manages to fight off the Executives for a while, but eventually they grab her. She... (full context)

The Executives continue to beat Kate until someone approaches from behind. All three attackers fall to the ground, revealing Milligan with... (full context)

...sends him back to sleep by calling him a fool for trusting Sticky and Reynie. Kate comes in through the window. She is wounded but cheerful, and she tells the others... (full context)

...Mr. Curtain doesn’t respond, S.Q. sends for a ladder to come to Mr. Curtain’s aid. Kate warns that Mr. Curtain is trying to trick them, but Reynie insists that he has... (full context)

...that the Whisperer no longer whispers––it shouts. The effect is deafening, and Reynie, Sticky, and Kate are collapsing against the effort of resistance. But when Reynie opens his eyes, he sees... (full context)

...the little girl. A boom comes from behind the wall, and Milligan cries out for Kate. He is in a passage with a hidden door, and Reynie realizes that the cowardly... (full context)

The door opens, and Milligan runs in to hug Kate. Reynie and Sticky rush to help Constance, but she is strapped into the Whisperer. As... (full context)

...Mr. Curtain. As he prepares to shove the boat from shore, he gently whispers to Kate that he will teach her a better knot. (full context)

Kate fails to hold back tears. She has been so excited to have her father back,... (full context)

...now that Milligan remembers the government passwords of his days as a secret agent; further, Kate stole Mr. Curtain’s journal from the Whispering Gallery during their escape. Most importantly, the Whisperer... (full context)

...Institute, everyone sits down to have their first proper dinner since the children returned home. Kate asks how Mr. Benedict found the secret exit, and Mr. Benedict explains Milligan found it.... (full context)

...if she would be “willing to adopt [him] as [her] family,” and she accepted. Later, Kate and Reynie discuss how all the children are finding their families. Constance in particular is... (full context)

Kate Wetherall Character Analysis

Kate Wetherall Quotes in The Mysterious Benedict Society

Chapter 3 Quotes

Chapter 10 Quotes

Chapter 17 Quotes

Chapter 22 Quotes

Chapter 30 Quotes

Chapter 31 Quotes

Chapter 35 Quotes

Chapter 39 Quotes

Kate Wetherall Character Timeline in The Mysterious Benedict Society