Previous
Chapter 18
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 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 why both traps are right next to groups of boulders. Kate points out that the rocks would always cast the drapewood in shadow, making them harder to see. Constance admires this trickery, and Sticky notes that drapewood was a good choice for a plant, since it thrives in shade.
As they discuss the drapewood, each of the four members of the Mysterious Benedict Society contributes something relevant to their unique characterization. Reynie’s keen observation skills help him notice that both traps are located near boulders, and Kate’s spatial awareness helps her think of the way the rocks would cast shadows. The academic Sticky presents more information about drapewood. Constance offers only admiration for Mr. Curtain’s strategy, which reflects her mischievous nature. Each of the children are distinct individuals, but they have learned how to come together as a team and combine their abilities to serve their goals.
Themes
The children’s spying is interrupted when two Helpers walk past. Reynie recognizes one of them as a school facilities inspector from Stonetown, but the Helper nervously insists he has a different name and has worked at the Institute for as long as he can remember. Reynie realizes that the Helpers, like Milligan and the missing government agents, have had their memories stolen by Mr. Curtain. Mr. Curtain kidnaps people who stand in his way, wipes their memories, and converts them into his private workforce. He programs the Helpers to believe that “everything is as it should be,” but their eyes share Milligan’s sadness, as they unconsciously miss the lives they’ve lost.
Mr. Curtain’s methods grow increasingly insidious as the children uncover more and more information. Not only does he rob the general public of independent thought and free will, but he also robs the Helpers of their very identities. Their false belief that “everything is as it should be” instills the Helpers with complacency, a lack of awareness that prevents them from fighting back. However, Mr. Curtain’s efforts cannot entirely erase the core truths that make up these people, and they sense the deception even though they cannot identify it.
Themes
Reynie explains his revelation to his friends. He realizes that the kidnapped students are acting happy because they don’t remember being kidnapped, and the Messenger who insisted he couldn’t talk about his duties really couldn’t, because he had lost his memory of them. Sticky uses his knowledge of amnesia to help Reynie deduce that the memory-wiping causes deep sadness when it robs people of all their memories, but when Mr. Curtain targets specific memories, the process only causes confusion. Reynie recalls that the school facilities inspector was a jovial man who was always talking about his beloved children; he must have come to inspect the Institute, and Mr. Curtain silenced his report by kidnapping him.
The revelation that Mr. Curtain regularly kidnaps and brainwashes people confirms that he has no regard for anyone’s individual agency. He views people merely as pieces in a game of his devising, in which the object is to gain as much power and control as possible. This information adds context to Mr. Curtain’s earlier claim that he wants to make people happy. The brainwashing process can cause deep despair, but it also allows the kidnapped students to enjoy their time at the Institute. This happiness, though, is superficial. The students and the Helpers alike have been stripped of the fundamental right to make their own choices and think for themselves.
Themes
