Number Two Character Analysis

Number Two is Mr. Benedict’s right-hand woman. She is steadfastly loyal to him, and she usually stands at his side to catch him if he suddenly falls asleep. She is also an insomniac, which directly contrasts Mr. Benedict’s narcolepsy, and she eats constantly to make up for the energy she loses from lack of sleep. Number Two is the first member of Mr. Benedict’s household that Reynie encounters, as she is the one who administers the entrance exams. Her strange appearance and behavior in these early chapters hints at the unexpected ways Reynie’s life changes once he meets Mr. Benedict. Number Two is thin, with stiff posture and a penchant for yellow clothes, which gives her the appearance of a pencil. She is polite but evasive when Reynie asks her questions, and it is only later revealed that her unhelpful answers are another feature of the test. Once Reynie and the other children pass the tests and join Mr. Benedict, Number Two assists them with the plan to infiltrate the Institute. She has absolute faith in Mr. Benedict. She passed Mr. Benedict’s tests when she was a child, and Reynie learns at the end of the story that Number Two is Mr. Benedict’s adopted daughter.