Milligan Character Analysis

Milligan is a former government agent who works as a guard for Mr. Benedict, Number Two, and Rhonda. He lost his memory at the hands of Mr. Curtain, and he initially sought out Mr. Benedict in the hopes that Mr. Benedict could restore his memory. Though Mr. Benedict could not help, Milligan remained with him out of a sense of duty. His memory loss has robbed him of all hope, so duty is all that drives him. When the children see Milligan outside of Mr. Benedict’s house, he is usually in disguise, but they can identify him by his expression of intense sadness. This helps them recognize him when he arrives at the Institute, seeking to help them in their mission. He gives himself up to the Executives to throw suspicion off the children, and the Executives imprison him in the Waiting Room. During his escape attempt, Milligan’s memory returns. He realizes that he is Kate’s father, and that his name comes from a fractured memory of her asking to return to the mill pond where he taught her to swim—to go to the “mill again.” This realization incentivizes him to escape and save his daughter. Once he and Kate are reunited, he becomes a doting father and a genuinely happy man.