Confidence and Growing Up
In The Mysterious Benedict Society, the four children of the eponymous society set out to stop the evil Mr. Curtain’s plans to take over the world. Mr. Curtain plans to brainwash (or “brainsweep”) the global population into a state of childlike obedience, which means that the children must mature into competent young adults to defeat him. This change is bittersweet—they lose the innocence and safety of childhood, but they gain confidence, which the novel…
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Deception vs. Truth
In The Mysterious Benedict Society, four truth-loving children discover that sometimes, deception has its place. Mr. Benedict describes the four main characters as possessing a “powerful love of truth,” and the contrast between truth and deception runs throughout the novel. Mr. Curtain’s plan hinges on deception: his hidden signals embed thoughts into people’s minds, he erases memories and lies to people about their identities, he lies to his students and Executives about the…
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Loneliness vs. Friendship
All four members of the Mysterious Benedict Society struggle with loneliness, and it is the power of their friendship that allows them to triumph over Mr. Curtain. They are recruited to Mr. Benedict’s team because, as Reynie observes, “[they are] all alone.” This isolation has left its impact on the children, and it initially hinders their efforts to fight Mr. Curtain. Kate is desperate to prove that she can be entirely self-sufficient, while…
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Control vs. Freedom
As the four children of the Mysterious Benedict Society explore the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, the headquarters for Mr. Curtain’s nefarious plot, they discover how authority figures can exert control in stealthy and insidious ways by twisting people’s understanding of what freedom is. Mr. Curtain values control above all else, and his plan is dedicated to gaining control over as many people as possible. The Whisperer is a tool that allows him…
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Hope
In the fight against Mr. Curtain, the characters face increasingly dire circumstances, and they struggle to retain hope that they will succeed. The novel thus illustrates how hope drives the characters toward positive action, while a lack of hope leads to inaction and in turn to self-loathing. At the start of the story, Milligan explicitly states that he has lost all hope, and only duty keeps him going. He carries out his duties with…
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